When it comes to renovating and decorating a room, there are so many things to think about:

What will the floors look like? What colours will be dominant? What accents should complement the main colours? Should I use bright wall colours or keep them neutral? Minimal or maximal? Fake plants or real plants?

The questions are truly endless. One question people often neglect to ask is if they should add wallpaper to a room. Whether it’s fully covering the room or using just a touch to add a bit of spice to a space, wallpaper is an option people tend to forget about.

We believe in the power of wallpaper, think it’s a great way to show personality and we’re here to help you decide whether it’s the right choice for your décor needs. Check out our pros and cons list to help you make your decision.

FLEXIBILITY

PRO: With an endless number of patterns, prints, colours, and textures, you can achieve any look you want with wallpaper. We advocate for accent wallpaper in small spaces—it can be like adding art to a wall. We also love a neutral textured wallpaper to add warmth to a large space.

CON: If you decide it’s time for a change, you need to completely remove the wallpaper before starting a painting process. This can be especially tricky for renters who are required to obtain written approval from landlords for large decorative changes and restore walls to their neutral state before moving out.

APPLICATION

PRO: We recommend using a professional to ensure clean lines, no bubbles and no further damage to your walls. But just like painting, you can take wallpapering into your own hands. Remember to prep your walls by filling in any holes first!

If you’re looking for a temporary update, you can also consider stick-on wallpaper—it’s easy to apply and remove. This new trend is a definite favourite of ours.

CON: Though wallpaper is DIY-able, wallpapering an entire room is quite an undertaking. Painting a large space is much easier to do on your own and a bit more forgiving when it comes to making small mistakes. Wallpaper can very quickly look uneven, fall down or rip.

DURABILITY

PRO: When installed correctly in the right conditions, high-quality wallpaper with a vinyl coating can last anywhere from 10 to 15 years. You can easily clean any scuffs with a damp cloth and enjoy your beautiful walls for years to come.

CON: Buying high-quality wallpaper comes with a steep price tag, which is worth it if you know you’ll be in your home for a long time but may not be worth the cost if you’re planning on moving or if you’re renting. It’s also important to keep wallpaper out of rooms that tend to be a bit on the moist side (think bathrooms with showers or basements). Condensation can cause the paper to peel over time.

LONGEVITY

PRO: If you find a print you love and invest in a high-quality brand of wallpaper, you can be left with a statement piece of art for many years.

CON: Trends change quickly and so can your tastes on wallpaper patterns or the decision to have wallpaper in your home in general. Changing it up is a costly endeavour, especially in larger rooms. For re-sale, we encourage clients to remove and paint rooms with any bold patterned or trendy wallpaper to appeal to the largest buyer pool.

Our Final Thoughts

As we said earlier, we’re big advocates for wallpaper. It’s a straightforward way to make a space stand-out and to really personalize a room to your tastes. A great way to make sure it is the best long-term decision for you, we encourage you to look at the easy-to-remove options, or sit with a pattern taped up on the wall for a few weeks before installing it.

With many combined years of renovation experience, we’re always happy to help you with your next big home change. Get in touch if you have any questions—we love talking all things décor!

Indre Valadka Paz and Lara Stasiw, Sales Representatives

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