Wallpaper has made a huge comeback in interior trends over the last few years. Gone are the days of fussy floral prints with matching borders – modern wallpapers are bold, fresh and artistic, with prints to suit any stylish space.
If you’re looking to transform a room in your home, wallpaper is a great way to add texture and detail. A colourful paper with a big print makes the most of a single statement wall, while an all-over small print in subtle shades is perfect for a full room. And there are plenty of finishes to choose from too from flocked and velvet to metallic and foil. Wallpaper creates a rich depth that can’t be achieved with paint… no wonder it’s back in vogue!
When it comes to wallpaper, no one does it better than Sanderson – the quintessential British interiors brand has 160 years of timeless design to draw from, and we’re so excited to launch a range of Sanderson wallpapers on LaRedoute.co.uk. To make sure the finished result is as professional as the styles themselves, we’ve put together our expert tips on choosing, hanging and replacing wallpaper. Read on to find out everything you need to know!
Step 1: Choose your wallpaper design
Wallpaper choice can become overwhelming with so many styles and patterns to choose from. Before deciding which style you want to go with, it would help to consider the following:
Room function and aesthetic
Is your room going to be used for entertaining, relaxing or working? Deciding the function of the room can help you to visualise what kind of vibe you want from it - for example, if it's a bedroom, would calming features to help you switch off and escape? Or would more brighter colours help you spring out of bed in morning? If it's an office that is used for creative work - a fun wallpaper could help set an inspirational mood.
Room size
Something else to consider when choosing wallpaper is room size. If you have a very small space to work with, big bold patterns might make the room feel cramped and give the illusion of a smaller space. If you have a room that doesn't have a lot of character, creating a feature wall can help to create a focal point and make a room feel more interesting.
Lighting
Something else to consider is the natural light that your room gets. If you have a dark hallway that gets little natural light, you can brighten up the space by choosing more white and neutral colours. Patterns and colourful printed wallpapers always work best in rooms that have more natural light.
By thinking about your room and space first, this can help to narrow down your choice of wallpapers.
Step 2: Prepare your walls
This is probably the most important part of your wallpaper journey – creating a smooth, flat surface for your wallpaper will make a huge difference to the finished result, and make your job of hanging it so much easier too!
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- Start by wiping down your walls with warm soapy water and a microfibre cloth. Don’t use cleaning solutions or anything that could shed fibres onto your walls.
- Next, inspect the wall from top to bottom to find any dents, holes or cracks. Fill these in using filler and a scraper, leaving to dry for a few hours before sanding smooth.
- For very uneven walls, consider using a lining paper before hanging your wallpaper. A thicker lining paper will smooth out the surface, creating the perfect foundation for your wallpaper. Make sure to push out any bubbles with a wallpaper smoothing tool, and ensure the paper is fully dry before putting anything on top of it.
Step 3: Gather your tools
Make sure you have everything you need to hand before you start wallpapering… there’s nothing worse than stopping a job before you’ve started because you don’t have the equipment! To get a pro wallpaper finish, you’ll need:
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- A paste brush with soft bristles. A 100mm or 125mm paintbrush will also work.
- Measuring tape to get the height and width of your walls spot on.
- Paper scissors with extra long blades to make cutting wallpaper easier.
- Wallpaper table – these are slightly higher than regular tables and just wider than a roll of wallpaper, so perfect for measuring, cutting and pasting. Well worth buying!
- Plumb line – this is a weight on the end of a string that will help you get a perfectly straight vertical line.
- A wallpaper cutter will help you snip around plug sockets and light switches when your paper is on the wall.
- A wallpaper smoother will make light work of any pesky bubbles or creases.
- If you’re removing wallpaper as well as hanging it, consider hiring a steamer to make the job much quicker and easier.
Step 4: Measure, cut and paste
Pay particular attention to this step – careful measurements and precise cutting mean you’ll avoid any costly mistakes and wasted wallpaper!-
- Start by measuring the height of your wall, adding an extra 10cm for neat trimming, then cut a strip of wallpaper.
- Use your first strip as a length guide for cutting further pieces. For patterned designs, always line up with the previous strip before cutting to ensure the pattern matches.
- Write ‘top’ on the back of each piece to make sure you don’t hang it upside down – it’s very easily done
- For pasting, place your pieces face down on a clean surface and use a brush to paste along the centre first, then the edges. If paste gets onto the patterned side, wipe away with a damp cloth.
- Once pasted, fold the ends of each stripe towards the centre then leave to soak following the instructions on the paper, so the paste can absorb.
Step 5: Hang your wallpaper up
The big one – time to get your wallpaper up on the walls! For wallpaper with big patterns, start in the centre of the wall and for less detailed styles, start from the corner or behind a door.
Most walls are not symmetrical, so getting your first strip on straight can be tricky. Use a plumb line to get the right angle following these steps:
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- Pin a piece of string to the top of your wall, making sure it’s long enough to cover the wall without touching the floor.
- With a weight attached to the end of the string, lower the line until the weight hangs freely and wait for it to settle.
- Push the bottom of the string into the wall and use a pencil to mark the perfectly straight line.
Now you’ve got your angle, you can hang each piece of pasted paper perfectly:
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- Open the first fold of your piece of wallpaper and place it at the top of your wall.
- Slide the paper into place, leaving 5cm overhanging at the top so you can trim it later.
- Smooth the paper down the centre with a brush, working towards the bottom and pushing out bubbles and creases as you go.
- You should have a 5cm overhang at the bottom – once you’re happy with the placement, trim off the top and bottom excess and smooth back down.
- Wipe off any paste with a damp cloth.
When it comes to successfully navigating plug sockets and light fittings, precise trimming is the key:
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- Loosen the front plate of your light switch or plug socket so there’s a gap between it and the wall.
- Hang the wallpaper as normal, allowing it to fall over the switch or socket.
- Press the wallpaper into the switch or socket and mark the centre and edges with a soft pencil
- Cut through the wallpaper at the centre mark and trim outwards towards the edges, cutting a few millimetres inside the edge marks.
- Press the paper down against the wall and tuck the edges under the switch or socket, then use a brush to smooth over.
Step 6: Matching patterns
Bold, patterned wallpaper looks fabulous in any space… but getting that perfect pattern match as you move across the wall can be tricky.
Patterned wallpaper comes in three styles:
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- Straight match, where the pattern is very uniform across the roll;
- Random match, where the pattern follows no structure and ‘hangs off’ the edge of the roll;
- And drop match, where the pattern is more open and designs run diagonally in a more natural flow.
There are different hanging techniques for each pattern type, so make sure you follow these tips to line that design up right to the millimetre:
Straight-match wallpaper is the easiest to hang, as you have a clearly-defined pattern to follow. Aim to hang in perfect succession, with each piece sitting parallel to the one before.
Random match patterns may seem easy to hang because there’s no defined pattern to follow, but you may want to keep a particular motif in the same place as you work across the wall. You could also drop a focal point down as you paper across, giving your eye a line to follow down the wall.
Drop match wallpaper is the trickiest to hang as the pattern as you’ll need to move or drop the pattern along by about half the total pattern and repeat as you cut each piece. The drop measurement is usually included on the roll label to help you calculate, too.
Step 7: Smooth down, sit back and enjoy!
Once you’ve got your wallpaper hung, step back and assess – can you spot any bubbles or creases? Is your pattern straight, have you trimmed off all the excess? Use a smoothing tool or wallpaper brush to go over each wall for that professional finish, then give yourself a pat on the back for a job well done!
Discover the new Sanderson wallpaper range in our decorating category.