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Installing removable wallpaper is a great way to give life to your walls without the longterm commitment. A great option for renters, for obvious reasons, but it’s also a wonderful option for home owners who like to change up their aesthetic once in awhile. Plus, you get a whole lot of bang for your buck!
Since we moved in we’ve tossed around the idea of moving my desk to our spare bedroom and turning the space in to my office. We were using the room as a catch-all for extra furniture and as a workout room. I’ve always had my home office out in the “open” of our formal living rooms, so the idea of having a door that I can close was very exciting.
As soon as the decision was made I knew I wanted to wallpaper the solid wall that would be the backdrop of my desk. Yes, I was thinking 100% about all the Zoom meetings I’ve had in the last year, haha!
Tools Needed
- Removable Wallpaper (We used this style by RoomMates after reading a million reviews, I have more thoughts about it below)
- X-Acto knife
- Smoothing Tool
- Tape Measure
- Step Ladder
Wood Floating Shelf
Dot Removable Wallpaper
Smoothing Tool
X-Acto Knife
Helpful Removable Wallpaper Installation Tips
Have a teammate. I suppose it is possible to do it by yourself but having two people is really helpful. A few times I needed Tyler to make sure the overlap was enough/the wallpaper was lined up at the bottom while I held the top.
Calculate your wall square footage. Math is not my favorite so I made sure to check, check, and re-check my calculations so that I bought enough (and didn’t over-buy!) wallpaper to cover the wall. Every brand is different so be sure to check what each roll comes with. Reviews are super helpful for this too!
Most walls are not perfectly straight. It is maddening, but true. Attempting to line up your wallpaper right in the corner of your wall probably won’t work. Use a level and tape measure to check.
Remove backing as you go. Peel 3-6″ of backing to start and as you affix the wallpaper to the wall, continue peeling.
Give some relief. When you need to go around a window or outlet, make a few relief snips then go back and trim more precisely later.
How To Hang Peel & Stick Wallpaper
Tools
- Removable Wallpaper
- X-Acto knife
- Smoothing Tool
- Tape Measure
- Step Ladder
Instructions
- Gather your supplies and measure the square footage you need to cover
- Use a level and tape measure to make sure you're hanging the wallpaper straight. Use light pencil marks so they don't show through the wallpaper
- Peel 3-6" of backing to start and as you affix the wallpaper to the wall, repeat all the way down the wall
- Smooth as you go
Notes
When smoothing, work from the center outward to get rid of any bubbles
Some wallpaper designs line up perfectly, the one we got did not which is annoying but turned out fine because the pattern is so busy. Definitely read reviews carefully if this is important to you!
The timing listed is what it took us but will vary based on the size of the wall(s) you have
Read the reviews. I just want to reiterate this point. While I read approximately a million of them, by the time I finally decided on this one, I missed a review that said the design doesn’t line up perfectly horizontally. I was bummed at first but I think the pattern is busy enough that it’s fine. If you are more Type A than me though, make sure you get wallpaper that is seamless.
Get the whole look
Have you ever worked with removable wallpaper? Let us know your experience in the comments!
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