3 Reasons why you should try wallpaper | Interior design

“In the jungle the mighty jungle the lion sleeps tonight, in the jungle the quiet jungle the lion sleeps tonight.” Have you seen the new Lion King movie yet?

I do love the IDEA of sleeping in the great outdoors, surrounded by lush greenery all around and greeted with a wonderful woodlands view on waking. Nothing beats nature.

Once upon a time, I slept in a safari, but to be honest that experience was a little scary. We were told that hyenas and warthogs roam in the night just outside our lodge. A far cry from a quiet jungle! One morning we went out with a guide (his shotgun at the ready!) and he spotted a white rhino who also spotted us and slowly made a move towards us. We ran for our lives and climbed up a tree whilst the guide tried to distract the snorting rhino. It was all fine in the end and no human or animal was hurt. Phew! I digress.

On the subject of being surrounded by nature, I have made my bedroom into a nature spot with the help of Murals Wallpaper. It’s almost a 360 degree nature view now, tropical wallpaper (UK link, global link) behind me and forest wallpaper view (UK link, global link) in front of me. Maybe the ceiling is next… but let’s not go there just yet!

Anyway, I wanted to talk about the transformative power of wallpaper and 3 reasons why you shouldn’t shy away from trying it out!

3 REASONS TO TRY WALLPAPER

1. WALLPAPER CHANGES A SPACE IN A WAY NOTHING ELSE DOES.

There are countless design choices with wallpapers that we are spoilt for choice. Wallpaper, especially murals can not only transform our space but transport us into another world, be that be the great outdoors, a circus, outer space, illusions and geometric lines, floral haven, abstract cosmos, under the sea, ombre heaven. Just name it and you can find it as a wallpaper!

Wallpaper brings a dynamic to your room that paint alone could not achieve. I have painted wall murals such as this one below. Whilst the design can be unique and have that hand-made, artisan hand-crafted feel, it’s usually time-consuming and can cost just as much or even more than wallpaper. Masking out lines and patterns are meticulous and pain-staking.

2. WALLPAPER IS FAIRLY EASY TO PUT UP AND REMOVE.

I am not a professional decorator. Far from it. But I’m not afraid to try something out that I’ve never done before or experiment with interiors. That’s largely the way I learn – by doing. The first time I thought of wallpapering, I was completely daunted by the prospect of doing it myself. What if it all goes wrong? What if I can’t line it up correctly? What if I’ll make a mess of it all and I’ll have wasted money on the project? What if I’ll make mistakes mixing up the paste and the paper won’t stick?

I was so daunted that I hired and paid someone to wallpaper a chimney breast for me. I watched him do it – he didn’t look like a wallpaper expert and I was not completely impressed with his handiwork. That made me think I could do it myself!

And so I wallpapered the chimney breast in the other living room. All that was needed was a bit of patience, help for areas I couldn’t reach and overall just careful measuring. Nothing rocket science. Since then I have wallpapered many other areas in my house and add to that some pieces of furniture too. Below is a recent project using Jungle Mood wallpaper by Graham and Brown. I love it’s fun tropical vibe whilst still being in a deep dark colour. It’s a great quality wallpaperand easy to put up.

Please don’t mistake the above for bragging. All I’m saying is that you should not be afraid to consider it and try doing it yourself if you want to. If I can do it, anyone can!

If you don’t like the wallpaper or think it’s time for a change, you could always remove it. It comes off with hot water pretty easily. Score the paper, sponge with hot water and then scrape off. To remove any remaining adhesive on the wall, wash the wall with hot water mixed with a little washing-up liquid and bicarbonate of soda. It’s done and you can start all over again with a new wallpaper or a fresh coat of paint.

By far the easiest wallpaper I have hung is this tropical wallpaper from Murals Wallpaper. They provide the rolls already pre-marked for cutting so you don’t have to measure where to cut. Just cut where indicated and line up the rolls on the wall as you paper each section. It’s also custom printed according to the size of your wall so there is no wastage. You even get an online proof to approve before it’s sent to print. This paper is also thick and coated with a slight sheen to it so any adhesive excess can easily be wiped off. I am delighted with the quality of this wallpaper and the ease of putting it up.

3. WALLPAPER IS FUN!

My house is an eclectic mix of maximalist design. Other than perhaps nature/florals and dark colours, there is no “theme” to the designs or a colour scheme tying each room to the next. I just do the spaces up as I like – no rules.

It’s all a mixture of sorts, much like pick’n’mix. A bit bonkers, yes, but hopefully, never boring! Below is my youngest daughter’s bedroom with a wallpapered ceiling using Osborne and Little’s Vernazza wallpaper which we both love so much. It’s a great weight paper and is wider than usual too so less cutting.

Wallpaper is fun, dynamic and can e super creative. My wallpapering journey is far from over so watch this space! Will you try wallpapering?

Do you love wallpaper? Tells us why! Share and connect with me on Layered.Home.

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Some gifted wallpapers have been featured on this post:
Murals Wallpaper Tropical and Into the Woodlands wallpapers
Osborne and Little Vernazza wallpaper
Graham and Brown Jungle Mood wallpaper