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» How to choose the right wallpaper: renovating an apartment without headaches. How to choose inexpensive and high-quality wallpaper when purchasing Good wallpaper for walls

How to choose the right wallpaper: renovating an apartment without headaches. How to choose inexpensive and high-quality wallpaper when purchasing Good wallpaper for walls

Wallpaper has been considered one of the best finishing materials for decorating residential premises for decades. They meet all customer requirements: aesthetically pleasing, varied in design, “scattered” across different price niches, simple and easy to use. It would seem, what more could you want. But it is precisely this diversity that confuses a potential buyer. From our article, which will present useful tips, pictures and photos, you will learn how to choose wallpaper for a particular room and how not to make a mistake when choosing a style.

Popular types of wallpaper (photo)

Before purchasing, it is very important to decide appearance wallpaper that will suit you both in price and quality. The most popular, perhaps, include two types of this finishing material: paper and vinyl wallpapers.

  • Paper wallpaper — are considered the most environmentally friendly and budget-friendly. They are presented in two versions: single-layer (simplex) and two-layer (duplex). Neither the first nor the second are wear-resistant and moisture-resistant. Therefore, for example, they are not suitable for the kitchen.

It should also be taken into account that paper wallpapers are glued with an overlap (2–3 mm), since when drying (after gluing) they may diverge due to slight shrinkage. If you still choose paper wallpaper, then it is better to lean in favor of two-layer wallpaper.

  • Vinyl wallpapers- variety wall decor, consisting of two layers: a paper or non-woven base and a vinyl covering. This finishing material is considered one of the most practical and wear-resistant. Wallpaper is divided by density: light and heavy (washable). They are moisture resistant (can be used in rooms with high humidity), wash well and are not subject to fading.

Modern technologies have made it possible to make vinyl coating porous, which allows the walls to “breathe.” If treated with care, this coating can serve you for about two decades.

Standing apart in this group are wallpapers made using a special technique called “silk-screen printing”. This material has a chic appearance, but often does not suit the potential buyer due to its considerable price.

Important! If you like light, thin vinyl wallpaper, then you need to take into account one feature: they are translucent. Therefore, the wall underneath them should be completely white.

Original snow-white wallpaper with a repeating fern pattern will create the illusion of a garden on the wall

Acrylic wallpaper

  • Acrylic wallpaper They are similar to vinyl ones, but differ in that the paper or non-woven base is covered with acrylic. Meanwhile, they are inferior to vinyl in strength and moisture resistance due to the thin layer of acrylic.

This type of wallpaper is also “breathable”, since the top layer is applied in a special way. However, this finishing material will last you less than vinyl wallpaper.

Non-woven wallpaper

  • It would be more correct to include in this group only those wallpapers the base and decorative layer of which are made entirely of non-woven fabric . This approach would be more correct, since non-woven fabric is a material that is used as a basis for almost all types of wallpaper (vinyl, acrylic, textile, etc.), with the exception of paper.

The main advantages of non-woven wallpaper

  • The wallpaper has meter wide(with rare exceptions), which reduces the number of joints.
  • The gluing technique requires applying glue only to the surface of the wall, thereby making the work easier.
  • The material does not shrink, is wear-resistant, durable, and hides minor irregularities.
  • Nonwoven has two more very positive properties: It can be wrinkled, but at the same time it straightens itself without leaving creases. It also stretches slightly, inhibiting cracking.

Wallpaper for painting

This group includes non-woven and fiberglass wallpaper. But since we are primarily talking about the renovation of residential premises, non-woven ones will be preferable here, while the latter will look more advantageous when decorating office interiors.

Disadvantage of wallpaper

Now about what the buyer often does not think about when purchasing wallpaper for painting.

  • Tinting walls is not a cheap pleasure, despite the fact that this type of finishing material is not expensive. Considering the total cost: good paint, painting work and the material itself, the final costs often exceed the initial savings.
  • When you want to repaint them, you will be faced with a labor-intensive task: remove the trim and baseboards, electrical wiring elements, and seal with construction tape all the surfaces adjacent to the wallpaper along the entire perimeter. But the main difficulty lies in the ability to apply paint so that it goes on evenly; if you are not an expert, this does not always work out the first time.

A harmonious alliance of shades is an important component of a perfect interior

Textile wallpaper

  • A large group represented textile wallpaper. This wallpaper cloth It has textile (fabric) as a decorative layer. This can be linen, felt, silk, synthetic coverings, etc. Cheap options are produced in widths from 80 to 120 cm. More expensive ones are produced according to the height of standard rooms (from 2.5 m to 3–3.5 m) and are not glued vertically and horizontally.

