CASE STUDY

Bedroom from bare plaster with crane wallpaper, Milton

The short answer

I redecorated a bedroom in Milton that had been taken back to bare, patched plaster. I filled and sealed the walls, painted the ceiling, woodwork and built-in alcove shelving white, then hung a bold ochre crane wallpaper matched across every wall, corner and window reveal. The result is a finished, characterful bedroom ready for flooring.

Bedroom in [Town] with bare patched plaster walls and ceiling, dust sheets down, before wallpapering

BEFORE

Same bedroom in [Town] after redecoration, ochre crane wallpaper around a white-framed window

AFTER

LOCATION
Milton
Property
Bedroom with built-in alcove shelving
Service
Wallpapering and interior painting
Level of work
Full redecoration
Duration
2.5 days
Products
Trade emulsion mist coat, white ceiling and woodwork paint, crane wallpaper

What did the customer need?

The customer needed a bedroom finished from bare plaster to a fully decorated room, with a statement wallpaper on every wall. The room had been stripped back and replastered in places, so nothing was ready to live with. They had already chosen a chinoiserie-style crane design on a warm ochre background, with white cranes, green reeds and pine sprigs. They wanted the ceiling, door, frame, skirting boards, window board and a built-in alcove shelving unit all painted a clean white, so the paper would be the star of the room.

What condition was it in?

The room was bare plaster throughout, with a patchwork of fresh skim and older repairs. The walls had filler marks where old fixings had been pulled out, and the ceiling had been patched around the light fitting. The door frame, window board and alcove shelving had been left in orange primer, and the shelving still had a blue backing showing. New and patched plaster like this is very porous, so it soaks up paint and paste unevenly. Paper hung straight onto it can shrink back at the joins or lift.

What preparation was needed?

The room needed thorough preparation before any paper went up. This was a Full redecoration rather than a Refresh, because every surface was starting from bare plaster or primer, not an existing sound finish.

1

Covered the original floorboards with dust sheets.

2

Filled old fixing holes, cracks and plaster joins, then sanded them flush.

3

Applied a mist coat to the walls and ceiling. This is watered-down emulsion that seals new plaster so later coats and paste go on evenly.

4

Painted the ceiling, door, frame, skirting, window board and alcove shelving white, leaving clean edges for the paper.

5

Hung the wallpaper, planning the motif position first and re-plumbing (checking it was vertical) at each corner.

Bare plaster bedroom wall in [Town] showing old fixing holes and patch repairs before decorating
Bedroom in [Town] mid-preparation, with dust sheets, filler, tools and a wallpaper delivery box
Built-in alcove shelving in a [Town] bedroom in primer, beside sealed plaster walls

Which paints and materials were used?

I used a trade emulsion for the mist coat and ceiling, and a durable white finish on the woodwork and shelving. The wallpaper is a chinoiserie-style crane design on an ochre background, chosen by the customer. Fresh filler and caulk (a flexible sealant) went where the woodwork meets the wall, so the paper finishes against a tight, clean line. Sealing the plaster first meant the paste dried evenly and the joins stayed closed.

What was the result?

The result is a bright, finished bedroom where the crane pattern flows unbroken around the whole room. The pattern is matched across every corner, carried into the window reveal and taken neatly down the chimney breast beside the white shelving. Cuts sit tight to the skirting, door frame and sockets. The white ceiling and woodwork frame the paper and keep the room feeling light, and the floorboards were left bare, ready for new flooring.

Crane wallpaper pattern-matched around the chimney breast and white alcove shelving in a [Town] bedroom

Questions about this job

  • How long did the job take?

    The whole room took 2.5 days from bare plaster to finished wallpaper. Most of that time went on preparation and letting the mist coat and woodwork dry before hanging. A room already in sound condition would usually be quicker.

  • Can you wallpaper straight onto new plaster?

    Not without sealing it first. New plaster is very absorbent, so I apply a mist coat or size before hanging. Without it, the paste dries unevenly and the paper can shrink or lift at the joins.

  • Is a bold patterned wallpaper harder to hang?

    Yes, it takes more planning and more care. Large repeating motifs show every mismatched join or tilted pattern, especially at corners and around windows. I plan where the main motif sits before the first drop and allow extra rolls for pattern matching.

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