What is it about peeling wallpaper that is so oddly satisfying?
Yesterday I was walking upstairs to put something in the attic and the deteriorated corner of the wallpaper caught my eye. We had already decided to remove the wallpaper at the top of the stairwell leading to the attic because it wasn’t in as good condition as the wallpaper in the foyer, but this was something that was loosely out in the future, unplanned, aloof, we’d get to it when we’d get to it.
But for some reason, as I walked past that peeling corner yesterday, that wallpaper cried out, begging to be put out of it’s misery. So I peeled a little bit. And then I peeled a little bit more…
And soon Ellie joined me and we were ripping off ten inch strips. And the very dark stairwell brightened. And we peeled and chatted and focused on the itty bitty pieces that didn’t come off in giant strips. And in the blink of an eye four hours had gone and it was past time for dinner. Oops.
After we ate and put Ellie to bed, I returned to the top of the stairwell to finish what I’d started.
And it was oddly satisfying.
I’m hoping to paint sometime this week or next weekend. But in the mean time, the wallpaper glue-speckled stairwell is brighter and less scary than it was a few days ago.
