Adding wallpaper to your home is an easy way to reinvigorate a space with texture and form. Go bold with lashings of stripes or squares in gold, navy or ruby, or take a softer, more delicate approach with a more whimsical pattern in soft greys, greens or blues.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
With many manufacturers teaming up with local designers, achieving a stylish and glamorous look at home has never been easier. Or you could even design your own pattern for a bespoke wallpaper in a particular room.
Designer Greg Natale, who recently released his second collection with Porters Original Paints, says wallpapering a wall or entire room can add dimensional interest to a room, something that is not easily achieved with paint.
Greg's collection features six designs in various colours, and says the designs are “tailored but never serious”, and each style “cohesively ties into each other with unparalleled diversity”.
“I'm constantly inspired by pattern - its versatility, its energy and its endless possibilities,” he says. “The sophisticated geometrics, dynamic lines and comprehensive range of colours in this collection have something for all lovers of pattern."
As for the DIY approach, Bunnings Warehouse national paint accessories buyer David Woodford says simplified application makes it easy to restyle a space. The tricky part of wallpapering is deciding on the look you want for the room.
Bright colours are popular for children’s rooms, stencil prints for nurseries and textured prints add a touch of glamour to bedrooms, David says.
“For a bold, artistic effect choose a wallpaper that contrasts against the room’s current colour palette to really make a statement,” he says. “Experiment with different textures by using wallpaper that resembles wood, leather or suede.”
- Consider your style: You can use wallpaper to brighten the home’s interior by playing with bold colours and experimenting with patterns. Get creative by matching wallpaper prints with the room’s existing furniture, wall decorations and art work.
- Retro heroes: Celebrate the nostalgia of the comic book era with Marvel’s iconic retro-chic decor wallpaper range appealing directly to the kid in all of us.
- Create a stylish feature wall: For a sleek, seamless look choose a design that will complement the room’s existing colour scheme so that the room looks updated without the change being too drastic.
- Gather your tools: You will need a range of different tools depending on the type of wallpaper you are using. Potential tools include a knife wall-stripper to remove old paint or wallpaper, a roller to apply glue, wallpaper glue or paste to attach the paper, a step ladder to access the hard to reach areas and a utility knife to trim excess wallpaper from the edge of walls.
- Paste the wall: A simple way is to apply wallpaper with ‘paste-the-wall’ options. The Graham & Brown range allows you to apply the paste directly to the wall and will easily peel off when it’s time for a change - taking all the glue with it but not the wall.
For the finishing touches, refresh furniture with either a lick of paint or wallpaper in a contrasting colour or style. "Adding wallpaper to closet doors or wardrobes, such as the front and inside of cupboards and drawers," David says, "will add a striking finish to the room."