How to Hang Wallpaper

Is living in a white-painted box driving you up the wall? What you need is a dash of vibrant colour and exquistite print, courtesy of House of Hackney wallaper.

Made from wood pulp sourced from FSC-certified trees, complete with added textile fabrics for strength and stability, our wallpaper is PVC-free and produced using the eco-friendliest methods available. But, that’s not all: our iconoclastic prints are also incredibly easy to hang. Each roll is designed with four panels that seamlessly match up to create a mural effect – making light work of a swipe of adhesive paste (we recommend the Beeline Yellow Top Wallcovering Adhesive or Solvite’s ‘Paste the Wall’) and a little insider know-how. Simply follow along with our handy video and step-by-step guide below to achieve a perfect finish all by yourself – no decorator required. Get ready to coat your walls in wonder…

STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

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BEFORE YOU START…

Do the maths. Our wallpaper comes in two lengths: 2m (perfectly sized for creating half-walls of print against dado rails, panelling or bathroom tiles) and 3m (for average-height walls). To work out how many rolls you will need, use our handy online wallpaper calculator.

Lay the foundations. Ensure that your walls are dry, even and firm before starting – this may mean scraping off any old, loose wallpaper, filling in holes and sanding the walls down. If the walls are a little on the old side, we suggest applying lining paper before hanging your chosen wallpaper.

Seal the deal. Working on a newly plastered wall? You will need to seal the wall with primer beforehand to prevent the paste from being absorbed by the plaster, which will in turn cause the paper to shrink.

Keep your cool. Turn the central heating off and ensure the room is well-aired during the application and drying time – otherwise, the wallpaper will shrink and leave visible gaps between the panels. Do your best to wait 48 hours before turning the heating back on.

TOP TIPS

Even things out. Use a sponge to smooth wallpaper down and never a spatula, which could scratch the design.

Keep it clean. If you’re wallpapering a bathroom or a very busy area in the house, we suggest applying two coats of Polyvine Decorator’s Varnish in ‘Dead Flat’ over the top using a short flock roller (just ensure the wallpaper is dry first). This will help protect against finger marks, stains and scuffing.

Pull the plug. For sockets and switches, start by unscrewing and removing the outer casing. Apply the sheet of wallpaper as normal and let it hang over the socket area. Next, use a knife to slice a cross-shaped opening, diagonally from corner to corner across the socket area, then cut away the excess. Smooth the paper down with a brush or sponge before reattaching the front cover of the socket.

Please note our wallpaper is printed to order, so slight variations in colour can occur between batches. Therefore, we recommend ordering all the rolls you’ll need in one go. Need help figuring out just how much that will be? Please call our in-house experts on +44 (0)207 739 3273 or use our online wallpaper calculator.

If your existing seats are well-loved, but perhaps a little too well-worn, be it a sumptuous printed velvet or a smooth cotton-linen – can be enough to make you want to snuggle up on them all over again.

When it comes to furniture (which can also be a scene stealer in its own right), your choice will likely be dictated by the number of family members and friends who will regularly be hanging out here: will a cosy two-seater sofa be enough, or will you also need a chaise longue and a few ‘bottomans’ for your visitors to park their, um, bottoms on? If your existing seats are well-loved, but perhaps a little too well-worn, recovering them in a new fabric – be it a sumptuous printed velvet or a smooth cotton-linen – can be enough to make you want to snuggle up on them all over again.

A mantelpiece, if you’re lucky enough to have one, is even more worthy.

The last few pieces of the puzzle are the myriad layers and textures that make a space so inviting. Think a coffee table stacked with books and tactile cushions in an intriguing mix of shapes, sizes and patterns – all things which are easy to move around until you find a combination that appeals to you. A mantelpiece, if you’re lucky enough to have one, is even more swoon-worthy with the addition of eye-catching candelabras, hand-painted porcelain candle pots and treasured keepsakes you’ll have picked up on your travels.

When it comes to furniture, your choice will likely be dictated
When it comes to furniture, your choice will likely be dictated by the number of family members and friends who will regularly be hanging out here
When it comes to furniture, your choice will likely be dictated by the number of family members and friends who will regularly be hanging out here