A variety of textures and patterns allows you to choose this type wallpaper for any style. But there is also negative points: textile wallpaper absorbs odors, is not resistant to various types of damage, and is difficult to maintain. However, careful treatment can extend the life of such a canvas up to 10 years.

The most expensive wallpapers in this group are silk and velor, which are made using special technology. This coating looks very impressive, especially in combination with the right decorative elements.

The main task of textile wallpaper is to create a relaxing and peaceful atmosphere in the room

Metal wallpaper

  • Metallized wallpaper They are a finishing material consisting of a paper or non-woven base and a decorative coating of thin foil.

Such wallpapers, despite their beauty and range positive characteristics(moisture resistance, antistatic, immunity to ultraviolet exposure), have quite serious disadvantages: they “do not breathe”, are subject to mechanical damage, require gluing to a very smooth surface, and are expensive.

To prevent your bedroom design from seeming boring, use golden metallic wallpaper as wall decor.

Carpet wallpaper

  • In specialized stores in Lately can be found tufted (or carpet) wallpaper. This finishing material is based on a very dense fabric into which the pile is injected using a special needle mechanism. In other words, such wallpapers are completely similar to carpets.

It should be noted that synthetic pile is used in carpet wallpaper, but this does not prevent the walls from “breathing”. The method of installing them is not at all complicated, the main thing is to stock up on high-quality glue for heavy wallpaper.

The production of tufted wallpaper is a complex process that requires the use of special equipment.

If we talk about positive and negative qualities of this finishing material, then they are similar to the properties characteristic of conventional carpets:

  • Carpet wallpaper can be cleaned well (including with wet wipes and gentle detergents), dry quickly, have thermal insulation, sound insulation, are durable, beautiful and can last up to 20 years.
  • Meanwhile, they have two serious drawbacks: they collect dust, therefore they are contraindicated for allergy sufferers and asthmatics, and “for now” they are very expensive.

Bright and rich colors are the hallmark of carpet wallpaper

Natural wallpaper

  • Exotic, perhaps, includes wallpaper made from natural materials: cork , from wood veneer , bamboo , papyrus . You can also find those in which a thin layer of stone and mica serves as a decorative coating. However, this finishing option is not suitable for every interior.

This beautiful and interesting group of wallpapers looks heavy and is appropriate in large rooms with properly selected lighting.

Advice! In most cases, it is better to combine natural wallpaper with other finishing materials and use it fragmentarily, for example, as a panel. This will be an ideal option that will allow them to look more advantageous when decorating a room.

linkrust wallpaper

  • Not long ago, amazingly beautiful images appeared on the domestic market. linkrusta wallpaper, which stand apart because they look more like stucco rather than wallpaper. This finishing material was invented in 1877 by the English engineer-inventor Frederick Walton.

To make the decorative layer, only natural materials are used. The wallpaper is decorated with uniquely beautiful three-dimensional patterns, onto which paint is applied directly to the wall.

  • TO positive qualities Linkrusta wallpapers include a long service life and the possibility of their restoration.
  • Despite the huge number of advantages, linkrust wallpaper also has disadvantages: they are too expensive, so not everyone can afford to buy them.

Wallpaper based on serpyanka

  • New products include wallpaper based on serpyanka. This is a two-layer material, the base of which is a non-woven cellulose fabric, and the finishing layer is foamed cellulose. A wide variety of patterns and interesting textures make this material increasingly popular.

Typically, this type of wallpaper is available in white, which allows the buyer to use their imagination and paint them in any color with latex, acrylic or dispersion paint.

  • The advantages of this wallpaper include the wealth of textures conveyed: from various textiles to plaster. In addition, the finishing fabric is durable and does not deform, “breathes”, wear-resistant and is quite easy to stick on.
  • As for the shortcomings, the main problem can be called - their high cost. While such wallpapers are difficult to find on the market, this allows unscrupulous sellers to greatly inflate their prices. It should also be mentioned that wallpaper based on serpyanka is not moisture resistant. Although this problem can be completely solved if you cover them with moisture-resistant paint.

From the recommendations below from experienced room decorators, you will learn how to choose the right wallpaper, taking into account individual characteristics every room in the house. Popular types of wallpaper, photos of which are also presented in the article, will be an excellent help in further decision-making when choosing the basis for wall decor.

