Psst—read to the bottom to win a Hyppiä design package and feature wall from Otto Studio!
You know when you take the time to finally knock something off your to-do list and you kick yourself for not doing it sooner? That’s what I feel every time I walk into my new, dashing bedroom.
It’s been about a week since I made only a handful of upgrades and somehow I still keep thinking, “Damn! Would ya look at that wallpaper?” Or, “Wow! Those prints are mighty fine.” See, if you didn’t know, my internal monologue is actually narrated by a cowboy from the sixties.
Here’s what really kicked me in the butt to revamp my bedroom, though: my friends at Otto Studio launched a line of vintage-inspired peel & stick wallpaper. When they asked if I wanted to try it out for myself, I obviously took this as a *sign from the heavens* to invest the time & energy needed to actually create a space that felt happy & energizing.
With a limited budget in mind, I chose three upgrades that make an outsized impact in any room: peel & stick wallpaper, a couple of fresh art prints, and cozy accessories for the bed.
First, designing my bedroom’s mood board
Even if you’re only starting with a few updates, it’s important to settle on a long-term vision for any room so that you know which textures, decor, and colours to incorporate over time. Otherwise, I’ve learned firsthand that I end up with a disconnected, “off”-feeling room which costs more money in the long run anyway as I experiment endlessly to get to where I want to.
The vibe I was going for with this bedroom mood board: a cool art curator’s Brooklyn bedroom mixed with a bed & breakfast cottage. Don’t ask me how I landed on this vibe. I know it sounds random. But I’m very excited about it.
Choosing the Otto Studio wallpaper for my bed nook
Otto Studio is a Vancouver-based, women-owned wallpaper brand that’s on the same mission as I am: helping people feel excited by their homes again! And, fun fact, I actually used to work with co-founder Hannah Lee. Back in the day, we were desk buddies. If we wanted to, we could even stand up at our desks and high-five each other. (Why didn’t we do that more, Hannah?)
Anyway, when she sent over their full product line, I was both thrilled & terrified—because I loved so many of their prints. Seriously, they have nailed the retro yet contemporary aesthetic that I have always been obsessed with.
After a good few days of staring at the different swatches on my wall, I opted for the beautiful Lucia print in ochre.
“We love a graphic pattern in a soft print – Lucia is perfect for any space you want to add a little mod touch to.” – Otto Studio
Lucia reminds me of a warm sunny morning. Inexplicably, I think of waffles & syrup. Toasty cups of coffee. Pretty much all of my favourite things.
Here are a few others I had my eye on…
A close second was the second-to-the-left option below. I’m obsessed with how the arcs bleed into the rest of the pattern—it’s subtle & playful in just the right ways. All of their prints have such energy to them.
Applying the wallpaper
Right off the bat, when the wallpaper slipped out of its packaging, I felt a giddy wave of excitement. The colours were sensational. The sheen was just the right amount. I couldn’t wait to get it up on my walls.
My experience installing the wallpaper: surprisingly quick! And best to do with a friend.
As soon as my partner got home and we started tackling the walls together, my bed’s little nook was successfully wallpapered in twenty minutes flat.
I was so impressed. The wallpaper peels off from the backing super easily, and from there you just carefully line it up with the edges of your wall to get the angle right.
I feel like you need at least four hands, though, to make sure that the wallpaper is being held straight while ensuring there are no bubbles appearing as you slowly apply it down the wall. With a wallpaper that has this kind of print, where each panel must line up with each other, you need someone to be able to take a quick step back, too, to see if everything is being aligned.
But seriously… 20 minutes flat and my whole room felt like it was beaming.
Next, adding a couple of fun pieces of art
Honestly, wallpaper itself can act as a huge piece of art when it’s just in a little nook. This particular pattern could pull that off, but I wanted to create even more visual interest and personality in this bed nook with two framed art prints from Poster Store.
Lastly, upping the cozy factor with textured knits & a couple throw pillows
Another reason I’ve been putting this off for a long time? My cats are anxious as heck and have been spraying (those who know, know) on “new smells”. But… at the time of writing… the new pillows and throw have been spared! Praise the sweet lord!!!
I opted for two dark forest green pillows with subtle frayed textures on them to add some depth to the room. I love how this adds more of an earthy, rich quality to the bed so it doesn’t feel as overtly feminine. I then went with a cream, super thick knit blanket to the mix as well which I’m obsessed with.
Here’s how it all came together!
Otto Studio wants to help you add instant joy to your walls, too!
It wouldn’t feel fair to wrap up this mini bedroom makeover without giving you the kind of gentle-kick-in-the-butt that I got to revamp any space you’ve been feeling a bit blah over… so the kind folks at Otto Studio are gifting you 15% off any purchase with coupon code HYPPIAHOMES15. Oh, but there’s more.