When looking for wallpaper for the living room you should consider that it is a room your guests will occupy the most, as well as all family members. This is the room where visitors will form their final opinions on your home and will set the tone of the décor for the rest of the home. Perhaps you want a sophisticated setting with rich deep gemstone colours such as emerald, ruby or sapphire colours. You can add a leather sofa, artistic images or even Parisian or Italian-themed ornamental objects to add to the ambience of intellect. Alternatively, you could opt for monochrome with abstract pieces and more unique furniture stylings. This can be livened up with small pops of colour, such as a cushion or a piece of expressive art. Perhaps you want something cosy, with chunky knits draped over your sofa, oranges and yellows are friendly colours to choose. With wooden highlights, you can create a welcoming feeling in your living room – why not add some sunflowers to the room too?

Types of wallpaper: Paper, non-woven or vinyl wallpaper?

There are two broad categories when it comes to types of wallpaper – Paper or Vinyl. Whilst there are subcategories of vinyl wallpaper, it is important to understand the differences between these main categories before making a choice of wallpaper.

Vinyl wallpaper

The vinyl wallpaper is made from vinyl and acrylic, which makes it very durable. Not only is it hard wearing but it is also very easy to clean – you can even use bleach! Techniques such as high-quality embossing are possible for vinyl wallpaper as it is strong enough to retain the shape of the imprint. Vinyl wallpaper is water-resistant and thus suitable for wet rooms such as bathrooms and kitchens.

Non-woven wallpaper

Non-woven wallpaper is made from a combination of natural and synthetic materials. It does not contain vinyl and is good for the environment. It has breathable fibres that mean you do not acquire mildew or mould. This wallpaper can be cleaned using mild soap and a sponge making maintenance easier and greater longevity. Non-woven wallpaper does not shrink or expand meaning there is no need to overlap the strips when installing.

Installation: Paste the wall or paste the paper.

There are two types of installation methods for wallpaper, excluding self-adhesive. These are pasted on the wall and pasted on the paper. Both are common in the wallpapering world so you will likely come across both of these. The method you should use is usually noted in the product description, as the paper should have certain requirements per technique.

Paste the wall

The best method of wallpapering is to paste the wall for the simple fact that it is less complicated. You do not have to take into account the shrinkage if it is a non-woven or vinyl wallpaper, as these are not affected when made wet. Not only this, you don’t have to worry as much about the timings.

Paste the paper

Paste the paper is the most traditional type of wallpapering technique and dates back many years. This involves prepping all of the strips and then fixing them to the wall in a level fashion. Overlapping the strips allows for the expansion of the paper that happens when it becomes wet from the paste. As the paper dries it slowly regains its original size and the wallpaper does not overlap anymore. However, this can be very tricky to get perfect and some papers will still overlap if not positioned correctly. There is no exact science to this therefore it can be risky if you are a perfectionist.

If you are ever unsure of the installation method or are not keen to try your hand at DIY, you should call a professional wallpaper installer.

Buy wallpaper online at BRICOFLOR

Our sample service allows you to order up to eight samples so that you can assess the product yourself. A small P&P charge applies to the samples the value of which is then given back to you in the form of a discount code redeemable against purchase.

For large quantity orders, whether you a re-decorating the whole house, are a contractor or interior designer we provide our bespoke offers. Simply e-mail us your order to see if you qualify for our tailored service.

At BRICOFLOR we are always happy to help so if you need advice, why not ask one of our experts for advice by contacting us on our Customer Service helpline?

Living room wallpaper: A social affair

Living room wallpaper - Enhance your living room décor