General selection rules

Sooner or later, we all think about changes in life: about changing jobs, places of residence, or maybe not so global ones, for example, about renovations. Renovating is a big step, even if you decide to freshen up just one room. This is not only the investment of money and effort, the time spent, but also the complexity of choice.

To ensure that the results of the update do not disappoint you, you need to pay attention to the size of the room and its functionality. There are a huge variety of finishing materials, but wallpaper has rightfully occupied a leading position for many years.

Modern materials

The oldest ancestor of modern wallpaper is, oddly enough, fabric, which was used to decorate walls in the houses of the nobility. But progress does not stand still; over time, the fabric covering was replaced with a more affordable paper one. Along with traditional paper materials, many synthetic analogues are used.


Of course, it’s not so easy to decide among the many materials offered:

The leader among other options is undoubtedly paper wallpaper; they are the most environmentally friendly, although not so practical.

More practical choice will be in favor of vinyl wallpaper. This is the same paper, but applied to a PVC base, which makes this material more durable. They can be cleaned using a damp cloth.

Perhaps this is the most suitable solution for the bathroom or kitchen. Can be found in construction stores vinyl wallpaper, visually similar to fabric, they are known as silk-screen printing.

Non-woven wallpaper is considered the most progressive and quite expensive coating. Non-woven fabric is a cellulose-based non-woven material; one might even say that it is an improved version of paper. Several layers of cellulose, soldered together, form a very durable, moisture-resistant and, importantly for residential premises, breathable fabric.

Such wallpapers are made both smooth and embossed; they are often used for painting. They also produce coatings not entirely from non-woven fabric, but only on its basis with various surfaces, both with paper and with vinyl and even fabric. Their price is much cheaper.

DIY repair

If you decide to hang wallpaper in a room without resorting to the help of specialists, then you simply need to use the recommendations of leading experts.


The most important step is preparing the walls. It is necessary to remove the old wallpaper. Please note that different materials have their own characteristics when removing them. Vinyl and non-woven ones can be easily removed, you just need to pull the bottom of the canvas, but paper ones are better to be pre-wetted or steamed with a steam generator.

If, after removing the old coating, you find unevenness or cracks, then it is best to plaster the walls. The final step before covering the walls with new wallpaper will be priming.

The next point that needs to be taken into account is that the glue should be used exclusively for the selected type of wallpaper, otherwise it may simply come off. The glue consumption depends on how much wallpaper is needed for the room.

This is a truly unpredictable task of renovation, who would have thought that you would need not only aesthetic taste and knowledge of the basics of interior design, but also a simple knowledge of mathematics! After all, in order to avoid unnecessary expenses on materials that are not needed or will remain superfluous, you need to determine their exact quantity.

First, you need to decide on the parameters of a roll of wallpaper: the width is usually standard 50 cm or 1 m, but the length (quantity per roll) can vary from 7 m to 18 m, these data are presented on the label.

Secondly, take measurements of the room. The height from the ceiling to the floor and the perimeter of the walls to be pasted.

And finally, do some simple calculations. The perimeter of the room must be multiplied by the height of the walls, we get the area to cover without deducting window and doorways. Now divide the resulting product by the area of ​​the roll (length multiplied by width) and we get the required number of rolls. If you don’t really want to do this kind of calculations, there are ready-made tables or online calculators.


I would like to note one more important point, such a rough calculation is suitable for plain wallpaper or with an asymmetrical pattern, but if the pattern is matched end to end, add 20% to your calculations.

Features of choosing wallpaper

Before deciding which wallpaper to choose for a room, you must first take into account the functionality and style in which the room as a whole is designed. The size of the room is also of great importance, because with the help of wallpaper you can visually correct layout and lighting errors.

It is best to cover small areas with wallpaper in light colors without rich and catchy patterns, otherwise bright walls will visually reduce the already modest area. Low ceilings will visually raise the vertical pattern.

Add warm, cheerful colors to a cold and gloomy room. Spacious, bright rooms sometimes lack coziness; the design of wallpaper with floral embossing can correct this situation.

Large rooms

In general, large and spacious rooms are an excellent option for flights of creative imagination. The most perfect place for experimenting with color and texture. You can safely combine bright colors with large drawing and plain canvases, varying combinations.

Most often the most a large room in an apartment this is a hall. But it also happens that the most spacious room is the only one and includes a living room, a bedroom, and an office.


In this case, this will come to the rescue design technique like zoning. You can highlight the recreation area by marking it with a bright print against the background of plain walls in the same color scheme. You can also note the intricate texture of the niches and columns in the room.

