Let’s talk about my living room today. I really like this room! Most of the trim is original (this house was built in 1905 so that’s saying something). It’s a big room that gets lots of light. I’ve worked hard on this space, but have also left the floors, walls, and ceiling as it was from the previous owners.
I have big dreams for this room! It is already pretty “fancy” but I think it can be even better. Here’s exactly how it looked a few days ago-
currently
Here’s all of the sources for the room in case you love something-
rug / pink chair / end tables / floor lamp / sofa / mirror / pink pillows / TV / globe / white tray / flower pillow / record player / white pillow cover / flamingo / table lamp / faux flower arrangement / marble tray / rainbow book / The New Bohemians book / At Home with Plants Book / How to Style your Brand book / 100 Years of Fashion book / The Wes Andersen Collection book / The Grand Budapest Hotel book / All in Good Taste book / In The Pink book / Domino Book / White Gardenia candle / Candle Snuffer / Gold and Marble Candle / gold giraffe / Instax camera / magnifying glass / Basket with pom poms / large wood tray / swan art / woven wall hanging / square abstract art / gold foil Salt Lake City map / ombre blooms art / gold mini frame / brass vase / striped throw blanket / Ava Canvas abstract art / pom pom drapes / light pink geometric planter (no longer available) / large brass starburst object (no longer available) / acrylic rolling bar cart / Kichler mini chandelier / mint velvet ottoman / brass planters / velvet pink drapes with tassels
the plan
The first wall I’m going to work on is this one-
What’s wrong with this wall you ask? Well, technically nothing. I mean, look at that gorgeous thick original molding! But three walls are textured wallpaper painted beige. I’m not a fan of the wallpaper. Plus, I want white walls. On this wall behind the doors, I want to frame some chinoiserie wallpaper. Want to check out the exact paper?!
wallpaper
I’ll be install the Pomegranate Chinoiserie wallpaper by Tempaper in sand on that wall! I think it’ll look sooo cute next to the pink door and its definitely “framable.” It is peel and stick wallpaper which I am a HUGE fan of since its easy to go up and take down. I’ll keep you posted on the install, but thought a sneak peek would be fun!
Here’s the panel molding that will go on 4 sides and 4 corners of the wallpaper. Hubba hubba! I think it’ll look so classy!
To get there though, we need to tear down the paneling that the wallpaper is adhered to and the plaster walls.
what is lath and plaster?
The walls of our 1905 house are made of lath and plaster. In case you haven’t heard of it, lath and plaster is a way early 1900-1930 home builders finished their walls and ceilings. It is built by laying narrow strips of wood (laths) horizontally across the studs and then they are coated in plaster.
why are you tearing down the plaster?
The plaster walls in our house are in tough shape (tons of cracks) and lots of have been covered with wood paneling so glue from that has messed up the finish. It’s really tricky to hang things in plaster securely. We’ve been replacing one wall at a time since its a pretty messy job to remove the plaster.
Just yesterday, we pulled off the paneling to reveal the plaster. The baseboards and door molding was carefully removed. Next, we’ll tear down the the lath and plaster and then replace it with drywall. We consider this giving our house a fresh slate and modernizing it.
I know that not all historical home owners would make the same decision, but every person has to do what they feel works best for them.
progress photos
In this picture, the beige is the wallpaper on top of paneling. The mint color is the original plaster color- you can see the glue lines from the paneling. The grey is the plaster that was covered by the molding. My son loves to help with demo and you can see where he exposed the lath boards. Also- why did someone install a light switch in the door molding?! We’re going to try and move that.
The original owner and I loved a lot of the same colors. That mint color is almost identical to the playroom wall! The house used to be pink and I just love bringing this house to a place a little more authentic to its roots. Aren’t these colors kind of dreamy?!
plaster vs. drywall
So let’s break it down- how does plaster compare to drywall?
Plaster Advantages-
- It’s a high end finish since it was probably applied by a skilled craftsman (it wasn’t easy to install)
- Plaster adds a beautiful texture to the wall that is unique
- More sound resistance since its thicker than drywall
- Deters the spread of fire
Plaster Disadvantages-
- Hard and expensive to repair
- Prone to cracks and and breakage
- Hard to hang heavy things on (you can’t use a traditional stud detector because of the lath)
Drywall Advantages-
- Less expensive
- Easier and faster to install
- You can add insulation which makes it easier to make it energy efficient
- Since you can use a stud finder, you can hang heavy things
Drywall Disadvantages-
- Not as good of a sound barrier
- If you tear out the lath and plaster, you put more debris in a land fill
So there you go! Meanwhile, our living room is officially torn up while we’re working on the office, its renovation crazy over here! Don’s 4th birthday is coming up in a few weeks so we’re trying to finish up a bunch of projects before we have our families over. Wish us luck!
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