One of the easiest ways to completely transform a room into something bland and cookie-cutter into something else magical is with peel and stick wallpaper. Besides the thousands of different patterns that are now available to chose from, peel and stick wallpaper does have several other benefits over the traditional stuff. Whether you want to perfect Victorian style home, the moody dark academia room of your dreams, or the elegant and royal baroque lounge you’ve always wanted, peel and stick wallpaper is a great option.
It can completely change the look and feel of a room and if you want a room like these…
I highly suggest you give wallpaper some serious consideration.
Benefits of Peel and Stick Wallpaper
1. Low commitment
As someone who hyper focuses on a single project for weeks or months and than suddenly loses interest, peel and stick wallpaper is something that doesn’t have to be my style forever. If I decide that last month’s current obsession is just no longer what I like it is easy enough to remove and change.
2. Renter friendly
Along with my last point, many peel and stick wallpaper brands in existence today are very renter friendly and won’t rip the paint off your walls when you desperately need that deposit back. Before buying any new brand of wallpaper I love to read reviews from other people as you will almost always find someone who talks about the removal process and gives you an idea of whether it will work in your project or not.
3. Low cost
There are more and more designs showing up as peel and stick wallpaper every day. Compared to traditional wallpaper many peel and stick options are relatively comparable in price by the roll but they do not require professional application which can reduce overall costs for you significantly.
4. Large Design Variety
There are thousands of different designs becoming available every single day and anyone can find a color or pattern they love. The internet makes it extremely easy to search for designs by aesthetic style, room type, and base color so any extremely specific design idea can be easily made a reality. Patterns and florals can really add to a room aesthetic and can make or break a room design.
Application Tips
One of the most intimidating parts of purchasing peel and stick wallpaper is the fact that you have to apply it yourself. From beginners who have never messed with a product such as a peel and stick wallpaper I have some basic tips that helped me when I used it for the first time.
1. Be Wary of Heavily Textured Walls
So regardless of what most companies say I don’t see this as a hard and fast rule to never use a peel and stick wallpaper. Should you be cautious to use it if you have extremely textured popcorn or orange peel wall… probably not. The less flay the surface area is the less spots the wallpaper has to properly grab onto the wall and you are much more likely to see corners start to lift and obvious uneven spots on the wall. Don’t let this stop you if you truly want a specific pattern but carefully read reviews to see how well the wallpaper you want adheres to the wall.
2. Use Darker Colors or Abstract Patterns
While many times the pattern of the wallpaper can act as an amazing guide while applying the wallpaper, it also makes the perfectionist in you crazy when one line doesn’t perfectly match up with another. Using dark colors also can help conceal lines that might not be as straight as you wanted them to be. The darker tones blend in with each other and are much less noticeable than with lighter colors. This is also a great choice if you have textured walls as bumps in the wallpaper are hidden as shadows cannot be seen on dark wallpaper.
3. Clean Walls Thoroughly
Scrub your walls squeaky clean and let them dry completely before attempting to apply the wallpaper. Peel and Stick wallpaper is just a giant sticker and stickers don’t mix well with water. If you apply your wallpaper on walls with any sort of moisture the adhesive will fail much faster and you will get lifting corners and edges coming off your wall. Residual moisture also increases the risk of bubbling in the wallpaper.
4. Remove Backing Slowly
Whatever you do, you do not want to unroll the wallpaper and remove the sticky backing all at once. The minute you turn a wrong way or bend to adjust a piece of the wallpaper it will stick together and make it much harder to apply. This can also potentially ruin your roll of wallpaper. I suggest you start on a stable chair or stool from the ceiling work your way towards the floor in 3-5 inch sections. This can be a slow process but it is worth it in quality once you are finished.
5. Don’t be Afraid of Cutting
Measure twice and cut once, but also don’t be scared to cut the wallpaper into more manageable pieces as you are working your way down a wall. The roll is going to end up being cut either way and holding an entire roll of wallpaper in place while applying is much more difficult than just a single strip. Always cut a little bit extra in case something were to go wrong, but remember it’s okay to make mistakes and nothing is unfixable.
Where to find good Peel and Stick Wallpaper
- Etsy
- My favorite place to find peel and stick wallpaper as it has some of the widest variety that is easy to sort through by aesthetic.
- Easy to read reviews to find trustworthy sellers.
- Can find unique artwork and murals through small businesses.
- Amazon
- Prime Shipping can reduce wait times if you are itching to get your project finished.
- Extremely large selection, sometimes overwhelming to sort through.
- Wayfair
- Best mock-ups of wallpapers to see a preview of potential projects
- Can be expensive, have to sort through reviews to find good products
- Tempaper & Co.
- Excellent selection and good quality
- One of the most expensive sites