Wallpaper Buying Guide: Trends, Styles and Tips

What room are you decorating?

Here at Homebase, we’ve got wallpaper for every room in your home, and it isn’t just the style that’s different. For high-humidity rooms such as the bathroom and kitchen, it’s important to get wallpaper made specifically to tackle those conditions, or it could pucker and peel in no time.

Similarly, high-traffic areas like hallways and kids’ rooms would benefit from wallpaper that’s a little harder-wearing. Many wallpapers now are wipeable and scrubbable, so you can clean off any marks with relative ease.

It’s also worth looking at the general condition of the walls you’re hoping to wallpaper at this point. For maximum chance of success, you’re looking for a smooth, clean wall without uneven surfaces. Fill in any holes or dips with filler, and consider using lining paper, which will help give your wallpaper a smooth surface to stick to – imperfections can affect how well wallpaper paste adheres, so a lining paper is usually a good idea.

Remember, you don’t have to wallpaper all four walls. One of the most impactful ways of using wallpaper is by creating a feature wall: choose a bold print you love and use it to cover a prominent wall, i.e. behind your bed or the TV in the living room, and either paint or use plain wallpaper on the remaining walls. Just like that, you have a stunning feature wall which brings the room together! If your room has a chimney breast, even wallpapering that alone can give the room a lift.

What’s your style?

The world of wallpaper is full of colours, patterns and possibilities. Whether you want an unfussy block colour to accessorise with picture frames, or a striking print for a feature wall, there’s something out there for everyone.

Plain wallpaper

Available in a wide range of colours, plain wallpaper is a simple but very effective choice, particularly paired with wall decorations, artwork, or lighting. It’s a blank canvas that you can use to show off your own personality. Often, plain wallpaper works well in small rooms if they become cluttered easily, and light colours can even give the impression that a room is larger and airier. Some plain wallpapers are paintable, brilliant for painting murals in kids’ rooms if you’re feeling creative!

Patterned wallpaper

From geometric to geographical, animals to anime, there’s a patterned wallpaper for every home.

Striped wallpaper can make a room seem bigger and is a nice way to play with colour in a subtle way.

Geometric wallpaper uses shapes to its advantage – we think it works wonderfully in home offices.

Floral wallpaper features a big hit of colour, perfect for a feature wall in larger rooms or giving a bold look to bathrooms and spare rooms.

Animal wallpaper can be used to add some interest to bathrooms, dining rooms, or any room that needs a bit of life.

And for the kids, there’s themed wallpaper based on all their favourite characters. Once they grow out of it, it’s as easy as removing it and replacing it with something else!

Flocked wallpaper

Bring some texture to your home with a flocked wallpaper, which has raised patterns for a 3D appearance and a sumptuous feel, especially if it has a velvet pile.

Paste-the-wall vs paste-the-paper

For beginners, paste-the-wall wallpaper is going to be an easier place to start. By applying adhesive directly to the wall, you negate the need for a pasting table, and it’s a quicker way of decorating a room. You can learn more in our blog on how to use paste-the-wall wallpaper.

Paste-the-paper wallpaper requires a pasting table or flat surface on which to apply adhesive to the paper, and requires soaking time before you apply it. It’s the more traditional way, but certainly trickier and time-consuming for anyone without prior experience.

Don’t forget!

Batch number

If you’re buying multiple rolls, try to buy from the same batch number to make sure the patterns and colours are a perfect match.

Coverage

The all-important dimensions of each roll of wallpaper will be included in the product information. Make sure you measure the wall(s) you’ll be decorating to make sure you order enough rolls, and remember that you’ll need a little extra to cut away at the top and bottom of the wall. If in doubt, buy more than you think you need. The same goes for paint!

Wallpaper tools

If you’re using paste-the-wall wallpaper, you can get away with a wallpaper brush, adhesive, and a sharp knife for cutting excess. Whatever you need for your wallpapering projects, you can find it all on Homebase!