When we first moved into our house, we gave every wall a coat of fresh paint.  After our paint job, upon closer inspection we noticed a slight soft bulging and straight repetitive vertical lines going across the wall at even spaces, and concluded that it was obvious that wallpaper was underneath what was already several layers of paint.  So for this reno we decided to strip the walls down to the original layer of wall.

stripping wallpaper, 100 year old wallpaper, home renovations

stripping wallpaper, 100 year old wallpaper, home renovations

What an undertaking it has been.  There’s been layer upon layer of wallpaper, telling the story of the decades, from 90′s to the 80′s, 70′s 40′s and down sandwiched amongst varying shades and coats of paint.

stripping wallpaper, 100 year old wallpaper, home renovations

stripping wallpaper, 100 year old wallpaper, home renovations

stripping wallpaper, 100 year old wallpaper, home renovations

The colours of the last 1-2 layers of wallpaper were a soft rose and ghostly grey-blue.  Quite beautiful, but in pretty rough shape and smelling old and musty.