How to Easily Update Furniture with Peel and Stick Wallpaper

Can you use peel and stick wallpaper on furniture? Find out how easy it is to update a piece with this no-mess DIY.

This post is sponsored by Velvet Finishes and Smith Honig and contains affiliate links for your shopping convenience to products I love at no cost to you.  As always all thoughts and opinions are my own.  Thank you for supporting brands that help make this blog possible.

Are you looking for a way to update a piece of furniture? Or perhaps you are wondering if peel and stick wallpaper can stick to wood? Let me show you how to give an eclectic and beautiful makeover that will turn your outdated furniture into a feature!

Welcome back to the Spring One Room Challenge!  I had so much fun sharing mood boards and inspiration last week and feel great about the living-dining room makeover progress this week. Most of the inspiration comes from silk textile creator Jim Thompson.

Find all of the posts and reveal below:

• Eclectic and Glam Inspiration for an Open Concept
• How to Update Furniture with Peel and Stick Wallpaper (you are here)
• Small Dining Room Decorating Ideas 
• DIY a German Smear Mortar Wash for Under $10
• Stencil Your Foyer for a Beautiful Makeover
• Eclectic Glam Open Concept Living Areas

This week I focused on the front of the living area where my piano studio is.  I’ve been dying to get my hands on some fun removable wallpaper for a glass cabinet and reached out to the amazing Kellie from Smith Honig for samples.   

She is also the owner/creator of  Velvet Finishes which is my favorite furniture paint and it just so happened that these two products went hand in hand for this easy furniture makeover.  

Why you should use removable wallpaper on furniture:

• It’s temporary if you want it to be. Not sure if you want to paint or change a special piece of furniture? Using peel and stick wallpaper is a great option. Check out the tutorial below to see how I used a removable piece of press wood. You can apply peel and stick wallpaper directly to the furniture and remove it down the road if you change your mind.

• It’s a quick and easy solution with no mess. If you can peel and stick a sticker you can do this fun DIY! Try only covering the back of a glass door piece like I did or the back of a bookcase or shelf. Similarly, cover the door or drawer to a small chest or side table.

• There are a lot more options with wallpaper! You will add more interest with patterns and colors than you would with just paint.

• Covering a piece of furniture with removable wallpaper is less commitment and cheaper than covering an entire wall. So if you find a great peel and stick wallpaper but are unsure you want the bold patterns or colors on an entire wall, add it to a piece of furniture. It will still give you an interesting element to the room and be way more friendly on your wallet.

An Easy Furniture Update with Wallpaper and Paint

Find a detailed step-by-step tutorial for using velvet finishes with how to paint a dresser without sanding and the best paint for furniture in addition, I’ll share a quick rundown below. 

How to use peel and stick wallpaper on furniture with paint:

1. Velvet Finishes three-step paint system – Ready, Colour – Opulent, and Protect  (You won’t need to sand or wait forever for the paint to cure if you are using Velvet Finishes.) 
2. Painter’s tape
3. Paintbrush
4. Removable wallpaper – Venice Fade from Smith Honig
5. Box cutter and/or scissors
6. 1/8 inch thick board that will fit in the back of the cabinet if not already smooth

The cabinet I made over was my grandfather’s and holds some of my piano music.  Here is a decent picture of it from Christmas.

It took me a while to tape off the windows on the outside and inside of the cabinet but it was worth it as it made the paint job quick and easy. 

I was planning on using three coats of paint because of the years of stain and grime on it but the Ready really does a great job of prepping the furniture.  Two coats were all it needed!

I left the feet dark to camouflage some previous repairs.  The back of the cabinet had uneven boards that were starting to break so I found a 1/8inch piece of press wood for under $10 from Lowes.  One side was a slick surface similar to a dry erase board which made repositioning the removable wallpaper a dream. 

You apply peel and stick wallpaper just like a big sticker.  Go a few inches at a time smoothing out any air bubbles.  Use a straight pin to poke a little hole in any bubble you may still have after you’ve covered your board or furniture and push the air out.

Styling the Updated Furniture

The cabinet is adorned with a skeleton key and pink lotus tassel also from Smith Honig that I snagged from my daughter’s bedroom.  My grandfather’s old cabinet looks so pretty I almost don’t want to put my music back in.

Ha!  I will definitely organize it and display my many books as best as I can.

I absolutely love the pop of pattern in the cabinet. I did a similar renter-friendly makeover with a built-in china cabinet and also used wrapping paper to transform a dresser.

My all-time favorite transformation with peel and stick wallpaper was on our kitchen cabinets in a small rental house!

Did you notice the green wall?  I painted it last week along with the window trim and am in love. I’m slowly checking off things from my to-do list!

I also like how the cabinet faces the room instead of being on the corner wall.  It might stay that way!  We’ll see after the window treatments are up and I make a final decision for the piano placement. 

In the meantime, it already feels like a new space!

I must mention all of my wonderful sponsors for this One Room Challenge.  Here they are!  Can’t wait to share more of their amazing products. 

Velvet Finishes |  Plutonium | Brightech | Royal Design Studio Stencils | Smith Honig | Hudson Valley Lighting Group | Fanimation 

One Room Challenge To-do List

And the ol’ to-do list with a couple of adjustments already.  Design evolves peeps!   

• Reupholster grandparent’s armchairs with blue velvet and bird fabric
• Paint front picture window black
• Paint green focal wall
• Hand new window treatments and remove old blackouts in the piano area
• Makeover music cabinet with removable wallpaper and paint
• Install new foyer light
• Stencil foyer walls
• Add fringe to arch floor lamp
• German schmear technique on fireplace stone?  Feeling iffy about this now!
• Hang curtains with rings
• Reupholster two barrel chairs in mink or blush velvet or fabulous print
• Purchase a new sofa
• Trim sofa with fringe 
• Paint french doors trim black
• Paint leather chair cognac
• Sew lumbar pillow
• Reupholster two more dining chairs
• Add fringe to the loveseat
• Install chandelier
• Stencil dining room wall
• Paint buffet 
• Add trim/molding if foundation issues are resolved
• Add rugs, lights, textiles, and art
• Style, style, style

Check out eclectic and glam open concept decor ideas if you missed last week!

Join me on Instagram for behind-the-scenes, DIYs, decorating tips, room tours, and home inspiration. I’ll see you over there!

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