Choosing the Right Wallpaper

Wallpaper is much like paint in the sense that it is being used to transform the atmosphere of your space. Unlike paint, wallpaper opens up a whole plethora of options with colours, patterns, textures and even the papers sheen. While this may seem daunting at first, choosing from such a range of variables for your space can be quite exciting.

First things first, you will want to decide on any patterns or textures. In the last 10 years, wallpaper has become popular once again. With hundreds of quality companies providing unique and tasteful designs, you can forget about the awful thin flowery stuff from eras ago!

Next, matching the colour with the pattern or texture can change the overall appearance of your space. Let’s say for instance you choose blue as the predominant colour. A light blue solid wall covering can give the space a clean, bright feeling while a light blue patterned wall covering can appear faded. And on the flipside, a dark blue solid covering will appear very dark while a dark pattern may add depth throughout a space.

The key to choosing the right one for you is all about knowing your options

Here are four of the most common types of wall covering:

Solid Paper:

The most basic of paper wall coverings. This covering has no vinyl backing to it, therefore it is more fragile than other paper coverings and requires more care taken during application and when cleaning it.

Vinyl-Coated Paper:

Paper wall covering with a thin vinyl coating. The vinyl reinforcement makes this a bit more durable than a solid paper wall covering while maintaining the same appearance as solid paper. Vinyl-coated paper still tends to need careful application and a light touch when cleaning it.

Paper-Backed Vinyl Paper:

This covering has a vinyl layer on top with a layer of paper as the backing. This is a very common choice for consumers these days. It generally comes pre-pasted and it is more washable than the previous examples.

Fabric-Backed Vinyl:

A vinyl wall covering with a fabric backing. The most common fabric used is either made of cheesecloth or fibreglass. This type of wall covering is stronger and heavier than the previous examples making it washable and, because it is less likely to tear it can be stripped and not damage the substrate underneath.