Office Closet Makeover – Wallpaper Edition

Over the years, I sourced furniture and decor for my office that I truly love. However, I also managed to pile in a lot of odds and ends without a permanent location. So, I set out on a mission to fix this – starting with the severely under-utilized closet. I got rid of the short-lived and extremely wobbly pair of three-drawer plastic cabinets I initially used. Even with these plastic towers, I still had about 5 feet of space where I just made a heap of random items in complete disarray. I couldn’t live with it for much longer, so I started brainstorming ideas to reorganize my office closet – starting with wallpaper.

The plan – More Storage Space in the Office Closet

But let’s start from the beginning. I am a huge fan of organizing with boxes – a tried and true method. Boxes always look neat, and contents are organized by their purpose. There is no constant need to have items perfectly organized within the containers, but they are always easy to find!

Add in some shelves, and you could fit a department store in there. After deciding on containers and shelving, I realized I really wanted a pop of color somewhere in the background. This is how the idea of using wallpaper came about.

Wallpaper Application Methods

These days possibilities are endless. You can find wallpaper in all imaginable patterns, colors, textures and design styles. You can even upload your own design to be printed just for you.

What a time to be alive!

However, just for a moment, I want to focus on the backside… of the paper that is. There are three main ways to make wallpaper stick.

Non-pasted wallpaper

The OG of wall coverings without any adhesives. You have to apply glue before placing it on the wall. The process is messy and you may need to hire a professional. This method produces long-lasting results – up to 15 years. So, if you are ready for this kind of commitment, this is the way to go.

Pre-pasted wallpaper

This type is the next step in evolution and comes pre-glued. It cuts out the messy part of the non-pasted wallpaper, but the adhesive used is usually not as durable. Also, you have to pay more for the convenience of the wallpaper being pre-pasted.

Peel-and-stick wallpaper

And finally, we have stickers for adults ( including ME)! And these are probably the major reason why wallpaper has had such a comeback. You peel the paper and it sticks to the wall just like your favorite unicorn stickers from middle school. It’s perfect for renters where permanent changes to walls may not be allowed. Also, you can change it any time you find a pattern you like better.

An important thing to mention is that it is crucial that wall surfaces you intend to cover are not matte or flat. Although the glue is not as strong as with traditional wallpaper, it’s sticky enough to take some drywall with it when being removed.

My office closet wallpaper and a lucky coincidence

Having too many options can sometimes be a burden. I sifted through what seems like a gazillion patterns and could not decide. I knew I wanted to stay in my color palette of hues of blush pink and light blue. Also, I wanted a pattern that was pretty, but not frilly with a touch of asymmetry and organic lines.

One pattern kept coming up, but I just couldn’t commit. All because I had another million patterns to review and didn’t want to “rush into” a decision. Too many options, as I said.

But this wallpaper checked all of my boxes.And what happened next was pure serendipity!

I saw FOUR ROLLS of this very wallpaper come up in a local auction! At that moment I knew it was meant for me! I ended up winning ALL FOUR ROLLS for about $25!!!!! Now that is what I call a discount!

Installing Wallpaper in the office closet – tips and not too many tricks

I am not trying to discourage anyone, but this process is not for the impatient. Even though I chose the easiest product to work with, there were parts that were relaxing and parts that were infuriatingly frustrating!

The existing shelf in my closet was level, so starting with the first panel was pretty easy. Otherwise, you’d want to use a level to make sure your wallpaper is perfectly vertical, especially with geometric patterns. Once you align the top of the roll with the horizontal line you established, you need to peel about 4-5 inches from the top of the role and stick it on the wall. And then you have to smooth out the bubbles. Best way to go about this is using a tool like a putty knife, starting in one spot and fanning out making sure there are no bubbles. This part was oddly therapeutic.

Once the first panel was up, matching the second panel was not too bad. The only difference here was that I had to peel the side that I was matching to the initial panel. Once that edge was secured I carefully went back to the original method.

Other things to consider:

• wallpapering inside the closet with all corners and shelves SUCKS!
• when peeling the backing, make sure it doesn’t tear, because that would cause wrinkles and bubbles
• when smoothing out the wallpaper go in the same direction outward to avoid trapping bubbles
• no special tools needed – I used a putty knife to smooth out paper, letter opener to push edges flat and a sharp knife to cut off the excess
• when cutting wallpaper make sure the blade is parallel to the wall to avoid making crooked cuts (learned that the hard way)
• you can also use a ruler as a guide to cut excess paper
• when going around things like the shelf anchor, smooth out the paper to the first edge you reach, and carefully cut along that side only. Then move to the next edge and repeat the process until you cut around the object. Make sure to keep leveling the rest of the paper as it’s nearing this edge, because it could … yes… create wrinkles and bubbles

• for room corners make sure that paper covers the corner and extends a couple of inches on the adjacent wall. This will make the coverage smoother and you won’t have to do pattern and cut matching in the tight spot where two walls meet.

• prepare to spend most of your time cursing
• do not expect perfection, but it does look nice!

Final thoughts on my office closet wallpaper makeover

Admittedly, this took me WAY TOO LONG to complete. This was because I was discouraged by all the cuts and corners I had to go around and had to step away from it for a week or so. But it is finally done!

So am I happy with the final result? Yes, I am!

Is it perfect? Absolutely not!

Will I do it again? Probably, but not any time soon.

The most important part is that I made it across the finish line! I have completed the first part of the office closet makeover and I am now one step closer to having an organized office.

THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS AND SELDOMRANDOM.COM EARNS FROM QUALIFYING PURCHASES. FOR FULL AFFILIATE DISCLOSURE CLICK HERE.