8 Wallpaper Mistakes That Are All Too Common, According To Interior Designers

There’s a reason why

wallpaper never goes out of style

in the South. When artfully done, wallpaper can completely transform a space. However, high-impact wallpaper also has the potential to ruin the whole room if you don’t know what errors to avoid. Take caution to avoid inconvenient and expensive mistakes, but also don’t let us scare you off. Even though the possibility of a mistake can be intimidating, the reward of bold but

well-done wallpaper

is worth the risk.

“Our number one tip for wallpaper is to take risks,” says interior designer

Morgan Farrow.

“We love to think of wallpaper as jewelry and

art for the walls.

If you want to bring warmth to your interior, look for texture and color tones. If you are looking to create a moody aesthetic, consider dynamic papers with patterns to make a statement.”

Before choosing a wallpaper and starting the installation process, there are shortcuts and missteps Southern designers want you to avoid for

flawless wallpaper

.

Hasty Decisions

The goal when selecting wallpaper, of course, is to choose one that will last quite some time. To ensure a pattern you won’t get sick of too quickly, avoid fast-fading trends, colors that clash with the room, and leaping to conclusions. Unfortunately, too many Southerners get caught in these traps.

According to interior designer

Meredith Owen

, a good strategy for choosing a wallpaper that you can live with long-term is by living with a swatch of it short-term. Rather than just seeing the swatch in a palette and choosing it immediately, Owen tapes the swatch to the wall and leaves it for her clients to sit with for several days until they’re sure about the pattern and color.

A One-Paper-Fits-All Mentality

When selecting a wallpaper you’ll love long-term, remember that not every wallpaper will work for every room. Just because you like the look of a pattern, doesn’t mean that it’s the right pick for your project.

“The mistake I see most often is people using wallpaper in the wrong context,” says interior designer

Bryan Yates

. “Being familiar with the architecture of the space is crucial for properly executing a wallpaper installation. For example, suppose you select a paper with a significant pattern and plan to implement it in a space with niches or angled ceilings. In that case, it must be thoughtfully laid out to ensure the pattern connects correctly.”

Designers emphasize the importance of choosing wallpaper with a specific room or surface in mind, accounting for its needs and parameters before installation. This applies not only to the pattern but the wallpaper material, too.

“My best tip for selecting wallpaper is always to consider how and where the paper will be used,” adds Yates. “For instance, you may invest in vinyl, not paper, in a

bathroom

. Specific papers cater to certain elements, so always determine how a room will be utilized before picking your favorite print.”

Discounting Scale

With a specific surface in mind, one necessary consideration is scale. Like in any avenue of design, scale is important for wallpaper, Farrow says. However, she reveals that many make the mistake of choosing a pattern that is too big for the wall or ceiling it’s intended for. This can result in awkward cut-offs and incomplete patterns.

To avoid this faux-pas, Farrow recommends taking a close look at any paneling,

modeling

, or trim that might infringe on the wallpaper. Odds are, if you take a measuring tape from floor to ceiling and from side to side, that might not actually be the true measurements of your wall.

Too Little Paper

As important as it is to choose the right wallpaper pattern, it’s just as crucial to purchase the right quantity. Because of how expensive a foot of wallpaper tends to be, it can be tempting to only order the bare minimum square footage you think necessary.

However, underestimating how much wallpaper is needed is an all too commonplace mistake, leaving a gap on the wall until a second shipment is delivered. This mistake can prove especially dire if you’ve chosen a hand-painted or printed pattern.

“If the paper is hand-painted or printed, the color lot will be the same as when you made your original purchase,” Yates says. “If you have to order more paper to fix a mistake, the color lot could be slightly different, resulting in your hues not matching up.”

Forgetting a Focal Point

With your wallpaper thoughtfully selected and bought, there are still a few things to consider before you can soundly start the installation process. Before fixing paper to the wall or ceiling in a way that’s difficult or damaging to reverse, be sure to map out how to place the pattern so that it sits best. This is a mistake waiting to happen, Yates reveals.

“People don’t consider what they want the focal point to be,” he says from experience. “For example, if you select heavy pattern paper but do not plan the placement properly, you could cut out a crucial pattern element.”

Papering Too Soon

If you’re redecorating more than just the wall and still have work to do in the

room

, press pause. Be patient and don’t jump ahead to install the paper before due time or you risk an irredeemable error.

“I’ve seen contractors install wallpaper before a room is finished and this is always a mistake because it always gets scuffed up,” says Owen. “Keep your wallpaper installation to the very end of the job.”

DIY

Though Owen stresses the importance of making the right paper selection, she reveals that the installation process is actually where the bulk of mistakes are made. While we’re all for a creative, money-saving solution, wallpaper installation isn’t a place to skimp.

An amateur wallpaper job leaves too much room for error, designers say. If not prepared and applied correctly, a rookie installation can lead to pricey mistakes and wallpaper that you’ll want to

replace

sooner rather than later. Even inexpensive, short-term, and DIY-favorite

peel-and-stick wallpaper

isn’t as foolproof as it seems, according to the pros.

To avoid the DIY fallout mess altogether, interior designers advise enlisting a wallpaper professional who’s experienced and qualified to do all of the wall preparation, unexpected measurement calculations, and steady installation necessary for satisfying wallpaper.

“My best advice for anyone interested in installing wallpaper in their home is to hire a professional,” says Yates. “Wallpaper is an investment, even at lower prices, due to the quantity often needed to complete a project. Professional installers know everything about the type of papers, patterns, and placement before the installation to guarantee a flawless result.”

Crooked Seams

“The most common wallpaper installation mistake we have observed is that the seams do not match up,” she says. “The seams being off can be a result of several factors, such as using the wrong adhesive or not properly leveling the first panel can result in the seams being off.”

During installation, take care to arrange straight, even seams to avoid an eyesore, Farrow advises. With experience, a professional can sidestep this potential catastrophe.