Casual, Garden-Inspired Wallpaper in the Poplar Cottage Bedroom

THE POPLAR COTTAGE

We finally wallpapered the main floor bedroom at the Poplar Cottage and boy oh boy do I love this print! We used Meadow Sweet by Morris & Co, a long time favorite and the perfect cottage-ey print for our cozy little rental remodel. Today I’m sharing all the details and lots of photos plus a roundup of the other patterns I considered for this space…

Wallpaper, paint: BM Swiss Coffee, window, jeans, boots

It took Garrett and I two days and 5 rolls of paper to wallpaper this small bedroom. Wallpapering is not my favorite DIY but I do love the results. We’ve learned over the years that 4 hands are better than 2 when it comes to wallpapering and that the paste-the-wall technique is the easiest so that’s what we did here.

Truth be told we came dangerously close to running out of paper. There were a couple of bad cuts (or 4 ahem), a few angry words, and plenty of uneven walls to complicate the process, but wallpapering wouldn’t be wallpapering without it (at least not in an old house). In the end, I think the wallpaper is beautiful and a few imperfections will fit in perfectly with this imperfect old house.

Casual, garden-inspired wallpaper in the Poplar Cottage

Morris and Co Meadow Sweet wallpaper and BM Swiss Coffee ceilings in the Poplar Cottage bedroom | the Grit and Polish

Curved ceilings painted in BM Swiss Coffee and Meadow Sweet wallpaper in the bedroom | the Grit and Polish

Planked ceilings painted in Swiss Coffee and Meadow Sweet wallpaper | the Grit and Polish

We used Morris and Co Meadow Sweet wallpaper and BM Swiss Coffee woodwork in the bedroom | the Grit and Polish

We’ll be adding a closet under the stairs (in the area left un-wallpapered). And for anyone wondering, yes this wallpaper is expensive. At $270/roll, wallpapering this room came in north of $1,000, a TON to spend on a rental. But we’re targeting a small boutique stay for this property (aka an Airbnb) and I’m hopeful the design and finishes will pay off…creatively and financially.

Regarding the paint… we sprayed the millwork and ceilings in BM Swiss Coffee, using their Advance paint in Satin finish. We debated about the colors for a hot minute and I tried a few samples on the wall. I wanted to share them today in case it’s helpful for anyone.

Morris and Co Meadow Sweet wallpaper with paint samples | the Grit and Polish

1. BM Swiss Coffee 2. SW Crisp linen 3. SW Navajo white 4. SW Casa blanca 5. SW Summer white

Ultimately I liked the look of Swiss Coffee next to the Meadow Sweet wallpaper best and took the sage advice of Caitlin Flemming, who used this same pairing in her beautiful Larkspur project. I love how the paint looks with the wallpaper in our little Poplar Cottage too (those ceilings!).

We painted the electrical panel cover in Swiss Coffee too, although now I’m thinking I should probably wallpaper it. Is that a thing? Or maybe I’ll just hang a piece of art or a mirror over top of it.

The main bedroom at the Poplar Cottage with Meadow Sweet wallpaper by Morris and Co.

Natural light on Meadow Sweet wallpaper and BM Swiss Coffee ceilings | the Grit and Polish

Installing wallpaper with the paint-the-wall technique on the Grit and Polish.

A few more wallpaper patterns I considered for this space. My goal was something that felt timeless but fresh, bright but cozy. Plus the whole property has a garden-ey/carriage-house vibe that I want to bring into the interiors as much as possible.