With the exception of that one stubborn spot on the ceiling that I haven’t yet painted—simply because I haven’t had the chance to pick up ceiling paint—the bedroom foyer has finally reached the “finished enough” stage that I wanted before moving on to the bedroom itself. And let me tell you, seeing this space start to come together has been so satisfying.
I managed to paint the upper walls a rich teal, a custom shade I painstakingly matched to our grasscloth wallpaper. I also painted the bathroom (formerly a storage closet) doors a crisp white, which instantly brightened the space. Matching the paint to the grasscloth was trickier than I anticipated because, as you probably know, grasscloth isn’t a uniform color—it has natural variations and textures. After a few tries, I found a shade that I felt represented the wallpaper overall, though I suspect the actual grasscloth will appear slightly lighter once installed.
Of course, nothing will ever look quite as stunning as the real grasscloth, but for now, the painted walls give a solid, complementary base. I wanted that base before installation not only to prevent any chance of the wall showing through the wallpaper but also because it lets me finally visualize the overall effect. And I have to say—I am absolutely loving it.
Now, a quick note: the HVAC intake vent and the current ceiling light are still looking dusty. Please forgive them for the moment! I’ve been changing filters almost daily, depending on the work in progress, but I haven’t had time to dust the fixtures yet. Once I reposition the ceiling light to its new, centered location—a small project that will inevitably kick up a little dust—I’ll give everything a thorough cleaning before the grasscloth goes up. That’s likely the last dusty task in the foyer, so it’s nice to see the light at the end of that tunnel.
Reflecting on the progress so far, I realize this area took far longer than it probably should have. That’s largely because I tackled the trim before the walls, eager to see immediate, visual progress on a major project. While painting the trim first gave me instant gratification, it made the rest of the painting far more tedious. Many areas were too small to use a roller, meaning I had to brush every inch from the chair rail down. It was time-consuming, but at least now the hard part is done.
This experience has taught me a valuable lesson for the bedroom: I’ll start by painting the walls first. Once the walls are completely coated in Behr Polar Bear white, I can install the picture frame molding, caulk it, and then only need to brush paint on the molding itself. That approach should save a lot of time and effort.
Seeing the foyer reach this stopping point, even with the ceiling still untouched, has calmed my anxiety about diving straight into the bedroom molding. The progress here gives me confidence, and I feel less pressure to rush the next big project.
There’s one remaining challenge—an elephant in the room, so to speak. Our router, which used to sit neatly on the top shelf of the foyer cabinet, is now dangling from the ceiling, sitting awkwardly on the floor. It’s unsightly for now, but once I decide its permanent home, it will be easy to patch the tiny hole left behind. It’s a minor issue, but for the moment, it’s the one thing breaking the otherwise clean lines of the foyer.
Despite these small hiccups, I am beyond thrilled with how the space is evolving. Hopefully, I can finish painting the bedroom walls today, setting the stage for installing the trim over the weekend.
As for the grasscloth, I’m seriously considering hiring a professional installer. I’ve been searching locally, but so far, the closest pros I can find are in Dallas. I’m sure they’d travel, but of course, that comes with a cost. Still, it might be worth it—I simply don’t want to risk any errors, especially since I have just enough grasscloth to cover the walls, with no margin for mistakes. Once the pros handle the wallpaper, I can shift my focus to sewing the bedroom draperies, making the whole process much smoother.
I’ve installed plenty of wallpaper over the years, and in general, it’s a relatively straightforward project. But grasscloth is an entirely different beast. Its texture, natural color variations, and delicate nature make precision key, and I’d feel much more comfortable leaving it in expert hands. The peace of mind—and likely the speed of installation—might be well worth the expense.
All in all, the bedroom foyer has reached a turning point. The walls, the trim, the doors—they’re all in place and already giving me a glimpse of the vision I’ve had for so long. There’s still a bit of work to do, but the foundation is solid, and I couldn’t be happier with how it’s shaping up.