This is the website that started it all back in 1996.

Back in 1996 when the Internet was still young, I thought I would start a website. I wasn't a techie kind of person by any means, but I did find the Internet amazing. Even though I was not anywhere close to being a techie, I knew immediately that the Internet was the future. I also knew that I needed to start moving my businesses into that world asap.

I called the local high school, and asked for the computer teacher. I asked her if any of her students could build a website. She told me all of them could. Then I asked if any of her students were looking for part time work? It turned out that the answer was yes too. By the end of the week I had a part time high school kid helping me build my first website.

I hired someone to help in house because I wanted to learn from them. I thought that long term I could learn the basics of building a site, and use that knowledge to maintain the site myself. Another reason was that I could get a high school kid for under seven Dollars an hour. Not knowing anything about anything, I thought this was a cheap way to build and learn.

The next step was to get images of wallpaper patterns to put on the new website. I proceeded to call my wallpaper sales reps. I asked them if they had any images available for me to use on my new website? I still remember all my vendors telling me how stupid of an idea it was to try and sell stuff on the Internet. I was told over and over that people would not buy stuff on the Internet.

They all said that people needed to touch the wallpaper in order to buy it. I remember saying that I would buy stuff on the internet, and that I thought of myself as being kind of average. In other words if I would do it, so would others. All I can say that I am glad I did not listen to them.

It is kind of amazing how many times I have been told that something would not work. All I can say is don”t listen. You do not want to fail because you did not try. I wonder how many people did not try something at some point in their life because they were told it would not succeed, only to see someone else do it later, and succeed?

I guess I don't need to say that I went on to build the website, and it was one of the first decorating websites on the internet. LelandsWallpaper.com is a great source for wallpaper, plus many other decorating items. Everything from murals, to borders, blinds to accessories.

Most of the items I have on the website are stocked in my Arlington, Texas store, and ship out within 24 hours.

If you want to see the Lelands Wallaper Website CLICK HERE