Wallpaper can transform the colour palette, texture, and the entire feel of a room. Wallpaper can create a bright and cheerful space or a somber inner sanctum - and everything in between. But when wallpapering a room, the first thing you need to know is how much wallpaper to buy.
Wallpaper can be sold by the meter or by the pattern repeat. We can help you roughly estimate the amount of wallpaper you will need to decorate each room, with enough margin for errors and trimming along the way.
Wallpaper drops by wall width
The first step is to determine how many wallpaper "drops" you need. A drop is a vertical roll that has a specific width. You will need enough drops that, when placed next to each other with a little bit of edge layering, they will cover the entire horizontal area you want to paper.
Determine the number of drops by dividing the width of your walls by the width of the wallpaper rolls. Then round up to the next whole number to account for managing your edges.
- Wall width / Drop width = |drops|
- Wall: 10 ft wide
- Drop: 1.5 ft wide
- 10 / 1.5 = 6.6
- |6.6| = 7 drops
Drop length by wall height and pattern repeat
Next, calculate the length of each drop you need to paper the full length of your wall. To get the right pattern alignment you want, add the height of the wall to the height of each drops pattern repeat. Then round up to the next whole number. This will allow you to position your pattern appropriately.
For wallpapers that do not have a pattern repeat, then you can simply use the height of the wall.
Most walls are 8 feet tall, or 2.43 meters, so your calculation will look like this.
- Wall height + Pattern height = |height|
- Wall height: 2.43 m
- Pattern height = 1m
- 2.43 + 1 = 3.43
- |3.43| = 4 meters
Area by drops and pattern repeats
For wallpapers that are sold by the pattern repeat, you will want to multiply your number of drops by your height-based pattern repeats.
- Drops x Repeats = Total repeats roll
- Drops: 7
- Height: 4m
- 7 x 4 = 28
Account for trim and margins
Of course, it's important to never get exactly the amount you need. You will want to adjust for margins, positioning, slight edge overlaps, and the amount you will trim. Not to mention just a little room for mistakes and corrections along the way.
Add 5% to your total estimate and round up to the next whole number, whether in pattern repeats or meters.
- (Length * Width) * 1.05 = Total
- 3m * 3m * 1.05 = 9.45 meters squared
Sold by pattern repeat
Some wallpaper patterns are sold by the pattern repeat. Therefore, you will need to divide the total meters of roll you need by the size of pattern repeats, and round up to the nearest whole number.
- Length / Repeats = |Total repeats|
- 10m / 0.75m = 13.3
- |13.3| = 14 repeats
Discover your ideal wallpaper design with La Redoute
If you're getting ready to wallpaper a room, La Redoute can help. Explore our stunning collection of wallpaper designs.
