Simulating 80s wallpaper for my Stranger Things Halloween theme?

October 3, 2016 12:03 PM

So, I'm attempting a "Stranger Things" Halloween porch decor theme this year, and one aspect of this will be a reproduction (or as close to one as I can get on a budget) of the Byers' living room, specifically the whole couch/wall-o-lights thing. And the one aspect of this that is stumping me a little is how to simulate that extremely period-appropriate brownish(?) wallpaper behind the couch, as seen here. How might I achieve this?

I've actually already got the wood paneling (we had an actual piece of paneling lying around in the garage, so I just borrowed that and tacked it up at an appropriate height), and the lights figured out. It isn't critically important to get the exact same wallpaper pattern (and I certainly don't expect to find actual wallpaper), but it would be nice to get something passingly similar, rather than just go with plain white or brown paper and assume nobody is going to notice anyway (I'll notice, and my yearly Halloween display is one of those things I uphold very high standards for :)).

So, toward this end - firstly, what the heck IS on the wallpaper in the show?

I can't find anything high-res enough to really zoom in on the design, but as near as I can tell, it looks like bunches of maple leaves(?) and miscellaneous planty-looking stuff. Is there a name for this kind of pattern? It's not exactly "floral" or damask; having a way to identify it might help me search for contact paper, etc., that would look similar.

Secondly, do folks have any links/ideas as to specific products (again, contact paper? Cheap tablecloths? Deeply discounted bed sheets? Gift wrap?) that look roughly like this wallpaper? Heck, even stencils I could use to quickly create similar graphics on banner paper could work (I tried making a "stamp" out of foam board, but this was…unreliable).

Thanks!

posted by aecorwin to Grab Bag (12 answers total)

I bet you could find something like that at a fabric store, in the quilt fabric section, probably.
posted by Weeping_angel at 12:11 PM on October 3, 2016 [2 favorites]

Can you use your printer to print sheets of antique flowered wallpaper and attach/glue/pin them to the wall? Or to make them look even more faded, print them on the brown kraft paper for your printer (I get mine at Staples). Print extras to match up the pattern.
posted by the webmistress at 12:17 PM on October 3, 2016 [2 favorites]

To me, the whole thing looks like 70s wallpaper and paneling, which would have still been hanging round in the 80s. You can get a similar print quilting fabric (as suggested by Weeping angel) and then immerse it in tea or coffee to dye the fabric a similar color. You can also tea stain or dye paper as well.
posted by bessiemae at 12:30 PM on October 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

Would your time and money budget allow for a painted stencil?

You could also make your own stencil; I think the real secret is the technique they discuss on that site, which is to use a dense foam roller of the type meant for doors and moldings, and to just barely cover it in paint so that you can press hard to fill in the details.
posted by contraption at 12:44 PM on October 3, 2016

Best answer: Get a roll of brown craft paper, some paint in a slightly darker brown, a floral stamp, and make your own wallpaper. If you want to add shading to the flowers, just add a few swipes with a damp paintbrush to the flower patterns while the paint is still wet (not too damp though because it may make your paper warp, though if it does you can iron it flat again)
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 12:53 PM on October 3, 2016 [2 favorites]

Watered down brown art (latex) paint, or heck, strong cold brew coffee. Sponge and stamp background color and decorative accents onto rolled out butcher paper or similar. Use painters tape to attach to walls.

Done.
posted by jbenben at 12:54 PM on October 3, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Menards has a similar wallpaper.
posted by sarajane at 1:49 PM on October 3, 2016

I don't know how to find what you're seeking, but I wanted to point out that this probably isn't an eighties wallpaper but a seventies wallpaper. It looks VERY much like some chairs my parents had when I was very young (so early seventies) and like some dresses my mom had from the same era. That makes sense too since the house in the show wouldn't have been decorated recently, right? I'll bet you can get close by googling "1970s floral print wallpaper".
posted by jdroth at 2:06 PM on October 3, 2016

Best answer: I think "floral" and "scroll" and "vine" are exactly the words to use. I think wallpaper will have the cheapest price/sq foot for something pre-made, unless you can find a sheet or tablecloth.

Here's a wallpaper from Home Depot that is similar. And another that is a bit more busy/full. Here's a more ornate but similar feel wallpaper.
Here's a contact paper but it does have metallic.

If you do stamp/stencil something I'd use an ironed tan or beige sheet as a background. You can make it look more textured by using a dry brush and really watered down brown/tan paint. Just water down the paint, dip a big brush, squeeze out excess, brush some excess onto a cloth, then paint with light, loose movements to add depth, texture, and "grit." Then use a roller and watered down brown (olive brown) paint to either apply it to a stamper or roll lightly into a stencil. This flower stencil is pretty good. Remember you can layer multiple stencil styles.

I think having a vague floral pattern and the color scheme is really the main thing. The lights/alphabet part is going to stick out the most.
posted by Crystalinne at 2:59 PM on October 3, 2016

The eighties were all about washed and textured paint applications, stenciling, and really not so much patterned wallpapers.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:51 PM on October 3, 2016

Response by poster: Thanks for the suggestions, folks! And for everyone correcting me on the fact that this is more 70s than 80s wallpaper, yeah, I know that, and almost put in a disclaimer explaining that even the show takes place in the 80s this particular wallpaper had likely been around since the 70s or before, but I thought that might over-complicate my post.

That aside - that Menards paper looks almost dead-on for what I'm after. I'll try some cheaper (stencil and paint/tea) ideas first but it's nice to have a ready-made source for backup!
posted by aecorwin at 5:20 PM on October 3, 2016

Response by poster: OK, I think I've got this now. :D Everyone's comments did actually help me optimize my search terms, and I ended up ordering this wallpaper via amazon (it was on sale for $13 - I see the price has gone up now, but for $13, it was even cheaper than some of the stencils I was looking at). I am slightly concerned it might be darker in person, but if that's the case, I can always go over it with a translucent white/yellow paint before doing the alphabet.
posted by aecorwin at 9:28 AM on October 4, 2016