Here’s Everything You Need to Know to Wallpaper Your Home

This new and improved space belongs to Shelly Lynch-Sparks, head of commercial design at Homepolish. Even as a designer, she was pretty nervous about wallpapering her home for the first time. Turns out, she needn’t have been. Just look at that space! #Swoon Check out Shelly’s insight and expert tips for redecorating your walls below.

Why You Should Go Temporary

Shelly is a renter in New York City, so finding a temporary solution was a must. She opted for Chasing Paper, which adheres like a sticker that never unsticks — at least not until you want it to, in which case it’s a cinch to remove and reapply. “I normally recommend hiring a professional for wallpaper,” she tells us, “but temporary wallpaper is so different from regular wallpaper. You get a second chance that you don’t get with paste, because if you make a mistake, you just peel it off and re-stick.” Foolproof application? We’re in.

Picking Out a Pattern

“Go big or go home” was Shelly’s goal for this bathroom redecoration, and boy did that pay off. “I wanted a wallpaper that was big and fun because it’s a smaller space,” she says. “It works really well in a bathroom or entryway, because the pattern is the first thing you see in those rooms.” Even though going for a bold image was a big step up from white bathroom walls, she recommends taking the leap as long as it goes with your home color scheme or personal style, such as the beachy, laid-back feel of the rest of Shelly’s home. She met with Chasing Paper founder Elizabeth Rees, checked out some swatches and opted for Greenleaf ($35 per panel). It’s one of our favorite flora-inspired patterns and the perfect fit for Shelly’s chilled-out home.

Tips for Applying the Wallpaper

Elizabeth and Shelly wallpapered the bathroom in about three hours using just a cutting mat, straight edge, blade and tape measurer. All you have to do is measure, peel and stick. Got outlets and light switches to get around? Remove them first, paper away and then just cut around the hole before reattaching them. Having trouble getting behind the toilet? Pre-cutting your panels will make it much simpler. Is the wallpaper bubbling? Pull the paper with one hand while pressing down with the other and they’ll iron themselves right out. “There was so much more room for error, even with aligning the seams, which I was nervous about. The pattern and paper are just so forgiving.” Now there’s something no one’s ever said about regular wallpaper.

Styling a Wallpapered Room

Now that the walls are looking so fabulous, what about the rest of the room? You don’t want it to look too busy, so do what Shelly did was pick out the solid, neutral colors from the wallpaper. She took her swatch to H&M Home (another favorite around these parts!) and found gold, black and white accents. As for that insanely cool salon wall, simple picture-hanging hooks leave behind barely noticeable holes because the wallpaper is so forgiving.

Transforming a Room

When it all comes together, the results can wow even a seasoned designer. Now Shelly’s got her beach oasis in the middle of New York City. “I didn’t really realize how much of a change it was going to make in my life,” she admits. “I feel like my house is now a home. Before, it was just a boring bathroom and I didn’t really care about it. Now it’s so fun! I’m excited to be in there.”

We adore the makeover as well — especially because it’s so DIYable! To go even more behind the scenes of this project, be sure to check out Homepolish’s full post.

Have you ever wallpapered a room on your own, or do you think you will try? Share your thoughts in the comments!