Another interesting technique, used for spacious areas - wallpaper with a 3D effect. These are canvases with a three-dimensional pattern applied, and inclusions of reflective particles create a three-dimensional image.

Such wallpaper is used when zoning space. The paintings look realistic and creative, but due to the significant cost, they are not accessible to everyone.

Photo wallpaper in a modern interior

If 3D wallpaper is best suited for spacious rooms (in small rooms it is difficult to achieve a volumetric effect), then classic photo wallpaper is universal solution. Moreover, the variety of existing options is amazing and it’s quite easy to get confused when choosing a theme for photo wallpaper.

The most popular options:

  • Various landscapes: majestic mountains, exciting sea or noble herbs of Provence;
  • Urban themes, it can be either a modern metropolis or a quiet cozy courtyard;
  • Bright large floral motifs, using modern laser printing A fairly realistic effect is achieved.
  • Fairy-tale characters will delight your little ones in the nursery.

Photo wallpaper will indeed be a win-win solution in the interior of a room with wallpaper, but a couple of tips are worth taking into account. Firstly, do not choose too bright a palette of colors and too dynamic an image, it may soon become boring. And, secondly, do not clutter the wall with wallpaper of this type with furniture.

Wallpaper for the bedroom

The bedroom is the most intimate and inaccessible room for strangers. When choosing wallpaper for the bedroom, we strive to follow the principle of calm and tranquility, because where else if not in this room do you want to relax and unwind. But at the same time, you don’t want to fall into the trap of clichés and cliches, but make the design cozy and unique.

The main principle of choosing wallpaper for the bedroom is environmental friendliness. When choosing a color scheme, it is best to stick to calm tones, and if you want to add some zest, then an excellent solution would be zoning with a bright print on one of the walls or unusual textiles in contrasting tones to the wallpaper.

Wallpaper for the nursery

The main principle of choosing wall coverings for a nursery is, of course, environmental friendliness and safety! As for design, as we can see in the photo of the wallpaper for the children's room, the flight of imagination has no limits. And yet, no matter what bright and festive atmosphere you would like to create for your baby, remember that in this room he can not only play and have fun, but also relax and do his homework.

You can visually divide the room using the above-mentioned photo wallpaper; your favorite cartoon characters will be wonderful companions in the play area of ​​the room. And leave the part of the room reserved for relaxation in calm colors with discreet patterns.

The palette, of course, should be chosen based on the gender of the child and his preferences, but too flashy shades in large quantities should be avoided.


When creating a room design yourself or entrusting your choice to a designer, do not forget that renovating a room is a responsible undertaking, which can either please you with novelty and freshness or disappoint you with disappointed expectations.

Consult with all the inhabitants of the room being renovated, come to a common decision and let the new decoration bring only positive emotions.

Photo of wallpaper in the room

Despite its advanced age, wallpaper is very popular. Modern materials allow you to create wallpapers with qualities much better than their predecessors. The prototype of such decoration can be considered the one used to decorate the walls of the room. Then they began to produce paper wallpaper of various qualities. And now synthetic materials are increasingly used. The advantage of this finish is that it is quite simple.

Very often, people stick wallpaper in their apartments themselves, without needing the services of specialists. The advantage of finishing with wallpaper is that it is relatively inexpensive and easy to change.

Wallpaper for different rooms in the apartment

Depending on which room will be decorated, choose different wallpapers. They can be made of different materials.

  • paper;
  • vinyl;
  • interlining.

There are also wallpapers made using fiberglass, but they are used for pasting public places. The exception is the design of a room in high-tech style. In this case, fiberglass wallpaper is used.

A special type of wallpaper, usually embossed, is designed for painting. Paint is applied to the wallpapered wall. This material can be repainted several times, updating the repair.

The pattern on the wallpaper can also be very diverse. They are chosen by the quality of the material and the design, depending on the chosen style.

Wallpaper for the living room

In this front room, they always try to use the highest quality materials. If the room is decorated in a traditional style, then wallpaper with large beautiful design. It fits well to heavy wooden furniture and a large chandelier.

Including a variety of photo wallpapers with cartoon characters. Children really like it when the room is decorated this way.

Older children prefer one with a picture of the city.

Of course, the wallpaper for this room should be completely environmentally friendly. The best option is a paper or vinyl sticker.

It should be taken into account that small children love to draw on the walls. Therefore, it is best not to cover the nursery with expensive material until the child grows up.

Wallpaper for the office

In this room they use a large pattern. Wallpaper is often combined with wood or PVC panels.

The design of the office can be described by the word “solidity”.

