Wallpapers first began decorating European homes during the Middle Ages. They were made of textiles such as sumptuous wool and silk tapestries. Tapestries and woven fabrics were only available to the wealthy so the wallpaper became an inexpensive alternative for the masses.
The wallpaper had become common during the 1600s in Western Europe while the Chinese printed rice paper or chinoiseries became a fad. The popularity of wallpaper continued in the 18th and 19th centuries with designers exploring different kinds of designs and materials.li
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Type
Roll
The most common way to buy wallpaper, either for your home or for your office, is on a roll. This allows you to easily cut your wallpaper to the correct length of your room, which will reduce waste and help you to save money.
Buying wallpaper on a roll makes it simple to start hanging your wallpaper, but one problem with it is that the strips are often so long that it can be difficult to get the sides to match up evenly.
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Sample
Before making a big commitment and spending a fair amount of money on new wallpaper, it’s a smart idea to buy a sample.
This will allow you to tape or pin the sample to the wall in your room where you are thinking about installing wallpaper so that you can have an idea of whether or not the color will look great in your space.
Since the color and style will change throughout the day, as natural light changes through the window, it’s important to live with your new wallpaper sample for a short period of time before making a decision so that you can rest easy knowing that you have made a good choice.
Samples are usually fairly inexpensive, which means it’s possible to buy a number of them to help you make a good decision.
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Border
To add as a splash of color and interest to your room, without committing to wallpaper in the whole space, it’s a good idea to opt for a border. These range in size from thinner borders, which will blend more easily into a room, to wider and more ornate ones that will stand out and draw attention.
This is a great way to hide any imperfections near the top of the wall, but because it does not cover the entire wall you still have to make sure that you have completed a high-quality paint or wallpaper job in the rest of the room.
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Mural
Murals are the fastest way to completely cover a wall and to create an interesting look in your home. When you buy a mural it’s imperative that you make sure that the design and size will not overpower your room, as they are generally quite large.
It’s easy to find murals in a variety of designs and colors that will match the décor of your home. One thing to consider when shopping for a mural is how easily it can be removed, as you may tire quickly from having a large graphic design in your home.
Being able to take the mural down, without any problems, will make it easier when you do change your mind and want to replace it with a fresh look.
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Tiles
Perfect for people who want to make a fast change to their home and don’t want to worry about how to hang long strips of wallpaper so that they are straight, tiles can be quickly and easily installed in most any space without problems.
They are generally peel and stick, which means that it doesn’t take a long time to install them and you do not have to have wallpaper glue. When using tiles, it’s easy to either cover an entire room, an accent wall or cut and apply them around the cupboards and appliances in your kitchen.
Because they are so much smaller than wallpaper that comes on a roll, they are generally easier for one person to put up by themselves.
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Use
Commercial
If you are going to be installing wallpaper in your commercial office, then it’s important that you make sure that the wallpaper you choose can stand up to years of use, be easily cleaned, and will not begin to peel off right away.
Because the quality of your wallpaper will play a huge role in how customers perceive your business and your reputation, it’s important to make sure that you choose high-quality wallpaper that has been built to last.
Commercial wallpaper is generally easier to clean than residential wallpaper, which means that you can disinfect it on a regular basis, without worrying about whether or not it is going to damage the wallpaper.
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Residential
Wallpapering your home is easy when you choose quality residential wallpaper. This type of wallpaper comes in numerous styles, colors, and designs, and can withstand most use as long as it is cared for properly.
While it is not necessarily as heavy duty as commercial paper is, as long as you’re careful with how you clean it and as long as you install it correctly, it should last for many years without problems.
Residential wallpaper generally comes in more options for color and design than commercial wallpaper does, which makes it easy to choose a different type of wallpaper for each room, if you desire. It also makes it very simple to find a wallpaper that will appeal to people of all ages.
