How to Finally Choose a Wallpaper
Wallpaper. There are those immediately turned off by the idea of installing wallpaper to the walls of their home based solely on the idea that they may have to remove it some day. And as someone who has steamed and scraped layers and layers of stubborn 50 year old wallpaper from many walls I definitely can understand why someone may want to avoid that task at all costs. But I know there is another type of person out there. This person wants to install wallpaper in their home but has not been able to decide which of the MANY wallpapers they should choose.
What Type of Wallpaper is Right For You?
First and foremost you may need to decide which installation method you will use. The two kinds of paper you will be faced with are pasted and peel and stick papers. Pasted papers include paper you adhere to wall with glue or a pre-pasted paper version which requires soaking the paper in water to activate the adhesive. Based on my experience the wallpaper which requires you to add paste to the wall and paper can be intimidating, but it is a lot easier and surprisingly less messy than the alternative which requires soaking in water.
Peel and Stick paper started to gain popularity years ago and now so many suppliers offer this version. It is renter friendly and can be an excellent option if you want to try something that you know you are likely to remove in a few years, for example if you install a cute paper in your babies room and want to replace it as they grow up or you try something very bold in your home but know your tastes change with the trends, peel and stick may be for you.
If you are looking for a specific type of paper (ie. peel and stick because you are decorating a rented space) that is important to know first cause you will want to ensure you filter the results for paper that is available in that form. However, whether you are particular about the installation method or not you will need to filter your results in other ways before you begin your search.
Filtering your options
If you have ever googled “wallpaper” you know there are endless options out there to choose from and this is where so many people get stuck. I do not believe that in order to find the perfect wallpaper you need to scroll though every option on the internet. I don’t even think that is physically possible. So your first step will be to determine how you will filter your search results. To do this you need to determine your design goals. Gathering inspiration, analyzing the results and creating a mood board for your design are helpful steps in this exercise (I elaborate on that in an earlier blog post if you need assistance: Defining your Own Design Style).
Do you have your design goals? GREAT! Time to shop your online wallpaper supplier. I have used different online suppliers that are open to the public for my own projects and recently I have used wallpaperdirect.com/ca. When I visit the site today I see 19,789 options to scroll through on this website before applying filters. The right filters are necessary to focus your search online. Filter you will likely need include:
Your design style (Mid century modern, modern farmhouse, traditional, glam?)
Type of pattern you are looking for (geometric, floral/botanical, black print, trellis, stripe, check, plaid, toile, mural)
Colour palate.
*Note that many wallpapers come in a variety of colourways. If you see a wallpaper you like but it is not in the right palate, search for that wallpaper and look up the colourways in which it’s available.
Example: Wallpaper Colourways- wallpaperdirect
Consider this example of how these filters can greatly focus your wallpaper search. In my hypothetical example I have determined that I would like a blue striped wallpaper for my home which is traditional in design. I visit the wallpaper retailer’s site and I can now filter the larger list of 19,789 wallpaper options down by filtering traditional design (2,242 options), traditional striped design (246 option) and lastly traditional stipes in blue ( 67 options).
From those 67 blue striped wallpapers I can scroll through and select those catch my eye. If too many seem to interest you consider a second round of filtering including: proper scale of the pattern, tone of the colourway, price etc.
Once you have narrowed your selection to 10 or less options it is time to purchase the samples. Not only is this necessary to determine the true look of the wallpaper in your own home and the feel of the material/product before you make a large investment, but psychologists will agree that the act of investing money into a project (even a small cost like that of 5-10 wallpaper samples) makes it more likely that you will carry through with the endeavor.
Have Fun
Lastly, remember that decorating your home is fun and an expression of your taste. Relax, follow the above steps and remember wallpaper, like paint, is not necessarily a permeant decision. If you are still interested in wallpaper but uncertain what to choose or need help choosing a paint colour to compliment your paper choice a decorator can help with that! Work with me!
I hope this has relieved a little of the stress that may come with the leap into wallpaper commitment. If it has let me know! Also check back in on the Back Home Blog soon to see my latest home improvement project where I am installing wallpaper in my home’s foyer.
