Black Textured Wallpaper

When I gave the primary bedroom a mini makeover, the headboard didn’t pop. And that’s sad because it’s a damn good headboard that should shine. How did I want to proceed with the design? Yes, I could do paint, but I wanted something more luxurious. More texture. Limewashed walls? Venetian plaster? Personally, I didn’t want bright pops of color, so my instincts automatically went to light and neutrals.

Kyla, that was not going to pop an ivory headboard, so let’s get bold and crazy and look at black textured wallpaper, shall we?

First things first, I knew I wanted a Phillip Jeffries wallcovering in this space. I ordered samples of grasscloth, cork, and vinyl in all the colors. Once they arrived, I stuck each sample behind the headboard and stepped back. The grasscloth was beautiful, but I was drawn to Broad Strokes in Scraffido Shadow. Since Phillip Jeffries is the Rolls Royce of handcrafted wallpaper products, I knew I had to be 100% on board with this decision. This wallcovering was an investment piece. I went to work in Photoshop mocking it up. Holy moly she’s sexy AF. This bold, dramatic, black textured wallpaper…hello lover. But I think the mirror over the bed has got to go.

I had one more HUGE decision to make. Did I want to wallpaper just the one wall behind the headboard, or did I want to wallpaper the entire space? If I chose one wall only, I needed to decide if the inset should pop or not. This room was an addition that the former owners built in the 90s when TVs were a highlight of the space. If you have a TV inset in your wall, you feel my pain. The snake mirror moved downstairs, but it may slither back up to the bedroom.

Wallpaper arrived. We hired Steven Kaye of Paper Craft Interiors again. He worked on my home office back last year. If you are in the Chicagoland area, Steven is your man. He works with many of the local interior designers here and is a master wallpaper hanger…and I’m not saying that in a joking manner. He’s literally the regional director of the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers.

I highly advise hiring someone familiar with Phillip Jeffries to hang your wallpaper because each collection is different to install which can make it a bit trickier to install. With an investment like this, you don’t want to be a first-timer.

Steven was able to knock out the install in 2 days. He was a bit nervous, thinking that I may not have ordered enough. He knew it was going to be tight. I used this yardage calculator, and let me tell you, it was right on the nuts. Because he’s a master of his craft, we had about 8′ leftover, but there was enough to finish the entire room and cover the switchplates and vents.

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Now that the wallpaper is installed, it’s time to put the room back together. But a few decor decisions must be made.

1. There is white trim around a hidden door that leads to the jacuzzi tub on the other side of the wall. It’s tucked away in a corner, but definitely should not be white. In retrospect, I probably should have removed the trim making the entrance invisible. Lessons learned and not a big deal. I’ll be taking my Broad Strokes swatch into the paint store for a matchy-match shade of black and no one will notice.
2. You’ll notice there are a lot of white doors in this space…which I don’t mind. I think it keeps the room more light and airy, but that brushed nickel hardware needs to go. I’d like to source something more modern…Emtek, I’m looking at you!

3. Artwork! I have one piece hung…that small piece in the corner, but I need to figure out artwork over the bed and the inset. I found a piece at the South Loop Loft warehouse sale, but the existing frame is janky and definitely needs a new wood frame. I also need to sit with this piece for a bit before drilling a hole through my precious. The search is on for the inset.

4. I’m leaning towards possibly replacing the Johnson Carper dresser living in the inset. Yes, it does the job, but I’ve had this piece for almost 10 years and it might be time for something new. This will probably not be an immediate change, but definitely something I’m saving my pennies for. Stay tuned for the dressers I’m eyeing. I’ll be sharing those in the future.

5. The original St. Frank duvet cover I still adore, but it doesn’t exactly work in this space anymore. All that pattern is fighting with the black textured wallpaper. You may have noticed, I popped on a coverlet I found at Plankroak Home Outlet but will be looking for some new linens before giving you the final reveal. Nicholas Cage was looking very judgy at that pattern clash. Also, that sconce in the bathroom has got to go!

6. The vintage brass lamps in the inset will need to be changed out. I really like the black shades, but they get lost, and I don’t like white shades on these brass beauties. Instead, I’m thinking maybe my pink marble lamps would look beautiful here.

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One more thing before signing off. You may have noticed from the first photo to this one, the nightstands changed out. The mirror tables were flashy and fun, but they had no drawers. We needed something more practical. I found these nightstands at an estate sale out in Highland Park. They’re by Brownstone Furniture, and I’m over the moon that I found them. There’s no way I could have afforded them at retail price. They fit the space perfectly. You can also see in the photo below my white trim. Gah!

So, what do you think? Would you go this bold and dramatic in your bedroom? Do you have any opinions on the inset art or lampshades? Would love to hear what you have to say.

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