Eight Years of White Walls. Then I Found My Nerve.

23 hours ago
3 min read

Navy chevron peel and stick wallpaper accent wall with sunburst mirror, alocasia plant in brass pot, cognac leather chair, and orange poppy bouquet on marble coffee table in Santa Monica living room transformation

When we moved into this house in 2017, this room was a blank white box. Good bones, zero personality. The kind of room that makes you feel like you're living inside a waiting room.

We knew we wanted dark. We knew we wanted drama. What we didn't know was that a can of paint, a roll of peel-and-stick wallpaper, and a stack of frames from Facebook Marketplace and IKEA would turn it into the room everyone walks into and stops.

Empty living room with completely blank white walls and bare floors before transformation, Santa Monica home 2017

Empty built-in shelving unit with walnut countertop and white cabinets before styling, living room before renovation

The accent wall is Simple Shapes Gold Lines Chevron peel-and-stick wallpaper

I installed this in January 2022, and it is still perfectly adhered — not a single peeling edge. The pattern is stunning in person; the gold lines catch the light beautifully, and it photographs better than almost anything else in the house. If you've seen bad reviews, they're almost certainly a prep problem. Clean walls, smooth surface, proper smoothing tools and techniques, and patience in the application.

Close-up of navy and gold chevron peel and stick wallpaper with alocasia plant in brass pot on marble side table and cognac leather chair in Santa Monica living room

The paint wall is Sherwin Williams Sea Serpent https://www.sherwin-williams.com/en-us/color/color-family/neutral-paint-colors/sw7615-sea-serpent in their Cashmere finish, flat. I cannot say enough about the Cashmere line — the finish is silky, the coverage is exceptional, and it goes on beautifully with a soft roller. And I am not being paid to say that, nor am I earning affiliate revenue with them! Prep your walls, use a good edge tool, (love this little guy, just dont get the rollers in the paint. https://www.acehardware.com/departments/paint-and-supplies/painting-tools-and-supplies/paint-pads/1034240 Lay down a drop cloth http://acehardware.com/departments/paint-and-supplies/painting-tools-and-supplies/drop-cloths/11165 and do two coats. The color reads as a deep navy in daylight and almost black at night. Both are exactly right.

Sherwin Williams Sea Serpent in Cashmere flat. Silky, rich, exceptional coverage. Two coats with a soft roller, a good edge tool, and a drop cloth. Deep navy in daylight, almost black at night. Both are exactly right.

Living room after transformation showing Sherwin Williams Sea Serpent dark navy paint wall with black and white gallery wall, cognac leather sectional with orange poppies, and kitchen nook visible through opening in background

Two coats. Life changed.

The gallery wall cost almost nothing. Two frames from IKEA, the rest from Facebook Marketplace — I paid around $50 total for about ten frames across multiple purchases. Facebook Marketplace is one of the most underrated home decor resources. People moving out of homes and apartments don't want to bring everything with them, and their loss is your gallery wall. The prints inside are black-and-white landscape and nature photographs that felt personal to how our family actually lives — mountains, horses, open sky. Nothing generic.

Full living room after transformation with dark navy accent wall, black and white gallery wall, cognac leather sectional, marble top coffee table, Persian rug, and kitchen nook visible in background

"Facebook Marketplace is one of the most underrated home decor resources."

Wide angle view of entire living room showing built-in bookshelves, dark navy gallery wall, chevron wallpaper accent wall, leather sectional, and connection to kitchen nook

The furniture is a West Elm sectional https://www.westelm.com/products/haven-leather-2-piece-terminal-chaise-sectional-h3517/?pkey=sWE&sb=WE that has survived four kids, two dogs, and more movie nights than I can count, and an Anthropologie Havana leather chair https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/havana-leather-chair3?color=046&searchparams=q%3Dleather%2520chair : genuinely one of the best purchases I have ever made. Both are cognac leather. The rug is a vintage-style Persian that anchors the whole room and ties the navy and warm amber tones together.