Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Tissue Anyone?



The bathroom of my son's house was a fun make-over. I didn't take before pictures, so imagine a small bathroom with CARPET on the floor, walls with their fair share of dings and patches, and 1980's standard issue light fixture and stainless framed mirror with the attached plastic sliding door storage.
Got the picture?
We ripped out the carpeting, sealed the floor, and applied peel and stick tiles that have the look of ceramic tile. The floor was quick, easy, inexpensive, and it looks good too. We replaced the mirror and the lighting, which helped give the room a fresh look. But it was the walls where I got creative.
I bought several packs of white tissue paper, the kind that you put in gifts. I crumpled the individual sheets. Then I painted a section of the wall, applied a sheet of tissue paper and then applied another coat of paint on top of the tissue. I continued this process throughout the entire room, lining up the sheets. It creates a unique textured finish on the walls. If you click on the picture below, you can see the texture a bit better. Once the paint is cured, you can go over the walls with a glaze to highlight the texture, but that wasn't the style that I was trying to achieve here.

Painted tissue paper is a unique wall treatment. The finished product resembles a combination of a crumpled up cotton sheet and Venetian plaster. It's a great solution for camouflaging banged up walls. And it's fun too! If you decide to try this technique I would recommend that you enlist a friend to help the process go faster.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I wonder if you would mind telling me what finish of paint you used? Do you think it matters if it is flat or satin or did you use semi-gloss since it was in the bathroom?

I think this treatment might work really well in my kitchen that has a mix of wall surfaces (it's a very old home in the historic district of where I live in Louisiana that I am gradually remodeling, but keeping historic charm).

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

You are one busy little momma! Susie H

Joy said...

maggieandharley,
I used a satin finish paint because it reflects less light so flaws aren't as noticeable, but it's still easy to clean. I did this last year and it still looks great even with a years worth of steamy showers, etc.
You can do the treatment by lining up the squares of tissue or you can tear the tissue in large strips and apply it with the strips overlapping a bit. Either way you apply it, if the tissue tears, or you miss a spot then just tear a piece of tissue and apply it on top.
It takes some time but not as much as doing the real Venetian plaster.
Good Luck and let me know if you have any more questions.

Tausha said...

what a great idea! i think that i just might have to do that in my bathroom. You are one smart cookie! Thanks for all the great ideas!

Shirlee said...

Your son is so lucky to have you come over and help with the re-decorating of their home. My oldest son (24) won't even let me come into his place. He shares a place with two of the guys he works with, messy bachelor overload.
I used this exact treatment on a house we rented years ago. The stairway wall was a mess and the tissue paper treatment did a great job of covering all the imperfections.

Have a great day,

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