A Conversation with Emilie Watrob on Vintage Finds, Thoughtful Renovation, and the Storytelling Power of Wallpaper.
Emilie is the creator behind Ravenwood Restored, a home renovation and furniture-flipping maestro who believes that beautiful spaces don’t require an extravagant budget. With a signature style influenced by vintage finds, layered textures, and intentional design, she transforms thrifted furniture and overlooked interiors into spaces that feel collected, elevated, and real-life-lived-in. Through each project, she shares the full process with her community: the before-and-afters, the lessons learned, and the honest, approachable how-to behind every transformation.
For this makeover, Emilie used Artscape’s beloved Fable wallpaper in Happy, a whimsical design filled with narrative and whimsy. Fable was originally block-printed in France in the 1860s. Frogs gather for a picnic, a stork pauses beside a vessel, and hares bound through ferns and bellflowers beneath ambling trees. Reimagined for modern interiors, Fable brings a sense of curiosity, storytelling, and old-world beauty to homes of all styles.
Q&A with Emilie
What drew you to the vintage dresser you chose for this piece? Did you immediately envision a makeover for it?
I love taking old furniture pieces and figuring out how I can breathe new life into them. When I was prompted to use wallpaper in an unexpected way, I knew right away that repurposing an older piece of furniture would be the perfect canvas.
Why did you choose to refinish and revive an older piece rather than buy something new?
I've always loved mixing old with new. There's something about giving a found piece a second life that feels more intentional, and honestly, more interesting than anything you can buy.
What inspired you to pair this piece with Artscape Fable ( in Happy) wallpaper specifically?
I was immediately drawn to the vintage feel of it. The moment I saw it, I knew it would work beautifully in a nursery setting.
Fable Happy has such a storybook, expressive quality to it. What about the pattern and color palette spoke to you?
I've worked with a lot of peel-and-stick wallpapers, and this one stood out immediately. The quality was exceptional, it almost had a cloth-like feel to it, which made it incredibly easy to work with. That's not something I say lightly.
Was there a moment during the makeover process when you realized the piece was becoming something really special?
This dresser was in terrible condition when I found it — it came from an abandoned house, and the bottom had been severely stained. I had to remove the base and do a serious deep clean before I could do anything else. But the moment I got that first piece of wallpaper on, I just knew. It was going to be something special.
Can you walk us through how you applied the wallpaper to the dresser, and any tips you'd give others wanting to try a furniture refresh?
The biggest thing is surface prep. Make sure your surface is completely smooth and really, truly clean before you start. Everything else is forgiving, but if you skip that step, it won’t last.
What do you think wallpaper adds to furniture that paint alone sometimes cannot?
Pattern. Paint gives you color, but wallpaper gives you a moment. It can be the statement piece that anchors an entire room.
We love how elevated and collected the finished piece feels. How do you approach creating spaces or furniture that feel layered and expensive without being overly formal?
I always try to envision how someone would actually live with the piece how they'd use it, what would sit on top of it, what room it would call home. When you design with real life in mind, things naturally feel collected rather than curated.
Do you think incorporating wallpaper into furniture projects allows for more creativity and individuality in home design?
Absolutely. It opens up a whole category of possibility that most people haven't even thought about yet. Your furniture doesn't have to be a neutral it can be the thing that makes the whole room.
How would you style this dresser in a room? What kinds of textures, colors, or décor pieces pair well with it?
I've actually been loving using AI for styling inspiration lately. I'll give it some direction the piece, the vibe I'm going for, the colors already in the room and it helps me see possibilities I might not have considered. It's become a real part of my creative process.
What are some of your favorite ways to use wallpaper outside of walls?
Furniture is an obvious one now, but also the backs of bookcases, ceilings, the insides of cabinets. Anywhere you want a little unexpected detail.
Vintage furniture often carries a bit of history. Do you think redesigning older pieces gives them a second life or a new story?
Both, honestly. You're honoring what it was while writing what it becomes. That feels meaningful to me every single time.
For someone intimidated by bold patterns, what advice would you give about incorporating statement wallpaper into their home?
Start small. A piece of furniture. A small bathroom. A ceiling. You don't have to commit to a whole room to understand what you love and once you do it once, you'll wonder why you waited.
What's one detail about this makeover that people might not notice right away, but that you personally love?
All the individual characters that are woven into the pattern. The more you look, the more you see. That's the magic of this wallpaper.
After finishing this project, are you already dreaming up another furniture piece to transform?
Always. The next piece is never far from my mind, that's just how I'm wired.
Whether applied to walls, cabinetry, furniture, or unexpected corners, Fable wallpaper brings narrative, texture, and charm into the home. Emilie’s transformation is a reminder that thoughtful design doesn’t need to feel precious or unattainable. Sometimes all it takes is an overlooked vintage piece, a bit of creativity, and a pattern filled with wonder.
Follow Emilie for tips, tricks, and a plethora of inspiration on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. And watch the full reel of Emilie's dresser's transformation on Instagram here.
All photos by ravenwoodrestored.
