If there’s one thing I learned during my first experience with stripping wallpaper, it’s that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. I found this out after asking for your advice before I started. I really believe the best way to remove your wallpaper all depends on how (well) it was originally applied. Figuring out what works can be like working a really frustrating puzzle.
That being said, I wanted to share what finally worked for me in getting the wallpaper down in our powder room.
Trying to take the very cheapest route, I started by trying the spray bottle, hot water, and fabric softener solution so many had suggested. The paper didn’t budge, and I thought I might die from the fabric softener fumes. . .
So, back in February, I called my husband at work and told him he could go ahead and buy my Valentine’s present in the form of a wallpaper steamer. I used this one, along with a plastic putty knife and gloves so that I didn’t burn my fingers. (I started with a metal putty knife but messed up my wall in several places. . . )
For fear of messing up our walls, I didn’t score the paper first and found that I didn’t have to. With the steamer, the wallpaper came down pretty easily in two layers—the actual paper, which I peeled with my hands once it was loosened by the steam, and the layer of glue, which I scraped off in sheets with my putty knife.
Steaming is a messy hot job, but I was just happy the paper was actually coming down. Be sure to keep a trash bag nearby for the strips of glue as they come off. I was just throwing them like confetti when I first started, only to realize it was re-sticking to our hardwoods. So. . . I steamed those, too, to get the little pieces off of the floor.
Once the paper and glue was completely off, my next step was to sand the walls:
There were a few places where I got overzealous with the putty knife and messed up the walls (especially in the corners). A little bit of spackle fixed most of those spots:
No, I don’t have man hands. My dad stepped in and helped me spackle while they were here one weekend 
Once the spackle was dry, I sanded again. At this point, I felt like I might never get to just start painting.
Last step—scrubbing the walls. I used a sponge and a mixture of warm water with a little bit of Spic ‘N Span.
This is what my walls looked like once I was finally ready to start painting:
I used a primer + paint in one, and I really think that using a darker color (Urbane Bronze by Sherwin Williams) helped to disguise some of the wall’s imperfections.
I mentioned before that this project took me almost seven months. That’s not normal, but I did most of my work late at night, in small increments. I also got burned out, closed the bathroom door and worked on other things for a while. I even wrote words of warning to my guests who had to use the powder room during the process.
But, in the end, I did it and feel happy about my accomplishment. I feel less happy, however, about the other three (larger) rooms I still have to tackle.
Oooh, I love your finished bathroom! We are partial to dark colors and I love that Urbane Bronze.
I’ve had years of wallpaper removal nightmares and I swore it off, but just put up some new paper after 10 years. Hopefully all the time I spent on wall prep will help it come off well one day? I adore your dark cozy painted bathroom.
XoNancy
I’m in wallpaper h#$* as we speak! Thanks for the tips.
All of that sweat and hard work make it even more gratifying when you look into that beautiful bathroom now. Totally worth it! :)
I love the color! I have used it around our home as well. The only problem I have is that I want to paint too many things with this shade. I have had to limit myself to only a few doors and a vanity.
The finished result is great! But I agree, wallpaper removal is one of the worst home DIYs ever! Our current house was covered completely in wallpaper except the bathrooms. Four years of living there I have removed it in the kitchen, hallways, living room and my daughters bedroom. Old house = plaster walls and lots of work. I am building up the courage to tackle the master bedroom…..
That is so good to know! I need to tackle our bathroom wallpaper (there since before we bought the house) and now I know which methods to try and NOT try! :) Thanks for the tip! Love your new powder room look! Super chic and global at the same time!
I hate wallpaper and will never have it in my house because it’s such a big investment and you can’t just change it on a whim.
I don’t know how you even tackled such a big job but hats off to you for doing so.
Hi Emily. I’m so glad I don’t have wallpaper after reading what you went through. The end result looks great though. Love the dark color.
Kristi
oh now you make me think why did i ever wallpapered a dining accent wall emily?! if this is all it takes to take it down, i will not be taking that wallpaper down, EVER! lol!
seriously, thanks for all the tips & i love that urbane bronze – looks so cozy..
huggies♥
rea
I always said I would never buy house with wallpaper then I fell in love with a lot of wallpaper. I still have one bathroom to do after being here for 3 years. I love the dark wall in the powder room.
