Beyond the overview of style considerations covered in the Wallpaper and Style section, there are several specific strategies and points to keep in
mind while shopping:
- Bring home wallpaper samples to look at inside the room to be wallpapered. Look at them in both natural and artificial light, as well as at different
times of day.
- When shopping, bring samples or photos of items with which you'd like your house wallpaper to match or blend, such as upholstery, rugs, paint colors, or anything else.
It’s helpful to also have a photo of your whole room so as to keep in mind its overall style and feel.
- When choosing your design, consider how easy it will be to match up the design elements when hanging sheets. Wallpaper hanging can be challenging, and larger designs can
be more difficult to match up well. They can also mean more wasted paper when trying to line up sheets accurately. If you are hiring a professional, this can also mean
higher labor costs.
- Check to make sure all of your rolls are from the same dye lot. Otherwise, there can be subtle color variations between rolls that will be noticeable once hung.
- Keep in mind what your shopping goals are, including style elements (such as color, texture, and pattern,) practical needs (such as washable, durable, and easy to hang
and remove,) and budget.
There are some terms that are helpful to know when shopping for wallpaper:
- Scrubbable Wallpaper: This wallpaper is more resilient to scrubbing and frequent washing with a sponge and soap to remove stains.
- Washable Wallpaper: This means that you can occasionally use a sponge and gentle soap for light cleaning on this wallpaper.
- Strippable/Peelable Wallpaper: This wallpaper can be removed more easily, a must for a frequent redecorator, or for a child’s room which will naturally need to be redone over the years.
- Pre-pasted Wallpaper: Adhesive is pre-applied to the back of the wallpaper for ease of use.
- Dry-back/Unpasted Wallpaper: You'll need to use separate paste for hanging.
- Dye lot: Your wallpaper should all come from the same dye lot, or batch, to ensure that there are not color variations between rolls. Rolls will be marked with the
dye lot number.
- Paintable Wallpaper: This wallpaper can be painted over, providing the option of a decorating change without taking it down. Always check the manufacturer’s
specifications to determine what type of paint to use.
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WALLPAPER SHOPPING TIPS
Wallpaper is sure to add some pizzazz to your wall decor. Nothing transforms a room more completely than the look of its walls, which provide the
backdrop for everything else in your setting. Whether you are looking for wallpaper that invokes elegant opulence in a formal living room, whimsical
colorful fun in a children’s room, or anything in between, you're sure to find plentiful choices. If you don't want to commit to wallpapering an
entire room, consider a wallpaper border or cutouts as accents.
On a practical note, wallpaper can cover imperfections in your walls and is generally more user-friendly than in the past. And the variety of patterns, textures,
and designs just can't be recreated with paint alone. From basic to ornate, budget-oriented to expensive, new wallpaper will add a fresh look to your home.
Wallpaper helps set a certain style and atmosphere to suit a particular room, such as elegance for a formal dining room, warmth for a family room,
fantasy for a children’s room, or cheerfulness for a kitchen. Wallpaper wall covering can be traditional, unusual, or eclectic. There’s even
retro wallpaper to consider.
Different Rooms with Different Needs
Both the style and practical needs of each of your rooms should be considered. For the kitchen,
bathroom, children’s rooms, and family rooms, wallpaper should be
easy to clean and durable. Other rooms, such as the master bedroom, dining room,
and formal living rooms, are better places for more delicate and higher maintenance
wallpaper choices, such as some textured wallpaper or fabric wallpaper.
Beyond the practical, you'll find countless options. Consider material, color, texture, and wallpaper pattern when reviewing choices. When shopping, consider whether
you want your wallpaper to make a statement or blend into your overall decor as a subtle backdrop. Wallpaper patterns can be subdued or intricate. Colors can be bold
or muted. Textures can add delicate beauty with embossed patterns or recreate the look of various stones,
wood logs, wood paneling, and more. Different materials,
such as fabric or bamboo, can add interest or opulence to a room.
There are some general style considerations for particular rooms. In many cases, bedroom wallpaper is chosen in soothing colors and patterns that invoke a peaceful
and calm retreat. Kitchen wallpaper is often a great place for bright and cheerful patterns, perhaps florals (such as ivy wallpaper,) to create an atmosphere of
homey gatherings. Formal areas of your home are the place for more formal and rich patterns, colors, and materials. As covered in the Themes section, kid’s rooms
can be the place to have the most fun experimenting with wallpaper. Bathrooms can also be a good place to be a little bolder; generally smaller than other rooms,
they require less of a financial commitment for wallpaper wall coverings. The most important rule is to choose something you like that makes your home more appealing to you.
