To wallpaper or not to wallpaper, that is the question.
It is a question made more difficult to answer when you add paint into the mix. Both paint and wallpaper offer several advantages for homeowners. However, both ways to enhance the interior décor of your home also have a few drawbacks.
One of the biggest pros for painting one or more rooms is in most cases, you can perform the job on your own. On the other hand, a professional interior decorator is recommended for many wallpapering projects. At the very least, you might have to enlist the help of a talented family member to reap the aesthetic benefits of a wallpapering project.
You should keep family out of it.
The Pros of Wallpaper
If you go with a proven contractor to wallpaper one or more rooms, you can expect to reap numerous benefits.
Ideal Complement for Most Interior Décor Theme
Wallpaper manufacturers set the standard for introducing textures and patterns that blend seamlessly with a wide variety of interior décor themes. It has taken paint companies years to catch up, only to fall behind once again. Vinyl, textile, and embossed finished wallpaper work well with both bold and neutral interior designs. You can use wallpaper to accentuate the design of a room or use it to counterbalance bright colored furniture and decorative accessories.
Less Time Waiting
Have you heard the expression, “I’d rather watch paint dry?” Well, you can expect paint to still be drying long after applying decorative wallpaper to a bedroom or living room wall. The installation of wallpaper takes much less time to complete than waiting for just one coat of paint to dry. Most wallpaper projects finish within 24 hours of starting the projects.
Long Lasting Durability
Even if you apply the highest quality paint, you can expect to repaint the same surface anywhere between three and five years. On average, wallpaper lasts between 10 and 15 years and if you install wallpaper in a low humidity room, you can extend the lifespan of it to more than 20 years. Make sure you love the style of wallpaper you plan to add to a room, since 20 years is a long time to look at something you regret bringing into your home.
One Swipe Cleaning
Wallpaper is easy to clean using one or more methods. Removing dust involves running a vacuum hose over wallpaper surfaces. Wallpaper dough kneads like the dough you bake in an oven and when you gently run the dough over wallpaper, it quickly picks up dust and other small particles. The most effective and easiest method for cleaning wallpaper is do dampen a cloth lightly or use a presoaked wipe to run over the wallpaper.
Damn Those Nail Holes
No do-it-yourselfer is worth his or her home improvement weight by not leaving a few accidental nail and/or screw holes in one or more walls. Outside of politicians, nothing else does a better job of covering up than wallpaper. Instead of pulling your hair out trying to spackle your way out of a nail and screw hole mess, simply install a sheet of thick wallpaper to cover up the unsightly holes.
The Cons of Wallpaper
Wallpapering requires a little more professional expertise than applying a coat of paint. A professional not only delivers a visually appealing wallpapering project, he or she also makes sure to control the release of harmful VOC compounds. Although not enough of a negative to prompt you to paint a room, you should remember to factor in the cost of hiring a professional contractor to do a wallpapering job right.
Wallpaper Can Diminish the Appearance of a Room
You have to be careful to select the right wallpaper for a room in your home. More important, you have to remember each room requires a different design that wallpaper must complement. Avoid falling into the trap of installing bold-colored wallpaper in every room. As we mentioned, choosing the wrong wallpaper is a mistake that stays around for years to come.
Not Good for Covering up Water Stains
Although wallpapering is an effective way to cover up unsightly nail and screw holes, it does not do a good job of concealing ugly water stains. Moreover, underlying moisture is the number one enemy of wallpaper, as it slowly degrades the material used to manufacture wallpaper over a short period.
The Best Wallpaper Color Choices
As with other interior design features, wallpaper designs come and go in popularity. For the last few years, wallpaper designs have moved away from neutral colors and patterns to more robust designs highlighted by bold colors, such as Kelly Green. In 2019, five wallpaper color options stand out for homeowners looking to enhance the visual appeal of every room.
Bright Red
Think a raspberry or strawberry red for the bright red color that has taken the wallpaper industry by storm. The bright red trend has taken over the walls located inside bathrooms and kitchens, as well as family entertainment areas.
Verdant
Green is a color that comes in a wide variety of shades, but for wallpaper, the shade that matters in 2019 is leafy green. Considered rustic by professional interior decorators, verdant exudes a bucolic charm that reminds you of relaxing among the many splendors of Mother Nature. Soothing is the message sent by verdant green wallpaper.
Back in Black
No other color does a better job highlighting a dazzling array of light than the color black. Yet, don’t succumb to the quick fix temptation of applying black paint to bring light alive to a room. Install all black wallpaper that provides the ultimate backdrop for both natural and artificial light.
Dark Gray
Light gray has lost its luster for wallpaper colors and in its place, a darker version referred to as foggy gray has made the list of the most popular wallpaper colors. Dark gray wallpaper creates the perfect contrast with all bright white trim.
Rose Gold
As a nuanced mixture of pink and gold, rose gold wallpaper complements more types of room designs than any other color. In addition, rose gold works in every room to give you more design flexibility.
