Luxury wallpaper is having a moment – but it can be incredibly costly.
So when Ashley French, 33, from Bradenton, Florida, moved into her new abode in March, she new she needed to find an affordable alternative.
The property was the third renovation project she has taken on in the last seven years. Along with her husband, she knew the property needed substantial work and remodelling, which would leave very little to spend on interiors.
‘Right after we moved in, I was feeling a little overwhelmed with the amount of remodeling this house needed inside and out,’ Ashley says.
‘We were having to put a new roof on this house, along with replacing the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system and fencing in the whole back yard.
‘Our renovation budget was going to all the big-ticket items and it didn’t leave me a lot of money to spend on the renovations needed inside.
‘I really wanted to start remodeling the inside of the house but knew I couldn’t spend a lot of money. I decided the bathroom would be an easy and affordable place to start.’
Like all good bargain and DIY hunters, Ashley turned to Pinterest and found a chevron pattern wallpaper that caught her stylish eye.
She discovered it was going to cost around $100 (£70) to cover a small section of the bathroom. It was at this point she decided to attempt making the wallpaper herself with a marker.
‘I loved the wallpaper but when I looked into purchasing it for the bathroom, it was going to be about $100 for just the wallpaper alone,’ she explains. ‘I really didn’t want to spend that when I knew I also needed to purchase a shower curtain, rug, and wall shelves – so I decided I would try to recreate the look using permanent marker.
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‘I knew it would only cost me $10-20 in permanent markers and that would allow me to purchase other items for the bathroom.’
She began the project by drawing vertical lines in pencil every seven inches across the walls. A level was used to guide her and once the lines were perfect, she drew over them in permanent marker.
For the vertical lines, she made dots every three-and-a-half inches and then joined them up.
‘I used a ruler to draw from one dot to another dot on the neighboring line to create the angled lines from one line to another,’ she recalls. ‘This created the chevron pattern. That was it!’
Two packs of markers which cost $20 (£14) were used, allowing Ashley to purchase the other elements she needed for the bathroom.
‘I made sure I wasn’t spending more than $25.00 (£18) on each item,’ she says.
‘To save money, I decorated the wall shelves and bathroom counter with decor and baskets I already owned.’
Ashley and her husband adore the finished bathroom and believe the wallpaper adds a modern touch to the otherwise outdated bathroom.
‘With the permanent marker faux wallpaper and just a few new items, the bathroom looks totally fresh and unique now,’ she adds.
‘I absolutely love the look now. I think the permanent marker wall really looks like wallpaper. Because this outdated bathroom has mint green floor tile, I feel that keeping the wall, shower curtain, and rug in black and white makes the space look a bit more modern and trendy which I love.
‘I am also very proud that I was able to achieve this look for only $100.’
Breakdown of costs
Shower curtain – Target, $25 (£18).
Bathroom rug – Target, $20 (£15)
Wood shelves – Amazon, $30 (£22)
Markers – $20 (£15)
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