What to consider when buying wallpaper:
Location – which room to wallpaper? Similar to our paint design guide, we generally consider more than one room at once. For example, if you have already completed all the surrounding rooms and have one left to do, we would take in to consideration the colours/patterns/fabrics already used.
Tip: Ensuring adjoining spaces link is really important to ensure continuity and flow in your home.
Smaller spaces can look really effective when wallpapered. For example, your cloakroom or WC. These small spaces give you a chance to be experimental with bold, patterned wallpaper which would be too overbearing in a larger room. Some wallpaper can be quite expensive, so the smaller the room the less rolls you need! Bedrooms look great with wallpaper, and again you can play around with colour and pattern dependent on the end user and their identity. See here a recent Master Suite we completed with ornate silk wallpaper on a feature wall.
Wallpaper Preparation
Walls need to be stripped of any old paper and washed to remove any old paste from previous wallpaper. Areas also may need sanding, filling or even plastering to ensure the walls are smooth, dry and cleared of any debris. Always consult a decorator if you are unsure. They will be able to advise the condition of the walls and what suitable preparation needs to be done to ensure you maximise the results. Walls must be primed and if necessary, cross lined with lining paper. This helps to even our imperfections and acts as a base for your wallpaper. Never hand over new plaster or un-primed walls.
At Richard Grafton Interiors we have several fully skilled decorators who complete all our interior projects. They are fully equipped to advise you on your wallpaper journey and how best to begin the preparation.
Do you need to paper the whole room, or can you focus on one statement wall?
This is down to each individual and the look and feel you are trying to achieve in the room. You can get some great feature wallpapers to add a statement to the room. Alternatively, you can make it simpler and go for an all-over design that would be complemented by hanging statement artwork.
Based on trends, we are seeing wallpaper on a single wall less and less. If you don’t want to wallpaper all over, we suggest covering two smaller parallel walls or areas where there is a walkway through to an open plan living space. Despite this, Richard would always say ‘go for it’ if you are thinking about wallpaper and embrace it within a full room.
This isn’t to say there aren’t some great wallpapers which could be used on one wall of a nursery or a child’s bedroom to add interest and a playful touch to the room.
Tip: Opt for timeless designs rather than always be entirely trend driven.
What finishes do different types of wallpaper have?
There are many different types of wallpaper nowadays, from digital printed, textured, plain, vinyl. A very popular choice is a textured vinyl, these not only add great colour and texture to a room, but they can also be a good option if you want more then paint but not so much of a pattern. Arte have really quirky textures but are a high-end brand. At RGI we do use them regularly and they give an amazing result. They do every texture you could think of and also do very ‘special’ papers which give off a metal look or even wood veneers. Another example is Jane Churchill, they do some really lovely textured plain wallpapers.