How to Paint Grass Cloth Wallpaper

I recently featured my DIY Wet Bar makeover, but I thought I would go into a bit more details for how to paint the wallpaper. As I mentioned, the wallpaper itself was in very good condition - no peeling or anything. I Loved the texture, I just didn’t love the color which was a reddish/pink color. So I decided to do what I do: paint it!

Now here is what NOT to do: Do not skip primer. If you do, all your wallpaper will peel off. Also IT HAS TO BE AN OIL BASED PRIMER.

Let me say that again. Has to be oil based primer.

Here is what it looked like once it was primed.

I used Zinsser odorless oil-based stain blocker, from Sherwin Williams. It didnt have that horrible odor that most oil-based paints do. Worked great and didn’t peel. Just make sure you allow it dry fully before painting over.

I did one coat of primer and let it cure overnight.

I then just did 2 coats of Kendall Charcoal by Benjamin Moore - regular latex paint (also used on my cabinets). For brushes: I found a regular medium nap roller and an angled paint brush to work best.

You can See the scratches here after install.

The only issue was a few scratched when the new countertop was installed that I had to touch up. I just used a small paintbrush and you can no longer notice anything.

After about a year of the bar being in place, I have had no issues with any wallpaper peeling. It has been honestly very low maintenance and I love that the seagrass grasscloth wallpaper adds a bit of texture to the bar!

To see the full before and after check out this post!

xo,
Jackie