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Home » DIY & Crafts » How to Pick Out Wallpaper {Tamara’s Bathroom Reveal}

08/02/2017 · 8 Comments

How to Pick Out Wallpaper {Tamara’s Bathroom Reveal}

DIY & Crafts· Polished Habitat Team

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I have a love/hate relationship with wallpaper.

My husband and I spent days steaming, scraping, peeling, and painting over wallpaper borders in EVERY room of our first condo.

Needless to say I got a lot of pushback when I told him I wanted to wallpaper a room in our house.

Although it’s not permanent, the cost factor makes you really think about the decision. I am known for being indecisive and my likes and style has changed slightly over the years.

I loved my bathroom after the renovation, but wanted to personalize it a bit more to my style. Here’s a reminder of what the walls looked like before we wallpapered.

Thanks to everyone who commented on the master bathroom renovation post and helped make my decision a little easier. The Cole & Son Palm Grey was the winner! 

How to Pick Wallpaper - 6 Things to Consider Before Picking Wallpaper
I am thrilled with the outcome and came up with some tips to help you before you tackle a wallpapering decision whether you want to add style to a living room, dining room, or bathroom like us.

How to Pick Out Wallpaper

1. Hire a wallpaper professional.

This will ensure the wallpaper will look great and that it will last. The wallpaper hanger will likely come for a consult and take measurements of the wall/room. Wait until this is done before deciding on your perfect wallpaper, because you might reconsider after the measurements are taken.

The price of one roll of paper might seem reasonable, but depending on the pattern you pick the room might require more than you expect.

2. Ask about the process!

The professional who installed our wallpaper used a primer and paste all in one which makes for easy removal down the road should we decide to change or remove the wallpaper.

He also paid special attention around the areas closest to the faucets and where water might splash out of the tub.

How to Pick Wallpaper - 6 Things to Consider Before Choosing Wallpaper

3. Trust Your Design Instincts

I stressed this a lot in my past two renovation posts, but do not let people talk you out of something because it is not their style. You don’t have to be an interior designer to know what will make your heart happy every day! 

You know the look on a person’s face when you tell them what you are naming your child and they don’t approve? That’s the look I expected from most when I told them my plans. You know what you like, so don’t be afraid to take a risk! 

4. Consider Your Overall Home Design

Choose a pattern that you love, but do consider the décor and color scheme in the rest of the house. Make sure it’s something you can live with.

I was initially attracted to Cole and Son’s Palm Jungle paper because it is gorgeous, but ended up looking for something a little less bold in gray or aquamarine. Spend some time thinking about why you want to wallpaper.

Do you want to liven up a boring room? Add drama? Add texture?

I decided on the gray and white palm print because it felt tropical and spa-like and looks great right off the navy master bedroom. When in doubt, go with a pattern that mimics nature. You can almost never go wrong there.
How to Pick Wallpaper - 6 Things to Consider Before Choosing Wallpaper

5. Do your research.

There’s a lot of pretty bold, graphic wallpaper floating around Pinterest and social media, but there are so many more wallpaper patterns out there.

Don’t think wallpaper isn’t right for you. Find a good website that breaks up your wallpaper search by type –floral, contemporary, trellis, animals, etc. You will notice right away what you are drawn to.
Then, order samples to see the colors in person.

6. Think of wallpaper as an alternative to wall art.

Taking on blank walls around the house is daunting.

Framed art, wall galleries, shelving and décor takes a lot of planning and can get expensive. With wallpaper, it’s all you need to dress up a room or accent a wall.

It’s also the perfect way to add personality to small spaces like powder rooms without taking up square footage. 

How to Pick Wallpaper - 6 Things to Consider Before Choosing Wallpaper If you’ve been considering wallpaper, hopefully this post was helpful in your decision to go for it! 

Not ready to commit to permanent wallpaper? Check out Melissa’s list of amazing removable wallpaper options! 

Don't Pick Out Wallpaper Before Reading This

Considering Wallpaper? Read Tamara's tips FIRST!

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melissa

Melissa George

In 2013, Melissa founded Polished Habitat to share her passion for intersecting style and function to make everyday life more beautiful and less stressful. She does this by sharing easy home organization tips, home decor tutorials, and creative ideas to help readers think outside the box, no matter their budget. Her work has been featured in print in Better Homes & Gardens and Room to Create Magazine, and online by HGTV, House Beautiful, Buzzfeed, & more. In 2018 & 2019, Melissa was named as a Style Maker by Better Homes & Gardens. In 2019, Polished Habitat was shortlisted for the Amara Blog Awards Best Interior Styling Blog - International. Read more...

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Comments

  1. Yvette says

    08/02/2017 at 1:00 pm

    WOW! Such a BEAUTIUL bathroom!!! Love it…great job. What a lovely start to your day to walk in there in the morning.

    Reply
    • Melissa George says

      08/02/2017 at 2:21 pm

      I agree! That wallpaper just pushed it over the edge from a pretty space to a totally personalized gorgeous space for Tamara to start her mornings!

      Reply
  2. Lana Wilkens says

    08/03/2017 at 1:05 pm

    I’ve always steered clear of wallpaper cause they all seem so “busy” but you’ve mastered a very peaceful look – I love the one you chose! Now I’m eyeing my dining room back wall… 🙂

    Reply
    • Tamara says

      08/05/2017 at 7:39 am

      Thanks Lana!

      Reply
  3. Deb says

    08/03/2017 at 6:25 pm

    Love the outcome! It looks great!

    Reply
    • Tamara says

      08/05/2017 at 7:39 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  4. Angela says

    03/20/2018 at 8:05 pm

    Wow that paper looks so glamorous and takes the room up a notch. I would say though, as decorators are expensive, people should try it themselves as it is much easier than most people think and of course youtube has videos showing how to do absolutely everything around the house for beginners. These days there are even simple to hang wallpapers where you just paste the wall not the paper, simple. I always do my own papering which means I have more money left to buy extra things for my home. x

    Reply
    • Melissa George says

      03/20/2018 at 8:07 pm

      Great point! We’re getting ready to try some temporary paper in our hallway and if that goes well I may try the real stuff in our bathroom!

      Reply

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Welcome!

In 2013, Melissa started Polished Habitat to share her skill of mixing decor & organization to add style & function to everyday life at home.

Her work has been featured in print in Better Homes & Gardens and Room to Create Magazine, and online by HGTV, House Beautiful, Buzzfeed, & more.

In 2018 &  2019, Melissa was named as a Style Maker by Better Homes & Gardens. In 2019, she was also short-listed by the Amara Blog Awards for Interior Styling, International Division.

Need to reach Melissa?
Email: Melissa @ PolishedHabitat.com

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