Wallpaper is a versatile and easy way to transform the look of a room, with an almost endless variety of textures and patterns for you to choose from. Knowing where to start when buying new wallpaper can be tricky, so here’s our guide to make things a little easier for you.
Lining Paper
If your walls have minor cracks and imperfections, lining paper can be used to smooth these out, creating a more even surface for your main wallpaper. Simply paste and hang beforehand and you’ll be good to go. Lining paper is also a great primer as it reduces shrinkage of the main wallpaper, giving a more professional finish.
Printed Paper
The vast majority of wallpaper will be printed paper pulp. This is relatively light and easy to hang, suited to virtually all rooms in your home. You can find it in different weights, with heavier paper usually the best quality, and less likely to rip.
Vinyl Wallpaper
Vinyl wallpaper is normal wallpaper coated with a thin layer of vinyl. This makes it more water-resistant and less susceptible to tearing. It’s perfect for damp rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms, as it can withstand more moisture than standard paper wallpaper.
Textured Wallpaper
Textured wallpaper has a three-dimensional finish to the surface, usually in an intricate pattern or design. It’s thick to the touch and is great for producing stucco effects. Its thick surface makes it ideal for covering up uneven wall surfaces.
Patterned Wallpaper
The choice of patterned wallpaper is virtually endless and can range from bold and striking to calm and subtle. It adds a designer touch to your interior and works well as a feature statement wall.
Plain Wallpaper
Plain wallpaper is a handy alternative to paint if you have cracked and uneven walls. Plain paper can also complement a heavily patterned feature wall, and can add interest with different textures, even if there’s no design on it!
Paintable Wallpaper
This adds that DIY/custom element to your decor. You can create texture and depth with a wallpaper design and then paint over this in the colour of your choice. These can often be painted over again, meaning you don’t have to re-do all your wallpaper if you want a change.
Damask
Give an opulent, decadent look to your interiors with damask wallpaper. With a swirling, flock design, they are a bold statement, adding a sense of luxury to your home.
Free Match
This is the easiest wallpaper to hang, as the rolls don’t need to be matched to each other. You can hang them in whichever order you like, without having to worry about visible joins showing.
Straight Match
With this type of wallpaper, the design matches horizontally. The left and right edges of each strip need to match with the next strip of paper.
Offset Match
This is the most difficult type of wallpaper to hang, as it needs to not only be matched horizontally, but it also needs to drop and be offset by a certain amount, depending on the design. Even though the designs tend to be intricate and visually appealing, they will need to be matched up before hanging.
Paste the Paper
This is the most common type of wallpaper, requiring you to paste the paper on a pasting table before hanging it up. This gives the paste time to soak into the paper and allow it to stick to the wall properly.
Paste the Wall
This is an increasingly popular option that allows you to paste the wall itself, rather than the paper. This means you don’t need a pasting table, you don’t need to leave the wallpaper to soak, and you can hang it straight from the roll. The only thing you need to be careful of is pasting over wallpaper that is already on the wall.
Don't forget to read our guide to hanging wallpaper for helpful tips and tricks!
