Wallpaper adds instant personal style to any space, but it can be a bit intimidating if you’re new to it. If you’re thinking of wallpapering a room in your home, you may be wondering:

Is it expensive?  Is it difficult to hang? If I change my mind, am I stuck with it forever?  What is a double roll anyway?

Never fear, we are here to demystify those questions and more!

What should I expect to pay? Although wall coverings can be expensive, there are a variety of price points.  Exclusive brands may be more pricey, but wallpaper doesn’t have to break the bank!  You can find options for as low as eighty-seven cents per square foot {Wayfair} and more exclusive papers upwards to $7-10 per square foot {Anthropologie}. The less costly ones tend to be printed on vinyl, while the more expensive ones, often printed on paper, tend towards more unique designs or illustrations, but both can be beautiful!

Should I hang wallpaper myself?  The answer is… maybe. If you have a bit of patience, the right tools, and are committed to paying attention to the details, then pre-pasted like this navy starburst from West Elm {https://www.westelm.com/products/starburst-wallpaper-w2869} or self-adhesive like these blue dotted trees from West Elm {west elm} might be for you!

On the other hand, if the wallpaper is costly, requires you to apply paste for application, and if the manufacturer/website strongly recommends a professional consultation and installation, you might consider springing for a specialist! It’s not rocket science, but more than a few swear words have been uttered by novice installers. Here’s a great blog post about a family that called in a pro after a novice installation {https://wallpaperlady.wordpress.com/2017/12/31/wallpaper-and-youtube-dont-mix/} (there is a *wealth* of great wall paper info on this blog!).

Another consideration is whether you choose paper or vinyl wallcovering.  If your plan involves a kitchen, bath, or laundry room, vinyl wall covering can be a great choice for clean-ability.  The paper variety in the kitchen may not win against an offense of grape juice or spaghetti sauce mishap.  Wallpapers are more suitable for covering walls in a bedroom, dining room, or family space, or spaces where the wall paper is not likely to receive much direct contact or moisture.

What if I change my mind about my wallpaper? Admittedly, traditional wallpapers can be time-consuming to remove, but there are “peel and stick” temporary wallpapers that are actually pretty easy to remove.  Tempaper brand {https://www.tempaperdesigns.com} (among others) offers those self-adhesive, easy-to-remove types of papers.  For the easiest removal, they recommend applying it to surfaces that are in good condition and are pre-painted with eggshell, satin or semi-gloss.  So, if you’re the type who likes to change things up now and then, a temporary, removable paper might be your next best friend!

Single roll or double roll? What is that exactly?  It simply means that a double roll will be twice as long as a standard roll. Single rolls come in typical lengths of 16-1/2’, whereas a double roll will be about 33’ feet long.  Most websites that sell wallpapers will have instructions to help you calculate the total number of square feet of wallpaper you will need.  The most simple way to figure out the quantity needed is to determine the total square feet of the room (multiply width of all walls by the height of your room) then divide that total by the square feet of coverage per single roll (almost always indicated on the product details) to determine number of rolls required.  Didn’t end up with a whole number? Follow the great advice from the folks at Anthropologie: “Rounding up your number to the will ensure you have enough wallpaper for matching pattern, repeat and variation.”

What’s a dye lot? Oh yes, dye lots! (This can be important when ordering carpet, fabric, or tile, too!)  When ordering wallpaper, you want to ensure all the rolls are from the same dye lot.  Wallpapers printed at different times can have a variance in the color.  If you were to order too little wallpaper and ordered additional paper a month or two later, you may notice that they differ a bit in color. Higher end wallpapers will be very aware of that, as outlined in this blog post {https://wallpaperlady.wordpress.com/2018/03/13/farrow-ball-branding-sequence/} on the extra mile that Farrow and Ball go to make sure that their clients have get amazing results.

Now that you have the wallpaper basics in mind, all you have to do is choose your favorite pattern (honestly, that’s the hardest part!) Will you choose a gorgeous floral? Modern geometric? Something whimsical and playful? Have fun selecting your perfect wallcovering for creating your Seriously. Happy. Home, and let us know what you pick – we’d LOVE to see (and share) your before and afters!!

May your home (and your walls) always be happy!

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