When I saw your dad’s hands (thinking they were yours) I thought, “note to self, apply lotion before taking DIY shots of my hands in action!” LOL Then I read your note. Hey, I LOVE your new powder room. I rented in a decorative artist’s home before I got married and “my” bathroom was wallpapered in black with Turkish figures on it. So stunning. I’ve also always wanted to use an oriental rug in a bathroom. Small silk rug as bathmat? The ultimate luxury.
Ha! My dad will love to read that :)
Such an improvement. How lucky you are to have a dad that can help. It looks great.
Do you have good light in that bathroom? We have a lot of the same paint colors as you (from the Urban Bronze SW paint card) and I’ve been wanting to paint our powder bath UB…but the lighting in there is so poor that I’m afraid it will be so dark I won’t ever be able to see well enough to clean it! (ha, like that’s a bad thing!)
There’s only the sconce over the mirror, and I use the brightest bulbs it’ll take. It’s not the brightest room in our house, but I think it’s okay for a powder room to feel a little darker (or “moody” as I like to call it).
Looks great! Just out of curiosity, was the sheetrock primed and/or painted before the paper was applied?
It looked like it had been painted. They didn’t apply it directly, thankfully.
I’d be tempted to either learn to love the remaining wallpaper or save up some money to hire it out. But I’m lazy like that. ;-)
The finished bathroom looks awesome, though. Makes all your blood sweat and tears worth it…I hope!
I love that black! Who would have thought?!
Your bathroom looks fabulous! I am in the process of a potty re-do as well. The former owner painted latex over old wallpaper paste and it was flaking.There was so way to steam it off so we had to sand. Unfortunately after we primed it, the latex primer reactivated the old paste that we missed. We then had to prime again but with oil based! Now finally we can paint our final color! Wallpaper needs to be outlawed! I swear!
oh you are a brave, brave woman!!! I *attempted* to start this in our master bath only to realize they papered directly onto the sheet rock & not a prepped surface-so as I tried to pull the paper off, the sheet rock came off with it- UGH! so for the past year my bathroom is all ghetto-fied and I have no clue when I ever will get it done. *sigh*
Yours look fabulous!!!
Boy that looks like a lot of work! Way to stick to it, lady!
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You’re doing way better than I am. It took me so long to remove the wallpaper in our dining room that I haven’t even tried to remove the paper in our powder room – well actually I did scrape some off then got tired and stopped – so the paper is all torn up but still there. It’s the most hideous space! I need to write a note to our guests like you did – at this point though they might laugh considering it’s been 3 years!!!
I love the clean crisp, sophiscated look of your new bath! This article was perfect timing for me as I am facing 1970’s wall paper removal! I did a bit of research and got a really good price for the steamer you got went to Low es and asked if they price matched? Yes as long as it is the same model….and they give another 10% off SCORE! Yes, I am a spoiled brat and absolutely love to bargin shop so are you ready? I paid $42.81!!!! Once again Thanks for the info and I’ve got allmost the first wall of 1970’s vinal with a woven thread backing off!
PS They didn’t prep the walls before wall papering so I too will be patching!!!!Boo Hiss…..
This is the main reason I cannot love wallpaper these days! I spent many hours taking down early 90s wallpaper out of my parents home! Never again!! Your bathroom looks beautiful and it was worth the effort for sure!!!!!
Blessings,
Kayla
K.R. Dixon Designs
http://adelightfulplacetodwell.com
Hello, how did you get behind the toilet? I am in the middle of my powder room redo and am stuck with a patch of paper behind the toilet that I cannot get to. Would love some insight and hoping it does not involve removing the toilet! :) I love your bathroom!
Hello, how did you get behind the toilet? I am in the middle of my powder room redo and am stuck with a patch of paper behind the toilet that I cannot get to. Would love some insight and hoping it does not involve removing the toilet! :) I love your bathroom!
I’m sure someone has a good solution to this, but it’s not me. I actually still have some paper behind mine but nobody better be looking that hard that’s using my powder room! I just left the small bit of paper I couldn’t get, and rolled paint over it the best I could. . .
Looks beautiful! I dread removing the wallpaper from our master bedroom and upstairs hallway. The previous owners didn’t “prime” the walls before putting up the first wallpaper so it will be a JOB and a MESS! Live in the same city as you, may have to borrow your steamer…LOL!
Blessings,
Cindy