Everything's Gonna Be Alright!
A dining room - for me - is the heart of a home. It’s where we form relationships by breaking bread with new friends, strengthen relationships with old friends, enjoy the loving company of our families, and of course, where we indulge in good food and . . . cocktails if that’s your thing. So, when I originally began designing my dining room, I knew that I wanted it to reflect the happiness and good times I knew I’d have with friends and family!
From the yellow of the window treatments, to the pops of fuschia and orange in the rug, joy was (is) the theme for my dining room.
However, one particular element in my dining room stands out the most . . . my handpainted wallpaper! And not just because it’s one of my favorite murals that I’ve painted, but because of what that mural stands for.
To back up a bit. The original plan was to create a feature wall using wallpaper. I wanted to bring in a bit of a “wow factor” design element to this space! I was getting prepped for one of the first times my home would be photographed to be in print, so I really wanted my home to showcase my personality and love of color and pattern!
I ordered some wallpaper, and I LOVED it! But, after looking in the box I saw that only 2 of the 5 rolls I needed were delivered. And with the photoshoot at the end of the week, even if I rush ordered the additional rolls of wallpaper, they wouldn’t arrive in time. So, I had to think of a plan, and quick!
The Moment My Plans Really Changed
While I was trying to decide my next plan of action, my mom called me to let me know that my dad was sick . . . like really sick, and he had to be rushed to the hospital. All worries of getting my home and feature wall together suddenly became insignificant - my rock, my inspiration, my dad was severely ill.
We spent that night at the hospital as the medical staff ran tests to determine the source of my dad’s sudden illness. At the time, his condition was very new and very serious. (He’s ok now, thank goodness!)
Never seeing my dad in that condition before, my anxiety shifted to asking every question possible about his health. I wanted to make sure that my hero was going to make it, and that I would have more years with him. Soon, his condition stabilized and he was being closely monitored for any change. Still in shock and refusing to leave my dad’s side, I bombarded the medical staff with question upon question upon question, and seemingly every few seconds, I’d turn to my dad to ask “Are you OK?”
After I’d exhausted the amount of WebMD-based questions I could ask the doctors - they were amazingly patient, btw - and doing more harm than good in incessantly asking my dad if he was alright, it was unanimously decided that it was time for me to go home. 🙈
“Don’t you have a home photoshoot to prepare for?’ my dad asked. “Go do that. I’m gonna be alright!”
After only a few more questions, I took my leave, got some rest, then woke up the next morning to resume my plans of getting my dining room ready for the shoot. Oh, did I mention that I now had only a day and a half to get everything complete?
The Plan
Once I woke up the next morning, I had to be quick on my feet in coming up with a plan for my feature wall. Since I didn’t have enough of the wallpaper to install, I got out my paintbrushes and decided to create my own wallpaper by painting it!
I knew that I wanted the wallpaper to be mainly composed of cool colors, with touches of warm colors. And at the time, I was listening to Bossa Nova. So letting the music guide my color selection - I’m a synesthete - I came up with my color scheme of blues, greens, and pops of yellow, then went to the hardware store to pick up sample paints of each color.
Because I was still worried about my dad, I had a lot of nervous energy built up inside. So, I decided to channel that anxious energy into art. I turned on a playlist of more Bossa Nova, Salsa, and Escapism tunes, and let the mood the music communicated to me develop the patterns of color.
As I painted, I kept finding myself thinking about my dad’s condition, but remembering his words, “I’m going to be alright!” So that’s what I kept telling myself, and in just under 2-and-a-half-hours, I completed my new feature wall in time for the photoshoot; a feature wall that now serves as the colorful anchor of my joyful dining room!
Everything's Gonna Be Alright!
Now that some time has passed and my dad is doing much better, the hand-painted wallpaper in my dining room adds an extra layer of happiness to my dining room. Not only do the colorfully dancing brushstrokes brighten up the space, now every time I pass by that room or sit down to have a meal, I’m reminded that “Everything's Gonna Be Alright”. And whenever I’m feeling particularly anxious about a situation, I sit down at my dining table and stare into the joyful movement of the wall’s color and say to myself those very words . . . David . . . Everything's Gonna Be Alright!
And to think, for an upcoming refresh of the space, I was going to paint over this wall with a new mural . . . not anytime soon!
What About Adding a Punch of Color to Walls?
If you’re looking to add a punch of bold color by creating a feature wall, but mural-painting isn’t your forte, why not give my original plan for my dining room a try and look for a peel-and-stick wallpaper?
This method is both renter-friendly and low-commitment since it can be removed as easily as it is installed!
Here are some of my favorite prints from the brand Chasing Paper (one of my favorite wallpaper brands):
In order from left-to-right and top-to-bottom:
. . . but, if painting murals is your jam, and you want to give your own a hand-painted wallpaper a try, I suggest finding your inspiration in patterns, colors, and even objects that speak to your style, developing your color scheme, getting out your paintbrushes, setting a good playlist, and letting your creativity flow.
Through either method, you can create your own sense of happy in your home through color and pattern play . . . serving as your daily reminder that Everything's Gonna Be Alright!
Want to see how I created the wall? Watch the video below!
Have you tried or would like to try your hand at creating your own hand-painted wallpaper? Let me know in the comments below! Happy creating!
