Photo: Courtesy of the Retailer
If you’re looking to dramatically change a room but don’t want to spend a lot of money, put in a lot of work, or even be committed to the results, consider removable wallpaper — specifically the “peel-and-stick” variety. Unlike traditional wallpaper, peel-and-stick wallpaper comes coated with an adhesive backing, so it can be stuck onto the wall and then peeled off like it was never there. “A few years ago, using wallpaper in a rental apartment wasn’t even a choice,” says Karen Richani, an interior designer at Havenly. “Luckily, those days are gone, and now there are a number of options that can instantly transform any waspace.” No special tools or skills are required to put it up (or take it down), you can conceivably do it yourself, there’s little prep and even less clean-up, and you definitely don’t have to do the whole room. Often, one accent wall is all you need to transform a room, particularly if you’re using bold colors, textures, or patterns (or all three).
Best overall | Best designer | Best easy-to-apply | Best retro | Best floral | Best palm leaf | Best geometric | Best grasscloth | Best textured
Adhesive: Technically, all wallpaper is removable if you’re determined enough, but some “removable wallpaper” requires water to activate the adhesive, so make sure you’re getting peel-and-stick, which is ready to use.
Material: Most peel-and-stick is made from vinyl, which is available in several finishes, but it can also come in paper and fabric. “The heavier the paper, the higher the quality,” says Anna Tatsioni, interior-design director at Decorilla. “Quality goes beyond the print to what’s happening on the back of the paper.”
Repeats: A “repeat” refers to the length of the wallpaper’s pattern until it repeats. For example, textures have no repeats and thus create little waste, whereas larger designs may require more wallpaper for the pattern to match and will result in some waste.
Calculating Coverage: This can be daunting and intimidating, particularly when you consider that wallpaper comes in a variety of sizes and configurations like rolls, sheets, and larger panels, but most online sellers offer easy-to-use online calculators. Take windows and doors into account when measuring and always order extra.
Tools and Prep: I know we said you didn’t need these, but a couple of small, inexpensive tools will help everything go more smoothly, literally. Use a flexible wall-covering smoothing tool to flatten any air bubbles as you go, and use an exacto knife like this to cut the ends at the bottom of the wall. Devin Shaffer, lead sales designer at interior-design service Decorilla, explains that “a little advance preparation of the walls will ensure a smooth application and better end result.” Remove nails and outlets and lightly sand the surface you intend to cover. About 24 hours before you start, go over the surface with “a damp sponge or cloth and a mild, nonabrasive cleaner,” he says, and let it dry completely. A few passes of a hair dryer, says Alessandra Wood, VP of style at Modsy, will help loosen wallpaper when removing.
Photo: Courtesy of the Retailer
Paper| From $5 per square foot
For the best selection of the most interesting designs — including faux textures, hyperrealistic florals, sea-, forest-, cloud-, and crystalscapes, geodes, geometrics, retro designs, and “Dark Academia” — check out Walls Need Love. New York interior designer Fiona Byrne says its wallpaper is her favorite. “I’ve used it in a bunch of places,” she says, “including my own bathroom.” She loves its “massive selection of fun patterns” and finds the wallpaper “beyond easy” to put up and take down. “The texture feels like regular wallpaper, and it’s impressively tearproof.” Its peel-and-stick starts at about $5 a square foot, but their very navigable website can help you determine if you want rolls instead and how much to order.
Vinyl |From $10 per square foot
Like a lot of people, Strategist Senior Writer Liza Corsillo was intrigued when peel-and-stick wallpaper first came around, but, she says, none of them “hit [her] in the gut” the way the ones from 70-year-old Finnish design giant, Marimekko, do. “They are contemporary and timeless,” she says, “iconic and fresh, as if they could exist in multiple decades simultaneously, or like I might have seen them in my grandmother’s bathroom before I even knew what Finland was.” Her favorite, and probably Marimekko’s most famous print, Unikko, comes in five different color combinations, including red with magenta and white with olive green. “The crowded flower pattern still feels new,” she says. “Plus, it always puts me in a good mood.”
Fabric | From $9 per square foot
Home decorator Carrie Carrollo loves and uses wallpaper from Etsy seller Cuckoo Walls. “The paper is exactly right,” she says, “thick enough that it feels sturdy and won’t tear and insanely easy to reposition during installation.” One of her favorites is this “slightly lower-key polka-dot” matte print that comes in strips. “Getting a design to line up is crucial when it comes to making the paper look consistent and elevated,” she says. “The strips make it particularly easy.”
Paper | From $3 per square foot
This designer favorite with an impressive collection has some truly delightful retro-inspired wallpaper. Co-creative director Nathan Turner thinks that wallpaper can be used to create a “moment” in a room. “Something that dazzles, sparkles, is charming, is old-fashioned, is high fashion. Something that isn’t just a boring old wall!” Its rolls start around $58, and its online calculator is your friend.
Photo: courtesy of the Retailer
Paper | From $7 per square foot
Of course, it’s not possible to pick the absolute best floral wallpaper out there, even in peel-and-stick, but for maximalist vibes and “undeniable impact,” Richani likes the floral prints from Urban Outfitters.
Vinyl | From $2 per square foot
If you’re looking for that classic Polo Lounge feel, Wood loves this palm-leaf pattern from Tempaper. She recently used it in Blanche’s bedroom when she re-created the Golden Girls house for Modsy.
Fabric | From $6 per square foot
Richani loves Chasing Paper removable wallpaper, especially when you’re in the market for something “geometric, modern, and minimal,” like this starburst pattern, which she says mimics a tiled wall. Lining up a print is even more important with a geometric style, and Richani advises that you “always use a level to guarantee it is going to be installed perpendicular to the floor.”
Vinyl-Coated Grasscloth | From $2 per square foot
Grasscloth is an umbrella term for all handwoven natural-grass fibers, which tend to be a bit more expensive and delicate but really do enhance a room. Both Griffin and Wood are fans of the removable-wallpaper options from Tempaper, a company Griffin calls a pioneer in the industry that still sets the style standard for design pros. One of her favorite patterns is this “geometric, tribal-inspired” one, which she says “looks flat-out hand-stenciled.” As for where she’d use it: “I’d put this in a room to add warmth, comfort, and chic — a perfect backdrop for bold textures and a statement sisal rug.”
Vinyl | From about $1 per square foot
Wood loves the illusion of texture that a wallpaper like this can provide. Its trompe l’oeil pattern provides the same effect as actual exposed brick with zero masonry required.
• Karen Richani, an interior designer at Havenly
• Anna Tatsioni, interior-design director at Decorilla
• Devin Shaffer, the lead sales designer at interior-design service Decorilla
• Alessandra Wood, VP of style at Modsy
• Fiona Byrne, interior designer
• Liza Corsillo, Strategist senior writer
• Carrie Carrollo, home decorator
• Elaine Griffin, interior designer
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