I am certainly no expert, but I have definitely hung my fair share of wallpaper. I have hung various brands of wallpaper including: Farrow and Ball, Magnolia, and William Morris. Each brand was a different experience with new lessons learned.
My first wallpaper experience was with Magnolia. I added this Olive Branch pattern to our dining room in our previous house. I would rank this brand as easiest to work with and great for beginners.
It held up really well and was quite easy to work with. Unlike other wallpaper brands, you don’t need paste to adhere it to the wall. I cannot speak for all Magnolia wallpaper, but for this olive branch pattern is pre-pasted and adheres with water. This pattern also comes in a peel and stick version.
I would rank Farrow and Ball second easiest to hang. The paper is thick which makes it durable to work with while wet. I added this Farrow and Ball peony wallpaper to our master bathroom and it completely transformed the space. I was worried that the wallpaper would peel over time due to humidty from the shower, but so far so good. I wrote a blog post on our master bathroom renovation HERE.
I watched the below video on how to hang Farrow and Ball wallpaper beforehand and found it very helpful.
My most recent wallpaper experience was with William Morris wallpaper. I would rank this brand as most difficult to hang. Mainly because how delicate the paper is once wet. I will say that William Morris wallpaper recommends using a wallpaper lining. I did not use a lining, so maybe that was part of the issue.
I absolutely love the pimpernel pattern I picked out for our downstairs bathroom, but it was definitely a challenge. Would I buy William Morris wallpaper again…absolutely! Would I hang it myself again…maybe after time passes and I do not remember hanging it the first time.
So now that I have worked with multiple brands I am confident that I can provide some useful tips that will help you hang wallpaper like a pro-ish. I say pro-ish because I am not a professional. The following tips are solely based on my opinions from first hand experience + research. Now that I got that out of the way, here are my tips!
Tip 1: Buy the correct number of rolls.
Once you have the wallpaper picked out, you’ll want to make sure you buy enough rolls to cover the area intended. To do that, you’ll need to calculate the square footage of the room and divide that by the number of square feet each roll covers. To calculate the square footage you’ll measure the length of each wall and measure the width of each wall. Add the length together and convert to feet. Do the same for width, then multiple the length by the width. Then divide that number by the total square footage one roll of wallpaper covers.
If that doesn’t make sense, use THIS calculator.
Tip 2: Make sure the batch numbers match if you buy multiple rolls.
It’s important that each roll has the same batch number to ensure the color and pattern match exactly. The batch number can be found on each roll of paper. If you purchased more than one roll make sure the batch numbers match before hanging.
Tip 3: The right tools.
Having the right tools is half the battle. Regardless of the brand of wallpaper you’ll need: tape measure, pencil, scissors, yardstick, utility knife (with a new blade), lint free cloth, and ruler. If you are hanging wallpaper that requires paste, you’ll also need a paint brush or small roller. If you are hanging wallpaper that only requires water you’ll just need a spray bottle.
Tip 4: Prepping the wall.
Before you hang the wallpaper it is important that the wall is clean and smooth. Wallpapering over an uneven surface or debris will be visible and you definitely do not want that.
Paint the wall a color that will easily blend with the wallpaper before hanging the wallpaper. I did not do this in our master bathroom and I still kick myself for it. The wall color underneath was a deep red and the wallpaper I hung was a pastel green with white flowers. At the top of the wall you can see slivers of red where I cut the paper too short. If I would have painted the wall a minty green or even white it would be unnoticeable. See photo below.
I have been told that if you paint the walls, you should wait 30 days to allow the paint to fully cure before hanging wallpaper. However, I painted the walls in our downstairs bathroom and only waited one day before hanging the wallpaper and it’s holding up as expected. Really it’s up to you and your comfort level.
Tip 5: Pattern matching.
Hanging the first panel is the easiest part. It’s every panel afterwards that you have to be extra attentive with. If you want your wallpaper to look as if it were professionally hung, you will want to make sure you are pattern matching each panel. Before adding the adhesive, make sure the panel is cut correctly (with enough excess on each end) to continue the pattern seamlessly.
Tip 6: Adhesive.
If you are hanging peel and stick wallpaper, you don’t need any additional adhesive. If you are hanging Magnolia Home brand, you’ll just need a spray bottle with water. But if you are hanging Farrow and Ball or William Morris brands, you’ll need wallpaper paste. Both brands recommend a specific paste. When I hung the Farrow and Ball peony wallpaper I did buy the recommended Farrow and Ball wallpaper paste. It was easy to mix and applied to the wallpaper effortlessly.
William Morris wallpaper recommends Sanderson paste and I could not find that brand in the US. The only site I found it on was from a UK site and shipping was more than the cost of the actual paste. That was a solid no. So I did some research and found Zinsser Sure Grip Heavy Duty Wallpaper Adhesive.
It worked really well, but you’ll need to buy twice the amount that you think you need. I used less than 1.5 rolls of wallpaper and went through almost two quarts (two containers). Each container says it is enough for 1 double roll, but that is not true. To be safe and not prolong your project, buy extra.
Tip 7: Prepping the wallpaper.
Use a long table (I used my dining room table) to roll the paper out. Use a tape measure to measure the amount needed, then add an additional 2 inches for both the top and bottom. You should have excess wallpaper on each end to ensure you have enough to cover the area intended.
After the wallpaper panel is cut to the correct size, use a paint roller or paint brush to apply a generous amount of paste to the back of the wallpaper. Make sure you cover the entire back and all the edges. Same applies if you are working with Magnolia Home wallpaper and using water.
Once the back of the wallpaper is covered in paste/water (depending on the brand you are working with) fold each end of the paper towards the center but don’t let the paper overlap. See photo below.
You’ll leave the paper like that for approximately 5 minutes before hanging it.
Tip 8: Hanging the wallpaper.
First and foremost, make sure the pattern is right side up! Once you are ready to hang the panel, gently unfold the top and make sure the pattern lines up with the panel next to it. Then gently unfold the bottom portion before smoothing out the wallpaper.Use the lint free cloth (starting from the center of the panel) and smooth the wallpaper to remove any air bubbles. You will need to do this quickly before the paste starts to dry.
You will also need to make sure the wallpaper is not overlapping on the seams. You want the wallpaper butted up to the panel beside it, but never overlapping.
Tip 9: Removing the excess wallpaper.
This is where the ruler and utility knife come into play. First and foremost, let the wallpaper dry completely before trying to cut the excess off. I attempted to cut the excess off while the paper was still wet and I nearly ruined it. Lesson learned. Once the wallpaper is dry use the ruler the hold the paper in place while you cut the excess off with the utility knife. I highly recommend putting a new blade in the knife before cutting. The wallpaper will be delicate (especially William Morris brand).
And there you have it! Those are my tips. Now that I have you all psyched to hang wallpaper, here are a few of my favorite patterns just in case you are in need of some inspiration.
Farrow and Ball – Garden Trellis
York Wallcoverings – Vine Silhouette
Morris & Co. – Strawberry Thief
And that’s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed my post and that it inspires you to tackle that wallpaper project you have been putting off! If you have any questions please reach out to me on Instagram. My handle is @acarriedaffairdesigns Until next time, friends. Xo
