Do you ever have things that seem like a great idea but then when the time comes to actually do the work, you’re terrified?

That’s exactly what happened to me with this wallpaper project.

I was sooooo excited when I found this Magnolia… Okay, how about if I admit it – the second I see the word Magnolia on anything, I assume it’s a great idea! But when I saw the Gingham Buffalo Check Black & White Wallpaper on Etsy from D.Marie Interiors I couldn’t stop thinking about it. And, imagining it on my wall.

I was thrilled when the box came. But, after the initial arrival, I realized it was time to put it up, that’s when the nerves kicked in! I’d never wallpapered anything before. I needed backup! Unfortunately for me, my first choice backup had to keep postponing. So I sheepishly went to my local friends and asked if anyone had wallpapered before. My amazing friend Nancy said yes, and volunteered to come be my wing-woman. I am SOOOOO grateful for her. This was a 2-person job for sure, and I’m just gonna say that although the hubs and I could have done it, I think it was way better to be doing this particular project with a girlfriend.

I’m pretty sure Taylor and I would have given up before we ever got the first strip on, and definitely after the first strip was showing all the texture from underneath. Turns out, that sheet was way to wet, the subsequent strips don’t show it nearly as much and I’m completely okay with “some bumps” now that the wall is finished.

This is the now finished dining area.

Taylor made our table! I seriously love that he can just make me a table! He made our first one back when we still owned the Christmas tree farm, several tables later he just gets better and better.

We decided to buy chairs instead of doing benches. (Thank you Amazon). They actually ended up cheaper than benches would have been.

I’m super proud of my art because it only cost me $36.
The Highlander Cow is a print from Unsplash (a FREE stock website), the frames have been sitting around since I did my pink office makeover at our old house, the wreath I’ve had for years and the sign…

The sign is extra special! Another one of my amazing friends (Heather of Savvy Homeschooler) was up at the cabin with her adorable fam for the weekend, we were talking about how the space needed one more thing. I said, I liked the idea of a wood sign that said gather.

Well, she said we could make it. And we went outside behind the storage garage to see if we could find something that would work. Sure enough, we had old pallets from when Taylor helped Gabriella make her American Girl Doll a cafe. By the end of the day I had my own rustic (and free!) sign. And my favorite part is that I now think of my sweet friend every time I look at it.

The wall paper actually goes across the entire fireplace wall. This means the dining area, the fireplace and where we keep the family computer. That reveal will have to come another day.

So…. I love the wallpaper around the black inset for the fireplace, but now I’m feeling like my DIY painted tile doesn’t match at all. What do you think? Do I need to change it and what do I change it to now?

The Source List

Wallpaper: Magnolia Buffalo Check from D. Marie Interiors

Wood Tile – here’s out post about our wood tile and why we love it.

Eames Style Chairs from Amazon (we got a set of 4 for $74)

Light from Ikea (Sinnerlig Bamboo Pendant)