Themes
If you are using a theme in a room, many wallpaper options can enhance it. Using a theme is probably most common in children’s rooms. Children’s wallpaper is
available in a huge variety of themes, from subtle to over the top. Think car wallpaper
(or more specifically, Corvette, Mercedes, or Nascar wallpaper,) sports
wallpaper (or even just a baseball border,)
Spiderman wallpaper,
or dinosaurs and jungle
themes for boy's wallpaper. For girl's wallpaper, you'll find Dora wallpaper,
princess themes, Disney characters, or even dolphin wallpaper.
Consider your children’s interests and have fun decorating their room with fun kid's wallpaper.
And of course, if your daughter is into themes of the wild west, go for the cowboy wallpaper and don't worry about traditional "boy's" or "girl's" themes.
It Isn't All or Nothing: Borders, Cut-Outs, and Other Options
Perhaps you like the idea of wallpaper or a particular pattern, but aren't ready to commit to a fully wallpapered room. You may find that wallpapering one wall, with
complementary paint on the other walls, gives you the look you want. Wallpapering the ceiling is an option as well, with products such as tin ceiling recreations.
You can also wallpaper the bottom half of a room’s walls and use matching paint on the top half. The center of the walls would be delineated by wall borders, such as
chair rails or wallpaper borders. Alternatively, two different coordinating wallpapers can be used on one wall separated by a wallpaper border, allowing you to use
two different patterns in one room.
As well as being used along with wallpaper, wall border paper can also be used instead of wallpaper. It can act as a decorative accent along the center of the wall or
along the edge of the ceiling to add interest and complement your paint colors and furnishings. You'll find a vast variety of styles and choices in wall borders.
Also consider cut-outs (a popular brand is Wallies)
and wall mural wallpaper as other decorative wall covering accents. Cut-outs can act to complement your
wallpaper, stand alone, or be used in groups. Wallpaper murals can be a lively accent. Be creative when considering these often colorful, attractive and unique options.
Please see Material Options and Style and Design Top Tips for more style considerations.
In choosing your wallpaper material, consider its appearance, as well as ease of cleaning, installation, and removal, and finally, its cost.
Specifically, you should determine whether you want pre-pasted wallpaper, or if you are comfortable with dry back options which require separate
paste for installation. Also consider the condition and type of walls you have, and choose a material that is designed to work with these.
Some wall coverings are designed to work over most surfaces, including cracked walls, stucco, paneling, or taped drywall. Others require a truly
smooth surface without imperfections in order to work well.
Below are the main material categories, though you will find other unique wall covering options as well, including delicate silk and shiny foil.
Vinyl Wallpaper
By far the most common, popular and economical choice, this option is durable, easy to maintain, and relatively easy to both install and remove. Vinyl options
offers stain and tear resistance and are available pre-pasted or dry backed. In creating vinyl wallpaper, vinyl film is applied to a backing, which is generally
either fabric or paper. Fabric-backed vinyl, which is often washable and sometimes scrubbable, is somewhat sturdier than lighter paper-backed vinyl.
Paper-backed vinyl is slightly different from vinyl-coated paper, which is coated with a thinner layer of vinyl for an attractive appearance but less durability.
Paper Wallpaper
There are wall covering products that are made of paper alone, with no vinyl content. These are less durable, tear more easily, and are challenging to hang, so use
care in deciding if this type of wallpaper is appropriate for your home. Though this option tends to have vivid colors and often beautiful artwork, vinyl-coated paper
is usually a more practical alternative.
Fabric Wallpaper
Fabric wallpapers span a large range of materials and styles. Choices include cotton, linen, and polyester, as well as earthy choices such as bamboo,
grass cloth, and hemp.
Depending on the material, fabric will add versatile style, color, and texture elements to your décor. For a distinctive and unusual wallpaper wall covering, consider
your textile options.
Hand Screened vs. Machine-Printed Wallpaper
Hand screened wallpaper is more colorful and upscale, as well as more expensive and harder to hang, than the more commonly found machine-printed wallpaper.
For most, machine-printed wallpaper will meet their needs.
It is vital to order enough wallpaper for your job so that it all comes from the same dye lot. If you need more later, you might not get an exact color
match. Take careful measurements of the space that needs to be covered and calculate your square footage needs. With patterned wallpaper, consider
the repeat length, which is the distance between one design element and the next one. Also consider whether it is a straight or drop match pattern.
This will influence how much wallpaper waste there will be in matching the pattern from sheet to sheet. Always assume there will be some waste in the
course of working, even if there is no pattern to match.
When determining your purchase quantity, add at least 15% over your room’s square footage. Better yet, seek help from an experienced salesperson or your professional
wallpaper hanger, if you are using one.
Wallpaper is usually sold in double rolls.
For more information on wallpaper, please see the
Wallpaper Buying Guide at Builderssquare.com.
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