Peel & Stick

Fresh off the plane in Boston, we dropped our bags at the hotel and headed straight for a much-needed drink while waiting for the rest of our crew to arrive. Chantel was in the middle of a story, probably something juicy, but my brain had completely departed off on its own adventure. Instead, I was spiraling into a full-blown obsession with the bar’s wallpaper. I didn’t just want it. I needed it.

“It gives off White Lotus vibes,” said Chantel

Yes, exactly. That’s what I want! We dreamed up our home aesthetic (back when we were still renting an apartment, mind you). I wanted that dark, moody green base—lush, mysterious, and just dripping in tropical drama. Plants? Yes. Exotic animals? Of course. A little bit of chaos? Always.

Fast forward three years...

It’s that weird time between Christmas and New Year’s when time doesn’t exist, and we needed a project. Our half-bathroom had been crying for help since we moved in. The color? Tragic. The effort required? Too much. But no more excuses. We were doing this.

Well… in theory.

What actually happened? I played Fortnite. Chantel read books. Five days gone. Zero progress.

So, naturally, we crammed it into the first weekend of January. And let me tell you this tiny bathroom became the ultimate test.

Of patience. Of perseverance. Of our marriage.

We survived. The wallpaper? Barely.

Ah, peel-and-stick wallpaper. A budget-friendly miracle… that refuses to actually stick. But oh, does it peel! So, after multiple breakdowns and a mutual agreement to pause any more bathroom work before we started throwing things, we took a break.

Then we went to Africa for a few weeks.
Then we came back and had to unpack.

But friends were coming to visit, and we had to decide—commit or quit?

The vision was built around this damn wallpaper, so we powered through. Peeling or not, we were making it work. And honestly? It looked exactly how I pictured. Minus, you know, the part where the wallpaper stayed on the wall.

Then came the moment of truth.

Our friends walked in, took one look, and said—

"It gives off White Lotus vibes."

I could have ascended right then and there. Three years later, dream achieved. Peeling wallpaper and all.