Wallpaper is a popular choice for home decoration, with a wide selection of available colors, textures and patterns. You’ll be able to choose from a variety of options with popular designs in easy-to-care-for vinyl-coated paper to designer styles in unique materials, including fabrics and delicate papers. With a little planning, practice and a bit of patience you can create the room you’ve always wanted. A number of factors will make your wallpapering project go as smoothly as possible, so consider these questions before you buy:

• What type of wallpaper will produce the look you want?
• Should you use prepasted or nonpasted wallpaper?
• Which pattern will best complement the room?
• Do you need wallpaper that is stain resistant or washable?
• How much wallpaper do you need?

Size, Type and Design Tips

Wallpaper can be made from a variety of materials, including paper, fabric and substances such as glass, sand and even natural fibers like grass or bamboo. Foil accents and embossed patterns add extra dimension and texture and enhance the overall design of any room. The most popular wallpapers are pre-pasted vinyl and vinyl-coated papers, which offer effortless application, are resistant to tears, can be adjusted before the paper hardens and are easy to clean and care for.

Sizes: Wallpaper comes in a wide range of lengths and widths. How much you need will depend on the square footage of the space you are wallpapering. Borders are much narrower and vary in size depending on the design. They can be used to complement a wallpapering project or on their own to add a decorative accent to a painted room.

• Wallpaper is usually priced as a single roll but comes packaged as a double or even triple roll to provide ample coverage
• Before shopping, measure the surface area of the space you intend to cover
• Consult with a salesperson to determine if you are purchasing enough materials

Types: Wallpaper can help you create themed rooms, add subtle accents or cover up imperfections and allow you to produce patterns and effects that are impossible to achieve with paint. With one simple roll, you can add an intricate design or infuse any room with simple style. Most wallpaper is pre-pasted for trouble-free application. Some wallpaper, such as those made from luxurious fabrics and natural fiber, are not pre-pasted and require special glue that must be applied to the paper or the wall beforehand. Spaces such as bathrooms, kitchens or children’s bedrooms are more prone to messes and stains. In these areas, consider choosing wallpaper that is washable or scrubbable.

• Pre-pasted wallpaper has an adhesive already applied for easy hanging
• Dry back wallpaper requires the use of a separate paste for application
• Strippable and peelable wallpaper can be removed easily for frequent redecorating

Design: With so many available choices, selecting wallpaper can seem like a daunting task, but it needn’t be if you keep a few general rules in mind. Be sure to use colors and patterns that complement the shape, size and décor of a room. Also, remember that larger patterns can require the purchase of additional rolls to match up properly.

Checking the Dye Lot: There are a number of ways to make sure you get the desired look from your wallpaper. One key thing to remember when buying is to make sure each roll is from the same dye lot. This number is also called the batch or run number. It ensures that rolls bearing the same number were made from the same batch for a correct color match every time. Mixing wallpaper from other lot numbers may result in visible irregularities as the ink colors may vary slightly.

Features

Scrubbable: Scrubbable wallpaper withstands more thorough scrubbing with a brush and mild detergent to get out stains when needed.

Washable: Certain papers with acrylic coatings are washable. This means that you can use a sponge to give them a light cleaning as needed.

Texture and Embossing: When you want to give your room a more tactile dimension, choose wallpaper with interesting texture and embossed elements. Some wallpaper can mimic materials such as leather or tin ceilings for more interesting and eclectic effects.

Coordinating Borders: Most wallpaper is designed to work with a complementary border for a complete look. Use the manufacturer’s suggested selections or mix and match your own to create a custom style.

Faux Surfaces and Landscapes: Replicate the look of a log cabin in your living room or install an intergalactic landscape in your bedroom with specialized wallpaper designed to create certain effects. These types of wallpaper are especially useful in creating specialty or themed rooms, such as a child’s bedroom or a game room.

Courtesy of homedepot.com