Back to Tempaper

Invention and discovery rarely coincide; often the inventor finds himself alone, amidst a sea of doubt. Otto Frederick Rohwedder had a prototype for a bread slicing machine as early as 1916, but history would not be made until July 7, 1928 when bread was sliced and wrapped commercially for the first time. Even then, it took Rohwedder - yes, below is the actual dude who came up with the idea of marketing sliced bread - months of trying to convince skeptical bakers that this was a good idea. Wonder Bread made it a phenomenon in 1930. Just because something has not been discovered by the masses, that does not mean it doesn't exist (Back to A totally okay with double negatives and slang). That's why wandering is so critical . . . wander through streets, through flea markets, through stores, through websites, through books. Wandering is the pathway to discovery. Wander, wander, wander. A friend of mine goes on "walkabouts" by himself and revels in personal discoveries he makes. Alone, but never lonely.

Tempaper Wallpaper has apparently existed for quite some time, but it remained undiscovered by me. Had I known, I would not have spent a week covered in glue and paper in my living room trying to put up the gorgeous (but time consuming) wallpaper. Wandering through Janovic, I stumbled upon Tempaper, a vinyl coated self adhesive sheet of magic.

The paper comes in several different patterns. . .

And the company website http://tempaperdesigns.com has room images that are really fun to browse through.

The application video is almost mesmerizing. Back to Absolutely Freaking Out With Excitement. I know it's only a wallpaper demonstration, but I dig it. I could watch it repeatedly - warning - if you watch it, you will not be able to rest until you try it, too.

My friend Dabney and I decided to give it a try and chose to do the bathroom - a small space that would be manageable for first timers like us.

It goes on like butter. At first I was nervous and the process was slow, but once I realized how forgiving this paper is - it peels right off if you make a mistake - we could move quickly.  Yes, my bathroom ceilings are high and there was a small incident that involved a ladder and a tumble and a shower curtain rod crashing, but Back to A doesn't like to think about that part very much. (Guaranteed my mother is going to call me immediately after she reads this with a '"I told you so" and a "ladders are dangerous" speech. Back to Lecture City.

I cannot tell you how much I love my bathroom. The difference is remarkable. Now I can focus on putting up the showering curtain, adding some pretty soaps and bath accessories. . . maybe a gallery wall? Why not.

I've already started - quotes that inspire deserve to be framed. Here's a favorite by Audrey Hepburn from a coffee table book (amazing sources for art).

I think Tempaper is the greatest thing since sliced bread. It just makes me so happy.