10 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Wallpaper for Your Home
Here's what to do instead.
Choosing wallpaper for your home can be an exciting adventure, but it can also be challenging to know if you're doing it right before committing to a pattern. Because patterns are so important to get right and I want to help you feel confident in your choice.
So to help you along, I've put together a list of 10 mistakes to avoid when choosing wallpaper for your home. I've also included what to do instead to ensure you make the best choice. Let's dive in!
10 Mistakes to Avoid When Choosing Wallpaper for Your Home
1. Ignoring Room Size and Scale
Don't: Choose large patterns for small rooms or small patterns for large rooms without considering the visual impact.
Do: Select patterns and scales that complement the size and feel of the room. Large patterns can make a small room feel smaller, while small patterns might get lost in a large space. This isn't a hard and fast rule--sometimes a big print is great in a small space and vice versa. The point is to consider the visual impact and make an informed decision that communicates what you want it to. Scale can be tricky!
2. Overlooking Lighting
Don't: Pick a pattern without considering how natural and artificial light will affect how your wallpaper looks in your space.
Do: Test wallpaper samples in different lighting conditions throughout the day to see how they look. See the next mistake for more.
3. Not Testing Samples
Don't: Skip the step of ordering samples and testing them on your walls. It's not worth the risk.
Do: Always order samples and place them on your walls to see how they interact with your room’s decor, lighting, colors, scale, and overall ambiance. You also want to feel the quality, test out the adhesive, and those are things you just can't guess on from an online swatch.
4. Choosing Trends Over Personal Taste
Don't: Select wallpaper solely based on current trends rather than personal preference.
Do: Choose wallpaper that reflects your personal style and will make you happy in the long term, not just what’s currently fashionable. Your favorite influencer doesn't live in your house, you do.
5. Not Considering Room Function
Don't: Use the same type of wallpaper in every room without considering the specific needs and functions of each space.
Do: Select wallpaper appropriate for the room’s purpose. For example, use moisture-resistant wallpaper in bathrooms and durable, easy-to-clean wallpaper in high-traffic areas.
6. Neglecting to Prepare Walls Properly
Don't: Apply wallpaper to dirty, uneven, or improperly prepared walls.
Do: Ensure walls are clean, smooth, and properly primed before applying wallpaper to ensure a good bond and smooth finish. You'll want to check the manufacturer's recommended installation information to get the best advice on how to properly prepare your surfaces. The better you prep, the better your results.
7. Miscalculating Wallpaper Quantity
Don't: Inaccurately measure your walls and calculating the amount of wallpaper needed, leading to shortages or excess.
Do: Measure your walls carefully and consult with a professional or use online calculators to determine the correct amount of wallpaper. There's a time and place for guesstimating, but ordering wallpaper isn't one of them. Why? Because if you don't buy enough, there's no guarantee that the next run will be the exact colors of the rolls/panels you already have. That's just the way it is with any type of color printing--always order more than enough the first time to avoid a second color run.
8. Ignoring Maintenance Requirements
Don't: Choose wallpaper without considering how easy it is to clean and maintain.
Do: Select wallpaper that fits your lifestyle and maintenance preferences. For high-traffic areas or homes with children and pets, choose durable, washable wallpaper. Dirt, crayons, and grime are just part of a normal childhood, so make sure you're not adding to your workload down the road. Make smart decisions based on your lifestyle, and you'll be happier long term.
9. Disregarding Room Flow and Cohesion
Don't: Use drastically different wallpapers in adjacent rooms without considering the overall flow and cohesion of your home.
Do: Ensure that the wallpaper choices for different rooms complement each other and create a harmonious flow throughout your home. This goes back to creating a through line in your home, and it's even more apparent when you're working with wallpaper and pattern.
10. Skipping the Installation Guide
Don't: Underestimate the complexity of wallpaper installation and deciding to do it yourself without proper skills.
Do: Read through all the installation instructions that came from the manufacturer and make sure you've done your prep work thoroughly. You may even want to read my tips for wallpaper installation so you know what to expect before jumping in unprepared.
By knowing these 10 mistakes to avoid when choosing wallpaper for your home or project, you can find the right pattern and type that enhances your home’s decor, fits your lifestyle, and stands the test of time.
