When I was about 12 years old, I first witnessed the pure evil & sorrow caused by the interior designer’s worst enemy: wallpaper. At the time, my family thought it was a super cool project: an awe-inspiring cloud pattern pasted across the walls of our bathroom. It would be a treat everytime we paid a visit there. Unfortunately, the excitement didn’t last long. A matter of weeks later, those clouds were quickly becoming wrinkled, disgusting, and ready to be torn down. My immediate conclusion:
Wow, wallpaper sucks.
And yet, to my surprise... this stuff seems to be making a comeback. Does the old pre-pasted or dry wallpaper still exist? Yes. Can it still be a hassle? Ohhh yes. But there’s something deeper, more cultural about wallpaper that makes it a more serious contender than it used to be -- and it doesn’t just have to do with installation ease. Say goodbye to the old-fashioned, nausea-inducing patterns of the past. Today’s wallpaper is flashy, unique, and even textured, meaning that it’s gonna be hard to ignore when brainstorming your next interior design update.
To help make this decision easier... let’s compare. Now, we’re not going to consider the old pre-pasted or dry material that caused so many headaches in the past. It’s the 21st century, and so we’re going to consider 21st century stuff: repositionable wallpaper. It comes in quite the types -- vinyl, woven fabric, etc., and often varies in ease & durability. But still... it’s a whole lot easier than any of the old stuff. And with the price being pretty comparable to the other stuff... we’re using it. So, here’s the pro & con breakdown:
Repositionable Wallpaper
Pros:
- Easy installation (assuming you do it right) - Just peel and stick, and it will not leave any sort of mess after you’re done.
- Easy removal - Just peel it off. No residue, no nasty chemicals.
- Easier to customize - You can quite literally order whatever design you wish. LifeWall allows you to upload your own images, choose from theirs, or have something custom designed for you.
- Durability - A lot of the stuff out there (like LifeWall’s,) is UV-resistant and waterproof. Add a little liquid laminate for scratch protection, and you have something pretty tough.
Cons:
- More expensive - Custom repositionable wallpaper might run anywhere from $7-$10 per square foot, depending on producer & quality, whereas paint is typically under half of that cost.
- Undocumented lifespan - Most places out there say that their repositionable material will last several years - some up to 20 years. But the thing is... repositionable wallpaper hasn’t been around that long. So, to a certain extent, there’s a leap of faith involved here.
- Limited to smooth, non-porous walls - For some walls, wallpaper simply isn’t an option.
Paint
Pros:
- More affordable - The cost of wallpaper can add up quickly. Usually not the case with paint.
- Can be used on several surfaces - Whether its highly textured or not, paint will probably work just fine.
- Easy to install - As easy as it is to learn to apply repositionable wallpaper, it hasn’t been around a long time, and most won’t know how to do it. As for paint though... pick up a brush & go.
Cons:
- Limited design variety - Choose a color, and.... yeah, that’s it.
- Needs a spruce-up every few years - This means another layer of paint down the road just to keep it looking fresh. Of course, this means more cost in the long run.
- Messy - Cover your carpet & don’t wear nice clothing. You don’t have to worry about this with repositionable wallpaper.
Is the author of this post biased? Yes, but who isn’t? Use this list and research on your own to make the best, most-informed decision. Regardless of the list above, it’s pretty undeniable that wallpaper is making quite the scene nowadays, and it’s becoming more and more difficult to ignore. So... look around, choose wisely, and thanks for reading!
-Alex
