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a pirate’s life for me

October 3, 2011 8 Comments

We have a pirate bathroom. I know you are jealous and have always wanted pirate ship wallpaper. Admit it. Paired with pink and grey tile, a prehistoric vanity and built-in wall heater, it is definitely a stylish space.

We have a pirate kitty too so it was a good excuse for the 9 months we lived with this bathroom. Annie needed to feel the new house was safe for her pirate kitty ways.

Yes, she really only has one eye.
Annie is settled so I thought it would be a good idea to tackle finally removing the wallpaper. I needed something to keep me entertained while the hubby was sanding down the plaster in the master bedroom. I did some research and armed myself with an arsenal of wallpaper removing tools – steam cleaner, a wall paper scorer, DIF, gloves and a metal spatula thing.

I was on a special mission to save a few pieces of the wallpaper in strips. Believe or not, I’ve had a few requests for intact pieces of the wallpaper. Apparently, pirate ship wallpaper is a hot commodity. Due to this special mission I decided to try the steamer method first. It didn’t ย work that well. I also managed to slip and land on the nozzle of the steam cleaner and proceeded to break one of the attachments. Not a great start.

I sprayed DIF all over the bathroom. I really saturated the paper until to I could tell it was visibly wet with the DIF gel. The bottle says to wait 15 – 20 minutes for it work so I sat down and watched some TV to take a break. Then I went on a wallpaper removing frenzy.

Two hours later I was left with this. I celebrated by having a beer.

Another hour later after using some good old elbow grease and some rags, I cleaned off all the leftover DIF and paper scraps that were stuck. I also cleaned the bathroom from top to bottom. Is it crazy that I partly feel sad the wallpaper is gone? It made me laugh and it was the best way to describe the room.

“Which bathroom should I use?”ย 
“Go ahead and use the pirate bathroom”
I patched up the walls and closed up the random hole the old owners had left. Gave it all a couple of coats of white paint after a coat of primer. This is not a final fix, we do a better job of patching but this is as far as I got this weekend ๐Ÿ˜‰

I put back the shower curtain, accessories and a new mirror and the bathroom looks somewhat respectable. This will one day (far, far away) be gutted and redone but for now at least there are no more pirates.

Are you new around these parts and haven’t been blessed with the insanity that is our house? Take a look at these photos so you can appreciate how crazy the former owners of this house were. I have no idea what they were thinking.ย ย 
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Filed Under: home decor, renovations Tagged With: bathrooms, insanity, paint, wallpaper removal

About Anna@DirectionsNotIncluded

Hi there! I'm Anna, the voice behind Directions Not Included. I'm a marketer, crafter, DIYer and lover of all things home related. You can usually find me covered in paint, cuddled with one of my pets or in front of a computer or other digital device. Thanks for reading Directions Not Included. I hope you stick around.

Comments

  1. Cassie @ Primitive & Proper says

    October 3, 2011 at 3:39 pm

    it looks awesome now! but your post totally had me cracking up- your cat photo is awesome. and wow that wallpaper was interesting!

    Reply
  2. jandjhome says

    October 3, 2011 at 4:32 pm

    Wow. I’m going to miss that paper, even though I only saw it once ๐Ÿ™‚ Huge project, but what a difference it makes in the room.

    Reply
  3. Nette @ This Dusty House says

    October 3, 2011 at 5:35 pm

    It’s amazing the difference with it gone! Much better.

    Sometimes I wonder with things like these… do you think they regretted it once they got it on the walls and just couldn’t admit it enough to take it down?

    Reply
  4. Emily @ EAKaHouse says

    October 3, 2011 at 3:52 pm

    Looks great! You are brave tackling that wallpaper. I’m pretending mine doesn’t exist.

    Reply
  5. Carrie @ Hazardous Design says

    October 4, 2011 at 10:39 pm

    Arrrrr! Your bathroom looks much better, Matey!
    (That was my pirate impression).
    Don’t you just hate removing wallpaper?

    Reply
  6. Carrie @ Hazardous Design says

    October 4, 2011 at 10:39 pm

    Arrrrr! Your bathroom looks much better, Matey!
    (That was my pirate impression).
    Don’t you just hate removing wallpaper?

    Reply
  7. Cortneyloo says

    October 5, 2011 at 1:53 am

    I know how good it feels to have wallpaper removed as I’ve done it myself, but if it was pirate wallpaper I had gotten rid of I think it would be cause for a major celebration!

    themusingsofasimplegirl.blogspot.com

    Reply
  8. saaraah says

    October 7, 2011 at 7:06 pm

    Never in my life have I seen pirate ship wallpaper! I have to admit that I like it in a kitschy kinda way. ๐Ÿ˜› haha

    Reply

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dnirssyellow dnipinterestyellow dnifacebookyellow dniinstagramyellow AnnaDNI2014 Welcome to Directions Not Included. I'm Anna, the voice behind the blog. I'm a marketer, crafter, DIYer, and lover of wine and sushi. Oh and I love my husband Ray, too. I also seem to be a magnet for scruffy mutts and cats. Want to know more about us and what we are doing? Learn more here.

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Directions Not Included follows the DIY and craft adventures of two humans, three dogs and two cats as they take one old Florida home and make it theirs.

This blog will feature DIY tips, before and after photos, craft tutorials, home decor trends, and gratuitous pictures of our five rescued furry children.

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