Melville Wallpaper! — The Whalehouse

I told myself when I bought this house that I wasn’t going to plaster whales everywhere.

WELL (or should I say, WHALE), I did just that. And honestly, it was one of the best design decisions I’ve made here yet.

Enter, the Melville wallpaper by Cole & Son. When I saw this paper for the first time, I instantly fell in love. I mean, not only is it beautiful, but it’s called MELVILLE. The Melville paper BELONGS inside the house where Herman Melville stayed in New Bedford. It doesn’t get much better than that! Hello serendipity!

I knew I had to have it. I just didn’t know WHERE exactly I was going to put it. I don’t have much wallpaper throughout the house, so selecting the right place was important. And I also didn’t want to do an entire room - I wanted to use it as a statement wall. It became clear, as I started working on The Guest Suite (the ultra cute AirBnB rental on the south wing of the house), that it should go there.

This side of the house needed serious help.

Being the former servants quarters, it had gone through a bunch of “interesting” transitions throughout the 164 years since the house was built (I’ll do a better before and after post very soon, so you can see the transformation!). The trims and moldings are far more humble than the rest of the home (which boasts marble and plasterwork, and all that lovely Victorian grandeur). That’s why this wallpaper became such an integral part of my design process.

Honestly, lot about wallpaper makes me nervous.

What if I don’t order enough? What if I put it on upside down? What if I screw up those adorable little whales? Will I be able to live with myself? (No, the answer is no, I would not be able to live with myself if the whales were imperfectly placed on the wall). This is why I am glad I worked with Wallpaper Direct. Their parent company, Brewers, has been selling wall-coverings in the UK for over 115 years and they have the Royal Warrant. The Royal Warrant is a highly prestigious recognition in the UK and is an appointment by the Queen for being quality suppliers to the Royal households. Wallpaper Direct is the online branch of the Brewers business and they have been selling online for 20 years. We partnered on this project together; they were very supportive and excited.* Their customer support team was quick, and their online wallpaper tutorials helped me out a lot. I’ll go into a little bit about how I did this project below! Super huge thanks to them!

This is how it’s done.

First, I measured the wall. With the help of their online wallpaper calculator, I figured out exactly how much I needed. It subtracts windows, doors, any any other obstruction so you don’t have to do those calculations yourself. Very easy! About 3-ish rolls total, but I ordered 4 just in case I needed extra.

When the paper arrived, I worked with my contractor, Nuno, to put the paper up. I used the how-to on the website to get a better sense of how to properly hang it – this paper was a drop match pattern, which means the pattern is staggered vertically, versus a straight match which goes straight across horizontally. If you have any questions about the symbols, you can refer to Wallpaper Direct’s FAQs. It’s also important to plan out where the pattern will place on the wall – as in, I didn’t want to cut off a whale on the top or the bottom (nothing worse than HALF a whale! haha).

The first piece is rather easy to put up, it’s the second that’s a little nerve wracking, because this is where you need to make sure the pattern lines up. TIP: smooth out each section entirely before starting a new piece – use a plastic squeegee and gently get out all the bubbles, either working up or down and to the sides, then wipe off any excess glue on the sides so it doesn’t get messy! Once you get the hang of it, it’s easy! My recommendation is to GO SLOW. Take your time placing each piece and make sure it’s lined up.

It probably took about 3 hours from first cut, to last paste. We went over it again just to make sure there were no bubbles. We cut out the electrical sockets (which I am going to wallpaper over to match). Then we let it dry!

Before we knew it, we were DONE!

If you’re looking to do wallpaper on your own, it’s totally doable.

Don’t fear that you need a contractor to do it (I just felt more comfortable having Nuno do it, because he’s the man). The tutorials on Wallpaper Direct’s website were easy, and they even had videos to explain the process in more detail. I would highly recommend using those resources to your advantage. I would also recommend having two people work on it (an extra set of hands is key!) and to get all your supplies ready before you start. I am the queen of impatience, I like to just START, but if I had not gotten everything together, it would have been a glue-filled mess. Another great thing about Wallpaper Direct is that they offer two free samples (and they’re big, so you can get a real sense of the pattern). Do this! Size of the pattern is so important; I’m glad I ordered a sample before placing my full order – it helped me know I was making the right decision.

I am BEYOND thrilled with the outcome.

It’s whimsical, and fitting for the home, and brings a smile to everyone’s face as they walk in the door. It feels like it just makes the space, and I am so excited for AirBnB guests to relax and feel cozy. It brings warmth to my heart knowing that people will be able to experience this house, and this town, with positivity – it’s a place to be shared and cherished. There is so much history here, and to be responsible for keeping part of it alive is VERY important to us. Taking care of this home is an undertaking, and I truly feel as though I’m caring for it – keeping watch and making sure it has what it needs. This house has my complete respect, and I hope it is proud to wear this Melville wallpaper. The whales are in the right home.

Photos below!

*this is a sponsored product trade post in partnership with Wallpaper Direct. I would highly recommend them for any wallpaper needs!