Decorating With Wallpaper: Wallpapering Tips and Tricks

We’re sharing wallpapering tips and tricks, from how to hang wallpaper properly, to the best places to add a statement wall in your home.

We’re wild about wallpaper! Today’s wallpaper designs truly stand out from the old-fashioned wallpaper designs embraced by your grandmother. Arresting prints and bold designs offer a fun opportunity to add instant personality to your walls that add glamour and style to your home. Here, we’re sharing wallpapering tips and tricks to show you how to wallpaper your home the right way, from how to hang wallpaper properly, to the best places to add a statement wall to your home.

The Supplies You Need

-Wallpaper (# of rolls depends on the wall surface area)
-Primer
-Sponge
-Acrylic sealer
-Paint roller
-Activator (for prepasted papers)
-Scissors
-Level
-Pencil
-Ladder
-Mat knife

Step-By-Step Guide To Hanging Wallpaper

1) Measure the length and height of the surface area that will be wallpapered in order to determine the amount of wallpaper required for your project. Remember that orientation will also help determine how much wallpaper will be needed.

2) Wash down walls with warm water and soft washcloths (or sponge) to remove any dirt or debris. Wallpaper sticks better to clean surfaces. An oil-based primer may also be used to prep walls for hanging wallpaper, but is not always required. Allow to dry overnight if using.

3) One of the most crucial steps in hanging wallpaper is sealing your walls with an acrylic sealer using a paintbrush or paint roller. The sealer acts like a barrier between the wallpaper and the wall.

4) While allowing the sealer to dry, roll on the activator for prepasted paper onto your wallpaper with a paint roller to evenly distribute the activator. Immediately fold over the activator side in half over itself. This process is known as “booking”. The moisture from the activator relaxes and expands the paper making the wallpaper easier to hang. Allow at least five minutes for the activator to work.

5) Mark guidelines along your walls using a pencil and level. Begin where the edge of the wall and ceiling meet to ensure you lay down the wallpaper straight.

6) Slowly apply the wallpaper along the vertical guidelines from the ceiling down. Hanging wallpaper usually requires a two-person effort: one places the wallpaper along the guidelines, while another person holds the remaining wallpaper that will be hung.

7) Smooth out any bubbles using a damp sponge or wallpaper brush to push out any bubbles and clean up any sticky residue. After the first piece has been successfully hung, continue to hang across your wall being mindful of matching up seams and patterns.

8) Use a mat knife to trim off any excess wallpaper. Voila!

Our Favorite Wallpaper Looks

Now that we've shown you the the general guidelines to hanging wallpaper, you can get started on your first wallpapering project! Here, we've rounded up some of our favorite, swoon-worthy places to add some wallpapered flair into your home. From paisley prints, floral designs, and graphic patterns, get inspired by these creative wallpaper ideas that bring instant flair to your home.

Embrace Nooks & Crannies

If wallpapering an entire wall (let alone an entire room) proves intimidating, start your first wallpapering project on a small scale. Spaces such as your shelves, closet, or staircase, deserve BIG style, too! These often neglected spaces are the perfect spots to incorporate the unexpected style your home craves. It’s also the place to be truly experimental. Try pairing your wallpaper with decorative vases for added impact.

From lining the back of your linen closet in a dainty print, or punching up your flight of stairs with a burst of color, these nooks and crannies are excellent places to give your space an instant custom look that leaves a lasting, stylish impression. Plus, adding wallpaper to a small space requires less time and effort than you’d expect - promise!

Look Up At Your Ceilings

When it comes to home design, we’re big fans of creating special “surprise moments” that make a home feel truly special and personal. If you’re still feeling intimidated by the wallpaper trend, topping off your ceilings with a bold print can be just the ticket to adding some sophistication to a room that doesn’t prove overwhelming. Wallpaper isn’t only reserved for your walls, you know! Pair it with wall mirrors to create a sense of space and reflect light. For wall space that feels too cramped or busy, you can top off any room with an embellished ceiling. A wallpapered ceiling will bring real sparkle into a space, and provide just the right touch of modern detail in a room, especially when paired with elegant floor lamps.

Splash Up The Walls In Your Bath

If there's one place to truly indulge, it's in your bath. Your bathroom or powder room is the perfect place to channel wallpapered styled into your home, and avoid this often utilitarian space from feeling drab. These petite spaces are the perfect size to accommodate vibrant prints and colors. Even the smallest of baths prove spa-worthy with the addition of a charming wallpaper print. Whatever style you select, from a preppy geo-inspired wallpaper, to a modern abstract design, a patterned wall makes a delightful statement that proves bright and inviting in a bath or powder room. This is the place to really go for bold in your home—add a daring accent chair to complement your wallpaper.

Put A Frame Around It

Today’s wallpapers truly stand apart from the wallpaper styles your grandmother embraced decades ago. Instead, dazzling prints are modernized in an array of one-of-a-kind colors, patterns, and designs, readily available to lend a truly unique atmosphere to a room. We spotlighted the

artisan style of the Brooklyn-based Wythe Hotel

who use wallpaper from

Flavorpaper

to bring a signature aesthetic for each of their rooms. Contemporary wallpaper designs lend an artful edge to spaces; accordingly, we think today’s wall treatments can also work as standalone artworks. For a functional way to add chic style to your space, treat your wallpaper as a canvas that can be framed like a piece of art. It’s an economical way to introduce art into your home, and takes out the guesswork of choosing personal artwork. Another way to incorporate wallpaper in an artful way is to fill in wainscotting or panels with wallpaper which adds character to the architectural details in your home.

Use Pattern To Define A Space

Using prints and patterns can be an easy way to isolate specific zones and areas in your home that visually highlight the different functions of your home. Wallpaper used as an accent element can help to carve out specific nooks that help distinguish and define specific areas in your abode. Awkward spaces such as entryways and alcoves stand out with an extra pop of perfectly placed wallpaper. It gives just the right amount of visual interest to make each space in your home feel chic and inviting with a few well-placed decorative accents.

Looking for more design tutorials to style your space? Learn how to decorate with indoor plants or ways to style a bare wall on LuxeDecor's Style Studio.

(Photo Credits: Wallpaper Safari, Lonny, Mokkasin, One Kings Lane, Decor8, Apartment Therapy, The Pink House, Little Green House, Stephani Buchman, Summer Thornton, Domino | Article by Christine Villanueva)