Thinking about Wallpaper

**monkeywrangler71** · 08-09-2010, 12:27 PM

As much as everyone seems to hate it, I'm thinking about putting up wallpaper in a few places. Sometimes in an older home, walls just aren't perfect anymore and wallpaper hides a lot of defects.

I want to check out some of the new paintable wallpapers - they are basically just a textured surface that you put up and then paint over to match the rest of the room. Has anyone used these? I'd like to know if they work well, or if they are difficult to paint, and if they looked good afterwards.

Comments/advice?

**Libby** · 08-09-2010, 04:02 PM

I agree that wallpaper does hide a lot of imperfections however I've only seen the type youve mentioned on home reno shows.

Where are you considering putting up wallpaper? We have it in our kitchen. It looks great but the oddest place to see it if you ask me

**TigerGirl1226** · 08-09-2010, 04:12 PM

I'm considering the textured/paintable type in our foyer. I think it can be tasteful and modern as much as some people hate it.

**Ceashels** · 08-09-2010, 04:13 PM

I'm not a fan of wall paper the putting up or the taking down.... especially the taking down. Greebo's parents live in a mid 1800 house and they have a painted textured wall paper in their large dining room. It looks great and adds to the feel of the room.

You might want to start calling/looking for companies that will send you samples of their paper.

**monkeywrangler71** · 08-09-2010, 04:49 PM

There is a paint store in town that is supposed to carry it, so if I can ever get out during the day without kids I want to go in and look through their samples.

I know there is a wall in one of the bedrooms that will need to be papered (has a piece cut out to access plumbing), the rest of the house I won't be sure until I take down all the paper that is already there

. If I find I need to paper in the kitchen, living or dining room I want to try the paintable stuff. The bedroom is for my four year old, so I'm willing to use a subtle print if I find something adorable in the right style/colour, otherwise I think the textured type would be best for covering the flaws.

I'm also considering papering the back of the closet nook that I want to put in my son's room, after looking at the adorable picture from country living - except I would have to find something a lot less girly.

**mamamia** · 08-09-2010, 05:13 PM

I love wallpaper, and I completely agree with it working at hiding flaws. There is also a wallpaper liner you can use that claims to cover and hide EVERY imperfection you might have. Then you can use regular untextured type wallpaper over it. I plan on making some molding squares/rectangles under the windows in our LR and DR. I would like to put the textured paper in the squares. This is an old European and Victorian style. Even my hubby likes the idea, and he hates wallpaper.

I wanted to mention that in our Lowes, they have samples of the textured paper painted in different colors, even metallic. It really looked beautiful. The metallic reminded me of those tin-type ceiling tiles, and got my ideas flowing. I just didn't have the nerve to mention the thought of papering the ceiling to my dh. I already knew I'd get the "evil eye" for that one....lol! But it really looked like metal tiles! And the cost would've been about 1/5 on tile vs paper.

Let us know what you decide. If it was me, I'd go for it!

Theresa

**thesightofoneself** · 08-09-2010, 05:24 PM

i'm not a fan of wallpaper but its your house so, all the best it might be a long process

p.s. painted textured wallpaper doesnt look the best

**Lynn4** · 12-26-2010, 04:24 PM

Just as an FYI, no less than 15 years ago I purchased a white vinyl textured pre-pasted Canadian made wallpaper for about $8 a roll at one of the first home improvement centers called Homebase. I covered the wood paneling in our 16'x18' family room. I left it the clean white color up until about 3 years ago when I painted it for the first time. It has held up beautifully. Now it is painted a light straw color. I painted two coats and it looks fantastic. Everyone that sees it thinks it is textured plaster.

**MyMelody** · 12-27-2010, 08:57 PM

Home Depot carries several patterns of textured wallpaper, too. Beadboard, sort of a linen/hatch pattern, orange peel, etc. I've never used it, but I think the paintable wallpaper can be beautiful in the right pattern combined with a really pretty color. My friends rented a house that had painted, textured wallpaper in a leaf/flourish pattern painted in a rich moss green with crisp white trim, and it was amazing. Might be good to ask around for what finish of paint would be best -- probably no shinier than semi gloss, at the most, I'd think.

**heartofmine** · 12-28-2010, 09:41 PM

I've used the paintable wall paper before and it does work great. You might also consider using wallpaper that looks like its got a paint affect. That is what I used in my kitchen and I love it. The walls in there were papered when we moved in and when I went to take it down the walls were damaged. Apparently the previous owners didn't prime the walls first. I had no choice but to put wallpaper back up.

**Jmor** · 02-22-2011, 10:58 AM

Our church was built in 1850 and the plaster walls are filled with imperfections. They decided to cover the sanctuary walls with paintable wallpaper and it has been a low cost quick fix that looks really, really nice. I still love wall paper, have it in my bathroom and I have to fight the urge to keep from putting it up everywhere. I make sure before hanging wallpaper that I have prepared the wall well, so that when I eventually remove the paper, it will come down easily.