The Foyer Transformation: Cardinal Carnivale Comes Home
How our 1908 entryway became the first real-world test of Loud Pigmnt wallpaper (and what I learned about pattern installation the hard way)
✨ The Space
Our 1908 American Four Square has always had good bones. High ceilings, original millwork, that architectural character you can't fake. The entryway makes an impression the second you walk in, even when we weren't doing much with it. But for the longest time, we couldn't figure out how to make it ours.
We knew we wanted something that honored the Victorian era detailing of the home while still feeling like us. Fun, bold, a little unexpected. My first instinct was to paint a custom mural in the foyer, but eventually I realized that experimenting with pattern would be more sustainable (and more on brand for a surface design house, let's be real).
🎨 The Color Pivot
Initially, we planned to paint the entryway in a soft sage green. Safe, pretty, totally fine. But last minute, my husband suggested we go deeper, something more saturated and true to the period. We landed on a rich navy blue that somehow reads both modern and historically appropriate. That tonal depth was exactly what the space needed.
Once we committed to the navy, I knew the walls needed pattern. And not just any pattern. I wanted to design something specifically for this transitional space, something that would set the mood for the entire home.
That's how Cardinal Carnivale was born.
🐦 The Pattern Story
I sketched the initial motifs while on vacation up north at a cabin. We'd been seeing cardinals constantly in our backyard that summer (the male and female pairs, which represent partnership and love), and I kept thinking about how to capture that energy in a repeat. I wanted to layer in bleeding hearts for that romantic symbolism, and incorporate the kind of ornamental swirls you'd see in Victorian wallpaper to anchor it in the home's era.
By the time I got back from the trip, the pattern had fully formed. Cardinal Carnivale became the first official Loud Pigmnt launch pattern. I chose the maroon colorway specifically to contrast the navy walls and complement the brick red we'd planned for the living room. The whole color story needed to flow cohesively from room to room.
📦 The Big Order
Ordering full rolls (not just samples) for this install was thrilling and terrifying. This was my trial run before opening Cardinal Carnivale to the public, so there was a lot riding on it. I needed to see how the pattern scale read in person, how the repeat matched up at the seams, how the colorway worked with the actual light in the space.
Spoiler: I learned a lot.
🛠️ Installation Lessons (AKA: Wallpaper is Its Own Craft)
This was my first time installing pre-pasted wallpaper, and let me tell you, I did not know a thing. Wallpaper installation is legitimately its own art form. Here's what I wish I'd known going in:
Always order at least one extra roll. Especially for your first install. I underestimated how much I'd need for pattern matching and trimming around the trim work, which delayed the whole project by a few weeks while I waited for more rolls.
Get help. One person can technically do it, but two people make the process infinitely smoother. You need someone to hold, someone to smooth, someone to check alignment while the other is up on the ladder.
Measure. Then measure again. Make your cuts first. I cannot stress this enough. Pre-measure your drops, account for the ceiling height variations (old houses are never perfectly level), and cut before you activate the adhesive.
For pre-pasted, get it wetter than you think. I'm talking Heated Rivalry wet. The substrate needs full saturation for proper adhesion. I was too timid at first and paid for it.
Prep your walls like your life depends on it. Sand everything. Then sand again. Spots I thought were smooth enough came back to haunt me, creating slight discoloration when we burnished the seams. Surface prep is not optional.
I was so tragically bad at it that my detail-oriented, handy husband took over after my second panel. It was absolutely for the best. So again: seek help from someone with patience and a steady hand.
✨ The Reveal
I got emotional when the install was finally complete.
Seeing Cardinal Carnivale on the walls of our foyer, the pattern I'd sketched up north and refined for months, the very first Loud Pigmnt design intended for wallpaper, now installed in our actual home? It made this whole dream feel real in a way that samples and prototypes never could.
The pattern fits the space perfectly. It anchors the entryway and sets the tone without overwhelming it. It walks that line between playful and elegant that I'm always chasing with Loud Pigmnt. Bold but refined. Loud but intentional.
I feel so ready to share these patterns with the world now. Seeing them come to life in a real home, in a real transitional space that gets used every single day, proved to me that this works. That these designs can transform a space while honoring its history and the people who live there.
If you're thinking about bringing Cardinal Carnivale (or any Loud Pigmnt pattern) into your space, I'm here for all the questions. I've been through the learning curve, and I'm happy to share what worked (and what definitely didn't).
— Leeya Rose Jackson, Founder & Artist, Loud Pigmnt
