I’ll come clean. I’ve spent years coveting wallpapers. In fancy restaurants and bars, in my friends’ homes, in stylish hotels – I have clocked all my favorite designs. But as a renter in New York City, there was no way I was going to spend the time and money to put up wallpaper I would then have to tear down in a move.
Peel-and-stick seemed like the perfect antidote – but before I invested, I checked in with a handful of experts about the best wallpaper to use, how to choose it, and most importantly, how to put it up.
After listening to all the tips, deciding on my patterns and spending two afternoons sticking paper to the walls of my Brooklyn apartment, I can assure you that yes, you really can do it – and it looks just as good as traditional wallpaper.
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What are the pros and cons of peel-and-stick wallpaper?
The pros: a lower up-front cost and faster installation. You can also cleanly remove it without damage. “Think of it like a rug for your walls. You don’t have to worry about scratching furniture or smudging the walls because you’re covering them,” said Suzette Conrad, digital creator and marketing manager at the home remodeling firm Bolt Builders.
Of course, there are some downsides. “Peel and stick is great for renters or anyone who wants the option to remove or swap out their wallpaper,” said Ann Marie Winkler, principal interior designer at Huron Interiors. “However, if the adhesive isn’t re-positionable, it can actually be tougher to install since it’s harder to correct placement once it’s on the wall.”
There’s always a slim possibility it will not cleanly un-peel, and it generally doesn’t work well on heavily textured walls, unless it’s specifically rated for them.
What is the best kind of peel-and-stick wallpaper?
Checking the weight of the material is important before you buy. Lisa Quinn, a Palm Desert, California-based interior designer and home stager, likes heavier wallpapers because they can hide minor wall imperfections better, while being less likely to bubble over time or stick to themselves during installation.
“Avoid the thin, flimsy rolls at the hardware store. Fabric, woven or thicker non-woven paper feels more premium and handles better than thin vinyl,” she said.
Samantha-Jane Agbontaen, interior designer and founder of House Designer, agrees: “Thin film is like a giant sticker, so it shows bumps and tears easily.” She also suggests checking if the paper you like is offered in a sample size before you decide. A spot test will give you insight into the strength of the glue and whether it might peel the paint off the wall when you take it off, as well as the paper’s texture, finish and print quality.
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The best peel-and-stick wallpaper in the US
Go modern …Chasing Paper NYC Matchbooks
Chasing Paper NYC Matchbooks (2ft x 4ft) none-selected
“The fabric/woven material feels more premium than average peel and stick,” said Quinn, who finds Chasing Paper easy to apply and remove. It also happens to be the brand I chose for my powder room. It offers a variety of prints, and these NYC Matchbooks look and feel super luxe on my wall.
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… or vintage:Wallshoppe Pop Dots Wallpaper by Clare V.
Wallshoppe Pop Dots Wallpaper by Clare V (26in x 4.5ft) none-selected
For another option with thick material, Conrad is a fan of Wallshoppe and she especially appreciates its collection of vintage-style patterns. With over 2,000 vinyl-free designs, I was also excited to see Clare V, one of my favorite bag and clothing designers, has her own collection, including these whimsical blue sardines perfect for a kitchen.
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For wallpaper that looks like art:
Lucy White Art The Genie (24cm x 108cm) none-selected
Winkler is a huge fan of this New York-based designer’s wallpapers for their personality, fun patterns and colors, even though they can be pricier. “It is almost as much art as it is wallpaper,” she says. The Genie’s abstract florals are versatile enough for any room, while the vignettes of Côte d’Azur, especially in the Toasted Sand color, will take you straight to the south of France.
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Florals? Groundbreaking:West Elm Pierce + Ward Floral Trellis Peel & Stick Wallpaper
West Elm Floral Trellis Peel & Stick Wallpaper (25in x 120in) none-selected
For people seeking “botanicals captured inside structure and pattern”, Winkler also suggests checking out the West Elm collab with Pierce + Ward, an LA-based interior design studio. The Floral Terrace, for instance, is a classic pattern that plays English cottage chic, or you can go for the uninhibited maximalism of the Wild Garden.
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For art deco flair:Fancy Walls Vibrant Orange Cheetah Wallpaper
Fancy Walls Vibrant Orange Cheetah Wallpaper (76cm x 122cm) none-selected
I fell in love with the Vibrant Orange Cheetahs in the extensive Fancy Walls catalog and ordered it for my third bedroom, which I recently redecorated when my youngest left for college. I liked that it is PVC-free and found it extremely thick, which helped us easily iron out the bubbles during installation. I also ruminated on this art deco Green Geometric pattern, but my sons helped push me towards the cats in the end.
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How do I install peel-and-stick wallpaper?
All the experts I spoke with agree: before you begin, walls must be dry, clean and free of dust. Try applying peel-and-stick wallpaper to a damp or dirty wall, and you will have a much harder time getting the adhesive to stick correctly. “Wash with mild soap, rinse and let dry fully. Lightly sand glossy paint and wipe again. Fill holes and prime if needed,” advises Quinn.
I’m not shy about my lack of credentials as a handyman, so I asked my friend and interior designer, Jeanne Kempton. We started in the bedroom and used a sanding sponge and adhesive and sticker remover to help clean the walls, then washed them with a cloth. Once dry, we used a measuring tape and a stepstool to make sure everything was straight.
Romeda Sanding Sponge
Romeda Sanding Sponge (pack of eight) none-selected
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Goo Gone Adhesive Stick and Remover
Goo Gone Adhesive Stick and Remover none-selected
“Unfortunately, walls are almost never straight, especially if you’re renting in an apartment,” said Conrad. (I like this guide on how to straighten your wallpaper.)
Then we started applying at the top of the wall. The one thing we learned right away is that this was not going to be one and done. We had to unstick and stick the paper at least three times before we felt comfortable with its placement. It helped to peel the paper just a few inches at a time. “If you don’t hold the wallpaper correctly it can fold over and stick to itself. I’ve done that many times and it’s frustrating. But once you’ve learned how to install it, it’s so much fun,” said Conrad. Though it is possible to do this on your own, we thought having two people – one to hold the paper and one to peel it – was well worth it.
We bought this $6 smoothing tool kit and used its two different scrapers to smooth bubbles during application, which was more often than we expected but easily fixed (and strangely satisfying). “Start slowly, and smooth from the center out as you go, so you push the air bubbles to the edges,” said Agbontaen.
Art3d Smoothing Tool Kit
Art3d Smoothing Tool Kit none-selected
Only the bedroom wall had a light switch, and we simply unscrewed the switch plate, papered over, then used the kit’s craft knife to cut around the rectangle before we replaced the plate. Though I worried about this from the beginning of the process, it was perfectly straightforward and we replicated it for the power outlet at the bottom of the wall as well.
So, is peel-and-stick wallpaper worth it?
In the end, I was surprised at how simple and quick peel-and-stick wallpaper was to use. Once I had basic insights from the experts, choosing my patterns and installing was less harrowing than I ever could have imagined.
Though the bedroom, which had a 9-ft ceiling and a light switch and power outlet to work around, took us about five hours, the bathroom wall was almost too easy. And, dare I say, kind of fun. Yes, it can be fiddly to line up the patterns correctly and precisely stick the paper before you peel it, but with the right tools, a can-do attitude and hopefully, a helpful partner, it can be a cinch.
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Other pieces you might enjoy from the Filter, the Guardian’s guide to buying fewer, better things:
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