Whether you have just moved into a new house or wish to give your existing home a fresh new look, wallpapering is a great way to give your home a unique feel. Available in various styles, colours, textures, and designs, wallpaper can help you express your individuality.

If you like the idea of wallpapering a room but have never done it, then this post is a good read as we help you navigate through the steps of how to choose a wallpaper.

Let’s get started!

Here are the questions that you need to answer:

What is the style of the room?

The wallpaper of your room can set the mood and feel of your room. Therefore, you must first consider the room’s style that you want to decorate and then select wallpaper accordingly. For example:

If the room’s style is romantic, then wallpapers in muted and pastel colours with floral and fine lines will look great. However, bold geometrics, metallic accents, and glossy wallpaper will accentuate a contemporary style room beautifully. Likewise, intricate damasks will coordinate nicely in a traditionally styled room.

How do you plan to use wallpaper?

It’s essential to understand that all wallpaper styles don’t work the same way. This means that once you narrow down the wallpaper design that you’d like for your room, you have to plan and determine how you will use it. Sometimes it’s better to go with ‘less is more’ idea rather than covering all four walls of the room and going over the top. However, sometimes wallpapering all four walls is much needed for that extra flair and a trendy twist.

Here’s some examples to help you understand:

  • Wallpaper with a simple stripe or a classic design on all four walls of the room will give the space a nice and fresh modern look. Such designs are not as overwhelming as not too much is going on.
  • Bold patterns and colours are best if you want to highlight an area of your room. These types of wallpapers look fabulous on one wall. You don’t have to do too much with them. One featured wall behind the bed or sofa with embossed or gloss wallpaper will give your room a glamorous feel. Similarly, baroque floral damask on one wall is an excellent option to create a Victorian period style theme.

A large or small wallpaper pattern?

Consider if you want the room to look larger or smaller. This will be impact how to choose a wallpaper. The size of the pattern on the wallpaper can make a room appear smaller or larger. So, here’s how to narrow down your choices when choosing a wallpaper:

To visually decrease a large room size, use a large pattern with a darker background. The colour and pattern contrast will give the optical illusion drawing the walls closer. On the other hand, wallpaper with small patterns can make a small room look bigger.

Likewise, large patterned wallpaper in a small space or bathroom can be dramatic. And a small pattern in a large room, especially if space is divided by windows, built-in-furniture, and doors, creates a stunning visual with teasing hints and breaks of colours and pattern.

However, if you’re decorating your living or dining room, then chair rails may work best. Chair rails can create a more formal and traditional design. The wallpaper above or below can bring depth and warmth to a dining area and even break up a long hallway. You can either mix and match wallpaper pattern for above and below the chair rail or use wallpaper above and paint the wall below or vice versa.

What type of backing for the wallpaper is best?

Once you decide the style and colour of your wallpaper, the next question to consider is the type of backing paper that you will need. Although paper-backed wallpapers are cheaper, non-woven is preferable for all the right reasons. A non-woven wallpaper can disguise all small imperfections and give your wallpaper a smooth finish. Moreover, they are easy to apply with paste-the-wall technology as it doesn’t need to soak or expands when it gets wet, thereby saving you time and energy.

For more expert advice on how to choose wallpaper or to shop for high-quality wallpapers, contact us. We stock a range of premium wallpaper such as those by Cole & Son. At Hamill Decorating, we can help you select the best wallpaper design and style, ensuring that it complements the room’s overall look and feel, just the way you want it.