not so stuck on wall stickers, yet

I am intrigued by wall stickers. Readily available in so many designs, you see them just about everywhere. The price range seems to vary as well…depending on brand, size and style.

In theory, I really like these. What a quick and fun way to add some zing to a room! And if you get tired of it (as is inevitable with all trendy things), it’s so easy to peel ‘em off and choose something else.

I just had to try some out so I headed to my local DeSerres store (the old Loomis & Toles, for all you Haligonians) to see what they had. Low and behold, they were pushing their new line of “stick-on decorations”. Visit http://www.deserres.ca/ or pick up the catalogue in store that showcases more than 150 styles in lots of categories – flora, fauna, decoration, scrollwork, kids, dining room, messages & letters, and glass decals.

I must admit, I was impressed and excited by the selection. I probably spent about 45 minutes looking through what was offered. I got sucked into buying another brand called Nouvelle Images that was slightly less expensive (by about $20-25).

I loved the look of this design because it reminded me of the cherry blossom season in Vancouver. I wanted to spice up my small guest bedroom and this was the perfect place to try it out.

I was also drawn to the different sizes of chalkboard peel and stick products because I have thought about using chalkboard paint in various places from time to time, but am always scared off by both the smell of the paint and the fact that it is much more difficult to remove/ paint over if you don’t like it. These “removable and repositionable” chalkboards are made by wallies (http://www.wallies.com/).

I walked out of the store with 25” x 38” chalkboard sheet (chalk included) for $22 and my poster-sized package of wall stickers (hibiscus) for $32.95. I could hardly wait to get home!

First up, the kitchen. It was so easy, I couldn’t believe it. Literally peel off the backing and stick it to the wall. I am really impressed with the quality. It’s heavy, but easy to position, and really sticks. It’s well used -- I write on it and erase all the time -- and it’s great. I saved the backing, just in case I want to move it or remove it at a later date. It gets an enthusiastic two thumbs up from me… and from my guests who like to draw and leave messages!

With such success, I eagerly moved on to the guest room. It’s easy enough to look at the design on the packaging and put the pattern together using the two pages of stickers. What you see, is what you get, so no surprises there.

What was surprising – and almost instantly apparent – was that these stickers didn’t really stick. Overlapping the pieces to match the design became a challenge as some didn’t stick as well as others. By the time I finished, many of the pieces were already lifting off the wall. I am greatly disappointed.

In my opinion, it looks good at a glance, but my constant frustration with having to press down pieces as I walk by every day takes away any positives. The worst part is that you have to destroy the shrink-wrapped packaging to open it, so I can’t even take it back! Two big thumbs down.

Perhaps it’s my own fault for not purchasing the more expensive product. I’m thinking I’ll try one of the DeSerres products because they looked heavier and they offer more modern designs…when I’m ready to let go of the fact that I already good wasted money on this.

There are so many different companies making these products in so many styles & patterns to choose from, I’m not saying you should write off the entire concept. And my experience with the wallies chalkboard was even better than I expected.

My only advice is to make sure you can salvage the packaging to either return the product if it isn’t satisfactory, or if you get tired of it you can store it & reuse it at later date. Consider yourself warned of the possible faults with this trendy option for wall decorating!

For not a lot of money and very minimal work, this is another interesting & easy option to consider when looking to add great impact to your space.