Wallpaper is a fantastic way to redecorate your home. It’s a nice alternative to paint and can bring an array of patterns and designs into your home. It will give the impression of space, add luxury and bring character to a room.
In many cases, we prefer wallpaper to painting because it has such a perfect finish. However, it’s a little more tricky than getting a tin of paint and a brush out. First timers need to be aware of the difficulties involved! Without proper care and attention, it’s easy to put up wonky, bubbly paper. In this quick guide, we’ll show you the correct way to hang wallpaper.
Step 1. Choose your design
Before you get your hands sticky with wallpaper glue, you need to select the right pattern. Pick something that complements the rest of the room and works with your existing furniture. Floral designs are great for breathing life into a room while stripes give a sense of luxury. You could even create a custom design. Follow this link for more info on custom wallpaper and get creative!
Step 2. Make sure it’s straight
You’ll be surprised how crooked our homes and walls are! You can’t always trust the straight edges, so be sure to use a spirit level or plumb line. Use these tools and draw a pencil mark all the way from the floor to the ceiling. That’s your dead-straight guide. Add paste to the back of your first strip and line one edge all the way along your pencil line.
Step 3. Leave a small overhang at the top
Rather than using the edge of the wallpaper to mark the top, let about 50mm overhang. If you don’t, you’ll suffer a wonky or crooked wallpaper line. Don’t worry, we’ll use wallpaper scissors to cut off the excess once you’ve got the rest stuck down.
Step 4. Smooth it down
Now that your edges are perfectly straight and lined up, it’s time to smooth it out. This is the tricky bit, so take your time. If this is your first time, use slow but strong strokes with the wallpaper brush. Start in the centre and work outwards to smooth the paste underneath. Make sure there are no bubbles and work slowly. Finally, be sure to keep an eye on that pencil edge and make sure the paper is straight. Until the paste is dry, the paper may still move around as you smoothen.
Step 5. Trim the edges
Once it’s all smooth and straight, use your wallpaper scissors to cut off those overhanging edges. Start at the top and make it neat and tidy. Then move to the bottom and cut a straight line at the skirting board. Add a little more paste if you need and stick it down. Keep the scissors in a jar of warm water when you’re not using them, or they’ll begin to stick together!
Step 6. Line up the next strip
The last step is making sure the next strip lines up correctly. Remember, your first piece should be perfectly straight, so this should be easy. Just line up the pattern and make sure it’s a perfect fit. Then, follow step 3 to step 5 again. If it’s a complete home makeover, you’ve got a long way to go, so take your time and enjoy the process.
Take it slowly and you’ll soon have a stunning new wallpaper design! Congratulations!