Top 10 Tips What Not to Do When Choosing Wallpaper

Wallpaper can transform any room, even bathrooms and kitchens, believe it or not. It has the power to change the look and feel of a room by adding pattern, colour and texture to walls. There’s a lot to consider, eg which wall to cover, which colours work best in different lights, which papers can be cleaned, how to prepare the walls, how to hang paper and align designs. The list goes on.

Wallpaper can transform any space, setting the tone of a room by adding design, colour and texture to walls. Don’t be restricted by the size of the room, wallpaper isn’t just for large spaces and can really bring a smaller room to life. There is no restriction on the size of the room, either, as wallpaper isn’t just for large open spaces. The right paper can really bring smaller rooms to life. 

Although papering all walls can look fantastic and work wonders for almost any space, you don’t have to go all out; wallpaper can give a room some extra pizzazz by simply adding a feature wall. When choosing a feature wall, consider where people naturally focus their attention as they enter a room, as well as looking at the layout of furniture, a statement piece might benefit from a feature wall behind it to draw attention.

Although papering can look fantastic it can be expensive, and not the sort of task you want to get wrong. 

Here are Top 10 Tips What Not to Do When Choosing Wallpaper

1. Buy before you try

Sounds obvious but how many of us would overlook this process for wallpaper? As you would with paint, it’s a good idea to sample wallpaper options before purchasing a whole roll. Test wallpaper samples on the walls you’re looking to decorate. Get a feel for the texture and colour in the natural light. Most good retailers offer samples of their wallpapers, for you to try out.

2. Paper over the cracks

Before you take the leap and get stuck into decorating, it’s important to know what lies beneath. Use a scraper to test how many layers of paper there are under the surface wall covering. If there are more than two layers, then it’s important to allow extra time to remove any unwanted wall coverings. It can take hours and lots of elbow grease to remove wallpaper with the old-fashioned score, soak, steam and scrape method. 

A tip to use fabric softener to remove any excess. Mix equal parts of softener and hot water in a spray bottle, spray a section of wallpaper so that it is fully saturated then wait approximately 15 minutes (this is very important and allows the solution to work its magic), then peel away paper and use a paint scraper on the more stubborn areas.

Once you’ve filled in any holes or cracks and sanded the surface, size the wall by covering it in a mixture of half PVA glue and half water applied with a paint roller. It’s not essential but this will create a slightly glossy finish to the wall and make it easier to slide paper into position and help it stick.

3. Do not think pattern is the only option

Wallpaper doesn’t have to have patterns to make it powerful. You can buy a simple, plain wallpaper to add colour and texture in any room. Plain wallpaper is a great alternative to paint which can tend to show the dirt more easily than wallpaper. A top tip is to pin samples of the designs you’ve shortlisted on the wall or walls you’re planning to paper to see if it works for you.

4. Exploring the Fifth Wall

It may sound like an off-the-wall idea, but wallpapered ceilings can look amazing! So much so that wallpapered ceilings is a hot new interior trend. The use of patterned designs on ceilings is increasingly growing in popularity. 

The key to choosing the perfect ceiling wallpaper is to be bold. An abstract pattern on the ceiling can transform a room from ordinary to outstanding.

The key to choosing the perfect ceiling wallpaper is to be bold. An abstract pattern on the ceiling can transform a room from ordinary to outstanding. Be expressive with your colour choices and look at shades you wouldn’t usually go for. Whether cobalt blue, citric yellow or hot pink, bright colours shouldn’t just be reserved for the kid’s bedroom; bold shades can have a home in any room of the house especially on the ceiling!

5. Think you can’t hang it in humid rooms…

Wallpaper in kitchens and bathrooms can add an instant style update. But we often fear wallpaper is not suitable for environments that are prone to humidity. It’s all about choosing a wallpaper designed specifically for use in damp and steamy conditions. Look for papers with hard-wearing vinyl finishes, wipe clean surfaces and embossed detailing for looks that will last. Wallpaper makes for a far cheaper alternative to tiling in both of these functional rooms.

Wallpapering a bathroom makes for a great (and much cheaper) alternative to tiles. There is a wide selection of bathroom wallpapers designed specifically for use in damp and steamy conditions. Look for papers with hard-wearing vinyl finishes, wipe clean surfaces and embossed detailing for looks that will last.

Bathrooms don’t have to be boring, from linen looks to glamorous metallics and tropical jungles, there are some stunning bathroom wallpapers available.

Wallpaper in kitchens can add an instant style update and give extra character to rooms that are often dominated by walls of cabinets in either wood finishes or plain prime colours such as black or white.

Although some people might think that wallpaper can’t be used in kitchen environments that are prone to humidity, cooking smells, grease and food splashes, there are hundreds of products that are ideal for kitchens. When applied correctly, modern wallpapers can stay strong for years. A top tip is to apply a coat of Decorator’s Varnish over the top to seal and make any wallpaper moisture resistant.