It is necessary to take into account that if the office is large, then wallpaper with a large pattern is suitable, and if it is small, then with a small one.

What else do you need to know about this finishing material?

Paper wallpaper

They can be smooth or embossed. It is not recommended to stick embossed ones in rooms where there are various particles in the air. For example, in the kitchen. The embossing quickly becomes dirty, and paper wallpaper can no longer be washed. They are also made from two or three layers of paper.

Wallpaper becomes thicker and stronger, but gluing it becomes more difficult. Embossing hides wall imperfections. If the walls are not too smooth, embossed material is used.

Vinyl wallpapers

When making them, the paper is glued onto PVC film. The material becomes stronger and can be wiped with a damp cloth. If such a material imitates fabric, then it is called silk-screen printing.

This is achieved by adding silk thread to the vinyl. glued using special glue.

Non-woven wallpaper

They belong to the category of expensive material and are often used to decorate living rooms and offices. They are also called textile wallpaper. Non-woven fabric is a non-woven fabric on which a pattern is applied.

This fabric is made by pressing fibers of polyester, viscose and acrylic. Velor wallpaper also belongs to this type.

Among the exotic materials for wallpaper, we can recall.

1. Paper wallpaper

Most traditional version– paper wallpaper. Our grandmothers used to glue them to walls, and now paper wallpapers have serious competitors. But, of course, there are some advantages:

  • a huge number of different colors;
  • environmental friendliness and breathability;
  • the most important plus - low price.

Unfortunately, paper wallpaper is not durable or moisture-resistant; it definitely cannot be used to decorate a kitchen or hallway. Pasting such wallpaper can also be difficult: you need to apply glue to a strip of wallpaper, wait until the paper is saturated, and then use a dry rag or a special spatula to smooth the strip on the wall. Paper wallpaper often forms unsightly bubbles, which sometimes cannot be eliminated completely, and can fade greatly in the sun. But if difficulties do not frighten you and it is important for you that the wallpaper does not cost exorbitant amounts of money, you can safely use paper wallpaper in the bedroom, living room or office.

2. Vinyl wallpaper

Vinyl wallpaper is very popular now - two-layer wallpaper, in which the first layer is paper or non-woven, and the second is made of a special material - polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, which is also used for the manufacture of linoleum and gramophone records. Thanks to this material, vinyl wallpaper:

  • durable, not afraid of scratches;
  • waterproof, they can be cleaned even with detergent;
  • fire resistant;
  • resistant to fungus and mold;
  • don't burn out.

It must also be said that the variety of vinyl wallpaper designs is amazing. There are wallpapers that imitate any surface, with any patterns of all colors and sizes, in general, for every taste and for any room.

But there are also significant disadvantages that will affect the purchase. Vinyl wallpaper does not allow air to pass through and does not “breathe”, therefore, choosing them for a bedroom or nursery is not the best idea if you do not use wallpaper with micropores that exchange air. There is still debate about the toxicity of such wallpaper: you should not choose an unverified manufacturer, seduced by the low price.

Finally, vinyl wallpaper on paper based It’s not so easy to glue: you need to join the strips very well (the glue is applied to the wallpaper), and under no circumstances should they be placed overlapping. After drying, the wallpaper may shrink, forming gaps between the strips, so you need to be extremely careful. But a non-woven base will help solve these problems: such wallpaper is much easier to work with.

3. Non-woven wallpaper

Modern wallpaper made of non-woven material - a non-woven material based on cellulose - is homogeneous, like paper, but much stronger. They do not wrinkle, hold their shape, are moisture resistant, and their gluing is the simplest: the glue should be applied not to the wallpaper, but to the wall. There is no need to level the surface: the wallpaper itself will correct minor unevenness. Another plus: if you want to change the wallpaper in the room again, you won’t need to remove the old ones, just glue the new wallpaper over the non-woven wallpaper.

It may seem like there are only advantages, but there are also several disadvantages:

  • such wallpaper is not resistant to scratches and other minor damage, so it’s worth considering if you have a pet;
  • Fully non-woven wallpaper is quite expensive and costs significantly more than, for example, vinyl, not to mention paper.

However, non-woven wallpaper is undoubtedly very high quality and modern, has good air permeability and is suitable for almost any room in the house. We must not forget that their service life is about 10 years.

Rule two: how many rolls should I buy?

Now you understand the types of wallpaper and know how to glue them correctly. But one more important question remains: how many rolls should I buy? There are several ways to determine this.


Elizaveta Goncharenko

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