If you think that wallpaper is a thing of the past, think again. Wallpaper is back in the interior design world as a means of creating timeless and gorgeous spaces. And some of the favourite prints and patterns among Aussies feature flowers. Flowers wallpaper designs are like a breath of fresh air in modern interior designs. They infuse life into the home and make the ambience more cheerful. And besides enhancing your interior, these prints also helps you fight stress as floral designs are known to trigger happy thoughts and moods.
No matter who you are and what your home’s interior style is, there is a flowers wallpaper design out there that is perfect for you – one that will ideally reflect your taste. Wondering how and where you would use it? Here’s a bit of help on the matter.
How to Wallpaper?
Wallpaper and Small Rooms
The worst wallpaper for a small room would be a dark-coloured wallpaper with a small floral print. It will make the room gloomy, smaller, and in the most dramatic cases, claustrophobic. In this case, your best bet is choosing a large, fantastical print like a botanical design. Oversized designs help create the optical illusion that the walls are biggers.
Small prints work well in rooms where you want a sense of calm, such as in bedrooms and spacious master baths. Large living rooms aren’t the best spaces for small floral prints as they tend to fade and get lost in the greatness of the space, a problem that is often noticed only after the paper is installed.
Wallpaper and Low Ceilings
Dip-dyed wallpapers are a great solution for low-ceiling rooms. These wallpapers have intense colour at the bottom, then fade out to white or neutrals at the top, giving an illusion of taller walls. To add extra height, consider painting the ceilings white or in other light colours, such as pale yellow or blue.
Wallpaper in the Bedroom
Covering a single wall in an over-scaled, dramatic floral print is a great way to make a strong visual statement, but it can also ruin the peaceful, serene feeling most people want in that room. The solution? Paper the wall behind your bed frame and then paint the walls that you face when you lay in bed in sooting colours.
Wallpaper in the Bathroom
It’s a common question: Can I use normal wallpaper in a bathroom? Well, not exactly. Wallpapers that aren’t designed to be used in bathrooms aren’t going to cope well with the moisture inside it. It may look nice for the first couple of months, but over time, the paper will start peeling like a stubborn onion. The great news is that you can use wallpaper in the bathroom, but it needs to be a specific type. Think water-resistant wallpapers that feature a thick vinyl coating which will deflect moisture.
Wallpaper over Paneling
If you were wondering can you put wallpaper over paneling, the answer is, yes! But you will have to prepare the panelling properly to ensure the wallpaper sticks and that you don’t punch holes in the paper in the spaces where the groves are. This is probably good news considering how difficult it can be to remove the panelling. When choosing wallpaper for this purpose, your best option is the heavy-duty variety. This kind of wallpaper is more difficult to puncture and easier to adjust as needed.
Tips for Installing Wallpaper
If you’re not sure how exactly wallpaper should be installed – worry not – it’s not really science fiction. However, you should first inform yourself about the matter. Here’s a bit of help.
- To smoothen any imperfections on the wall, spackle and sandpaper it;
- Next, apply a coat of wallpaper primer and wait for it to dry;
- Meanwhile, cover the floor with a clean plastic painter’s tarp;
- For papering the entire wall, cut vertical strips that are 10 cm longer than the wall’s height (you will trim the excess once the paper is up);
- To ensure that the pattern lines up correctly, arrange the wallpaper strips side by side on the floor. Make sure that your pattern is running in the right direction. It’s not uncommon for people to install the wallpaper and realize afterwards that the patter is upside down;
- Using a tape measure and a pencil, mark on the wall where the paper will be placed;
- In a paint roller tray, pour premixed clear wallpaper glue and using a small paint roller, apply it quickly and evenly to the back of the paper;
- Some wallpaper designs come prepasted, so you can just dampen them following the manufacturer’s instructions;
- One by one, apply the paper strips to the wall, smoothing each from the centre outward using a 20cm plastic smoother;
- Use a stepladder for long strips, and make sure you work from the top down (you will need someone to hold the other end as you position it).
- Once a piece of paper is up, you have about 10 to 15 minutes to place it;
- Slowly push any bubbles out toward the borders.
