I Ordered the Wrong Size Wallpaper (And Vivian Ferne Made It Right)
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There is a small wall tucked between my girls’ bedrooms that has been bothering me for longer than I care to admit. Just white. Just… there. Doing nothing. Saying nothing. In a house where I have spent years hunting for the right travertine and the perfect pool cushion fabric, a blank wall feels like a personal failure.
So I did what any of us do: I found the most beautiful wallpaper on the internet and put it in my cart.
The Wallpaper That Had Been Living Rent-Free in My Head
I had been eyeing the Opal Falls mural from Vivian Ferne for ages. It was one of those things I kept coming back to. Close the tab, reopen the tab, show my husband, watch him nod politely. Finally, I just pulled the trigger.
But, I forgot to update my measurements.
The 11-Inch Situation
I had measured the wall. I really had. I just never entered those numbers before I ordered, so I picked the wrong size. The wallpaper arrived, I unboxed it (the packaging alone was so cute, gold leaf heart on the box and all), held it up to the wall, and immediately felt that specific sinking feeling of someone who has done this to themselves.
Eleven inches short. Eleven. Inches.
The Part Where Vivian Ferne Saved Me From Myself
I fully expected to be stuck with a very pretty, very expensive reminder of my own math…and maybe a very wide baseboard. Instead, Vivian Ferne made the return and reorder genuinely easy. No hoops, no hassle, just the right size on its way to my house.
Here’s my point of view on this: every company looks great when everything goes right. You find out who a brand really is when the customer is the one who messed up. Vivian Ferne handled my mistake like it was no big deal, and that is exactly why I’d order from them again.
Learn From My 11 Inches
If you’re eyeing a mural of your own, here’s the lesson I paid for so you don’t have to:
- Measure the height and the width of the exact wall, not the wall you think you have.
- Pick your size with the tape measure next to you, before checkout. Not after. Ask me how I know.
- Unsure? Ask before you order. Vivian Ferne’s team is easy to reach and can help with sizing, including custom sizes for weird walls.
The Installation: Easier Than I Deserved
When the right size arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to find a QR code on the packaging that linked to installation instructions, and they were actually good. Clear, well-produced, easy to follow. The mural also came with a gold leafing kit, which…was so easy to use I bought more gold leaf for the wall jewelry (see below).
I ordered a few wallpaper smoothing tools off Amazon to help with application (linked below), and the whole project came together fast. The peel-and-stick went up easily, it is not going anywhere, and when the day comes to take it down, it won’t damage the wall. That last part matters a lot when you have kids.
Gold Leaf: A Gateway Drug
They included gold leaf in the kit. I used it. Then I looked at it and thought: I need more of this. So I ordered more. Lots more. I wanted the full effect and I have zero regrets.
The Finished Wall
The right size was just right, with a little leftover I’m squirreling away for a future project somewhere else in the house. And then I did something I did not plan on doing.
Wall Jewelry (I Don’t Know When to Stop, and That’s Okay)
I had leftover gold leaf from the install. I had a set of those beautiful little gold hanging frames, the ones in different shapes on a gold chain, very “collected, not decorated.” And I thought: what if I put the gold leaf inside the frames and hung them on the wall?
Sometimes I don’t know when to stop. Thankfully, this was not one of those times.
Shop the Desert Chic Look
Want the look (without the 11-inch detour)? Here’s everything I used: