Beyond the Paint — Wallpaper Now Trending

Tips for using wallpaper in your mcm home

Wallpaper used as a headboard in an mcm home interior designed by Jessica Luque. Photo credit: Cy Gilbert

As a contributor to Atomic Ranch Magazine, I have noticed a design trend that seems to keep popping up in the homes I profile for the magazine: the wallpapered accent wall.

This trend offers an unexpected pop of color and contrast to any room.  And banish any thoughts of fussy florals and dated design patterns from your mind — you can find a variety of wallpaper choices in contemporary and modern patterns.

It is a signature design trick for Boise based designer Jessica Luque of Stussi Luque Design whom I interviewed for the feature, Renovate or Relocate?: A Boise Home Tour.  Instead of a headboard in one of the bedrooms she used wallpaper to create a focal point.

But you don’t need to be a professional interior designer to pull off this design trend in your home. I recently featured Ashley Bull’s Minnesota area home for Atomic Ranch Magazine: A Minnesota Mid Century Time Capsule.

Ashley shares her tips with us for implementing this design feature whether you want to wallpaper one wall or an entire room.

An accent wall in a mid century modern home bedroom adds a pop of color in this design by Ashley Bull. Photo credit: Spacecrafting

Before getting started

Make sure you give yourself enough time to do the installation well. Really good prep is worth the investment.

How to figure out how much wallpaper you need

Be sure to read all the detailed specifications of the specific wallpaper that you are buying! Width, length, single/double roll, etc. Also do a very thorough job of measuring the wall that you intend to install on. Based on this information, you should be able to use a wallpaper calculator to determine how many rolls you need to purchase. Many online wallpaper sources have a calculator built into the check-out process. Also be sure to get some contingency. I generally recommend 10-20% extra. Note that some online calculators build in the contingency.

Tools needed for installing mcm wallpaper

There are lots of fancy tools that you can buy to make the wallpaper installation process easier, but I almost always find that a folding table (to lay out the wallpaper nice and flat while the adhesive activates), a bucket of water, a couple of rags, and a razor blade are the best. I will occasionally use a wallpaper smoothing tool and a pin (to pop small air bubbles). And of course you will need a step stool or ladder if you are hanging wallpaper higher. Although it is possible to hang walloper on your own, I always recommend having a friend to help as well - four hands are definitely better than just two!

Prep needed for wallpaper installation

Smooth walls! Do whatever you can to get the wall(s) as smooth as possible before installing wallpaper. It will vary a bit based on your wallpaper design, but you will be able to see wall imperfections through the paper. Larger more significant textures or bumps may even break through the paper. Remove faceplates from outlets and switches. Good prep will make the installation and end result much better!

Vintage wallpaper in a mid century modern bathroom. Photo Credit: Scott R. Kline

What about those outlet covers when installing wallpaper

Remove all outlet and switch covers before starting wallpaper installation. Install the strip of wallpaper on the flat areas of the wall and then loosely cover the outlets/switches. You will be able to tell where they are located underneath. With a razor blade VERY CAREFULLY cut around the edge of the electrical box and remove that piece of wallpaper. If you want to be extra safe, you can cut off power to the outlets/switches before cutting. Once you have removed the piece of wallpaper covering the outlet/switch, you can smooth out the remaining part of the strip. Once the wallpaper is dry, re-install the covers. If you want to get really fancy, you can cover the outlet covers with wallpaper, but that’s another level of pattern matching!

Any tips to matching patterns as you apply each strip of wallpaper

This is where having an extra set of hands can really help! Having one person focused on holding the wallpaper in place and one person focused on matching up the pattern is ideal. It definitely takes some finagling, but it does get easier I promise! Once you do a couple strips, you kind of get the hang of it. Just keep in mind that slow and steady wins the race. It’s better to be slow and perfectly matched/lined up than fast. As you do each strip, any misalignment only becomes more and more noticeable. This is definitely more of an art than a science. Sometimes you have to place a strip more than once. Just make sure that you keep the adhesive damp to avoid tearing or cracking.

Interior Designer Kate Aubrey selected this vintage pattern which works well in this mid century modern home. Photo by: Christopher Funk

Tips for walls that vary in height (as many MCM homes have)

Start in the place that naturally has the straightest edge (it might be the corner or the floor) and work your way towards the angle. Once you get to the angle, you can use a razor blade to trim the wallpaper along the uneven edge/angle.

Can you wallpaper textured walls (common in some MCM homes)

I would not recommend it. In most situations, you will be able to see the texture through the wallpaper. Depending on the level of texture, it may also prevent the wallpaper from sticking adequately. If you really want to go for it without assuming the cost of skim-coating a textured wall, I would recommend doing a small test area first before investing in a lot of wallpaper. Just to make sure you like how it turns out and that the wallpaper actually adheres appropriately.

How to coordinate with rest of walls (paint color)

I LOVE color match at paint stores! Bring your wallpaper to the paint store and they can scan it to make a custom color that is an exact match to your wallpaper. I always recommend getting multiple samples of wallpaper and paint colors before committing to either. Sometimes when shopping online, it’s easy to misjudge the scale of wallpaper graphics/images. More often than not, I end up going with a wallpaper that was not my first choice when I actually see it in person. Same thing with paint, get samples and paint them in several spots in the room. Colors can look very different (even in the same room!) with different light.

Can you use wallpaper in a bathroom where there is moisture

Yes! Make sure the room is as ventilated as possible and avoid walls that are located in/around the tub/shower, but wallpaper in a bathroom is totally doable and a great way to add interest to an often overlooked room. There is water resistant wallpaper that can be used in/around tubs/showers if you really want to go that route.

Spoonflower website for ordering wallpaper.

Resources for buying wallpaper

I really like buying wallpaper (and other things!) from Spoonflower. It supports independent artists and often patterns are available in multiple different applications. For example, you could put wallpaper in your primary bathroom and match the bedding or window treatments in your primary bedroom.