Wallpaper
Why Wallpaper?
My first full-time design job was for wallpaper in 2005. It wasn’t as chic as it is now, but I am grateful for that journey into the home decor design world post-college during a recession. That job led to other home decor design including rugs and stationery and gave me a stylistic point of view that has shaped my signature design brand today.
By 2015, when I started my design business, wallpaper was beginning to trend, and now is part of the interior design story along with colors, textures, fixtures, and finishes.
Traditional wallpaper got a bad rep because it was a pain to remove. I’d argue that today that opinion even of traditional wallpaper has shifted in favor of its trendiness, but there are removal-friendly options for a space that presents a shorter term for wallpaper such as a rental or an option for a more budget friendly solution.
Today, DIY a project if you want, with Peel and Stick paper, in dry spaces, with smooth walls, (save the full bathroom for a pro). Maybe it’s a bedroom, powder room, foyer, accent wall, bookshelf/china cabinet backing, cupboard, closet, etc.
Reasons to Wallpaper
Creates an airy, welcoming feel in otherwise confined spaces
Quickly achieves a dark, moody theme without layers of paint
Reinvents and adds character to both residential AND commercial spaces
Great in small areas with an opportunity to make a statement
Repositionable, removable, and renter-friendly (peel and stick)
Fun and modern but also nostalgic
New ways to use wallpaper such as on ceilings and “picture frame panels”
If your project is in a moisture-heavy space like full bathroom or kitchen, consult a professional installer to use traditional paper with paste.
Wallpaper 101 - the Basics
Measure all the walls/space to be papered and order a swatch.
Order rolls that are closest to the height of the wall space. If your walls are 8’ tall, then order the 2’x9’ rolls. If you are doing a chair rail order the 2’x3’ rolls.
DON’T WALLPAPER TEXTURED WALLS or humid spaces with peel-and-stick. Consult an installer on textured walls, pasted papers might be okay.
Clean, dry, and repair surface defects.
Remove, and set aside outlet plates, and if you want, remove the trim work also.
Follow adhesive instructions for the paper, noting if paste or water is required.
Line up your wallpaper panels side by side on clean floor space to match up the design before hanging. If it’s a half drop, drop every panel.
Sometimes masking tape can e helpful to add markers for where the panels will aline, especially if the trimwork or the wall edge is not perfectly straight.
Install the first panel, start at the top, and smooth each panel from the center out, while making sure the panel is straight.
Repeat with additional panels, and trim excess paper at the bottom of each panel.
Wallpaper roll dimensions
All rolls are 2ft. wide and varying lengths from 3-27ft.
3, 6, 9, or 12 ft rolls are available in Peel + Stick, Non-pasted traditional Pebble, Pre-pasted Removable
27 ft rolls are available in Grass cloth, Non woven metallic bases
Wallpaper Types
Peel + Stick is perfect for DIY projects on smooth walls, No TEXTURED walls, even slightly.
Non-pasted traditional Pebble is ideal for baths, kitchens, commercial spaces, or spaces with humidity. (paste needed)
Grass cloth, Non woven metallic bases are best for bedroom, bar, parlor, foyer, ceiling, and framed panels (paste needed)
Pre-pasted Removable - mudrooms, foyers, high traffic areas (water activated)
What is a half-drop? How do you install it?
Every other panel drops—at a slight drop from the panel next to it.
Instead of a grid, the layout is offset in a honeycomb effect.
Lay out the panels on a clean floor, and match up the panels before hanging them.
Tip find the vertical repeat size, on Spoonflower by looking at wallpaper details.
The half drop is half of the vertical repeat size. This helps when it’s hard to locate the design match.
Half Drop Vs. Straight Repeat Installation
Half drop or Straight repeat Crystal Walen
Visually match. Every other panel drops halfway in vertical repeat.
Stockists
Spoonflower
Peel + Stick in: 3, 6, 9, 12 ft roll lengths
Non-pasted Traditional, Grasslcloth, and Non-Woven in 27 ft roll length
Pre-pasted water activated in: 3, 6, 9, 12 ft roll lengths
Limitless Walls
Fabric Peel + Stick / Fabric Paste Required in: 6, 12 ft roll lengths
Hawthorne Supply Co.
Peel and Stick in: 3, 6, 9, 12 ft roll lengths