Seagull Wallpaper in the Bedroom (Sanderson Larina in Sky)

Surprise – I re-wallpapered the wall behind my bed and I’m so excited to show you the seagull wallpaper I chose (Larina, in Sky, by Sanderson – provided by Wallpaper Direct).  I wasn’t really happy with the direction my spring bedroom makeover was taking, so I paused, re-grouped, and with a new vision the bedroom has really come together beautifully.  This new, more elegant and calming wallpaper choice has been pivotal.  If you watch my Instagram stories, you might have seen that I put up a poll for which color I should choose: Sky or Gull.  That’s right!  I was considering a neutral – it was actually my first choice.  In the end, you know I can’t resist a beautiful green-blue hue!  (This seagull wallpaper is also available in a warmer toned “Driftwood”).

Installing the Wallpaper:

Installing the new seagull wallpaper was easy.  My Mom and I have previously installed pre-pasted wallpaper and also non-pasted wallpaper.  This brand is paste the wall, which was new to us!  Paste the wall requires wallpaper paste, but you apply it right to the wall and don’t have to mess around with “booking” the wallpaper.  That means you don’t need to clear a work area in which to apply the paste to the wallpaper itself.  It also means installation is much faster, because usually booking requires that you wait around 10-15 minutes per piece.  I didn’t take many photos of the installation process this time, because it was all hands on deck – but I did put together a quick video for Instagram that I’ll embed here.

Here are the basic steps:

1. For the first piece we drew a plumb line – because we never line up wallpaper to a wall edge.  You cannot trust rooms and walls to not be wibbly-wobbly!  Best to line up the first piece of wallpaper against a line you know is good and then trim the excess.
2. We applied a thin but generous coat of wallpaper paste to the wall with a roller.  We used a brush to reach the edges.
3. Then we cut and applied the first piece of wallpaper, smoothing with a wallpaper smoothing tool from the middle outwards.
4. We left an overhang at the top, bottom and sides of the wall.
5. Then we simply applied the paste to a section of wall slightly wider than the wallpaper and installed each piece, one by one, butting up the pieces.
6. Finally, were trimmed the edges with a sharp utility knife.

Just wallpapering one wall was much easier than wallpapering an entire room, with doorways, corners, and windows! You can see a great video on paste the wallpaper installation here.  And find all of our wallpapering tutorials and tips right here.

Here’s the new wallpaper accent wall – and you get a sneak peek at other elements of the bedroom makeover too: the green accent wall has been re-painted white, the new linen drapes we sewed are stunning, and I also replaced the beige linen Euro shams with moodier grey/green linen ones my Mom and I sewed (tutorials coming up for the sewing projects soon!):

I am LOVING this beautiful wallpaper!  This design is stunning in its simplicity and I think it perfectly encompasses the coastal meets mid-century aesthetic that has come to define my personal style.  I see elements of mid-century modern in the wallpaper, because the seagulls are so minimalist and stylized.  Something about the shape of them – do you see a MCM influence too?  But then of course the wallpaper has coastal vibes as well, which I played up by pairing it with my striped linen bedding.

The Wallpaper with Beige Linen Shams:

Which look do you prefer?  Here is the room styled with the beige linen Euro shams my Mom and I sewed.  It was a warmer, somehow more casual look.

The Wallpaper with the New Shams:

The new Euro shams we sewed are also linen, but a grey-green a few shades deeper than the wallpaper – with one of my favorite ice dyed pillows topping it off.  I think this combo looks more polished.

After we installed the wallpaper, the room immediately felt bigger and brighter.  I am so glad I course-corrected this bedroom makeover because this is just perfection.  I feel so comfortable and at home here.

I’ll share the tutorial for the linen pillows and linen curtains soon – plus we’re working on some new nightstands and I have yet to show you the beautiful pair of mid-century walnut dressers I inherited.  So stay tuned for more bedroom updates and the final reveal!