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Match Type
Drop Match
Also sometimes known as offset match, this type of wallpaper has a pattern that repeats on a regular basis. The match is obtained simply by halving the repeat. If the wallpaper design repeats every 100 cm that means that the point at which the wallpaper will match from left to right is going to be every 50 cm.
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Straight Across
Buying wallpaper that has a straight match means that the pattern will match all the way across the wallpaper.
The wallpaper will generally let you know how often the pattern repeats so that you can easily match it up with another strip, but you will not have to worry about staggering your strips the way you will with a drop match wallpaper.
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Free Match
This is the easiest type of wallpaper to hang because there is no matching that is required. It does not matter how you hang your strips of wallpaper, what kind of drop you have, or if you offset the strips, as there will be no seams or visible joins that you have to worry about.
Because of this, this type of wallpaper will result in the least amount of waste when you are hanging up your paper.
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Feature
Washable
No matter how clean your family is, it’s always a good idea to invest in wallpaper that is washable, especially if you’re going to put in a main living area or new children’s room.
Accidents can happen quickly and, over time, your wallpaper will naturally begin to get dirtier than it was when it was first installed. Being able to wash it will ensure that it continues to look its best.
While it is important to make sure that you do not use harsh chemicals when washing your wallpaper, this type of wallpaper is able to stand up to regular cleanings without problems.
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Removable
When it comes time to remove your wallpaper, so that you can either hang fresh wallpaper or paint your room, you are going to run into one of two types of wallpaper. Either you will have to strip your wallpaper off of the wall or it will be more easily removable.
Not all types of wallpaper are removable, which means that you will have a limited selection of which design, color, and style of wallpaper you want to have in your home or office.
However, removable wallpaper is significantly easier to take down when you are ready for a new look in your home. Rather than using harsh chemicals and spending long hours stripping away small pieces of your wallpaper, removable wallpaper comes down significantly faster.
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Strippable
Unlike removable wallpaper, most wallpaper is strippable, which means that when you want to remove it you will have to spend more time and possibly even use harsh chemicals and tools to get it off of the wall.
This can be very frustrating for homeowners who do not want to spend a lot of time completing this task or who do not want to expose their family to the chemicals in the wallpaper stripper.
You will, however, likely have a larger selection of wallpaper to choose from if you are willing to use strippable wallpaper instead of removable wallpaper.
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Textured
Textured wallpaper can be in installed in any home or office and will create an eye-catching wall that will draw the attention of anyone who comes in. This is a very affordable way to improve the appearance of your home or office without hiring an expert to come and texture your wall for you.
Textured wallpaper is incredibly versatile and can hide a number of defects that may be in your wall so nobody notices that there are dents or divots in the wall. Additionally, textured wallpaper is a great way to add visual interest to your walls with little trouble.
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Metallic
To really make a room pop and add a little extra something to your space, it’s a good idea to opt for wallpaper that is metallic. This will look like you had an expert painter come into your home or your office and paint your wall for you, instead of simply hanging up new wallpaper.
When you choose metallic wallpaper you can either install it on all of the walls of your room for maximum impact or simply use it as an accent wall to draw attention to that particular space in your room.
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Paintable
Paintable wallpaper is perfect if you want to add some texture to your room but still want complete control over the color of your space. This type of wallpaper is usually textured with a repeating design that will really pop and show through once you have painted it.
Make sure that the paint you choose will work well with your new wallpaper and consider the final finish of the paint so you don’t have to worry about a very glossy shine in your living room or something that is difficult to clean in your kitchen and bathroom.
Being able to control the color of your wall, but still enjoy some texture is a great reason to choose paintable wallpaper.
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Repositionable
There are few things more frustrating than installing wallpaper and realizing that you made a mistake, but when you opt for repositionable wallpaper you can easily address your errors, without having to strip the wallpaper down and ruin it.
Repositionable wallpaper makes it easy to move the wallpaper over to cover a seam, match it up with another panel, or fit better against a cabinet or door.
Additionally, when you use repositionable wallpaper in your home, you can more easily wallpaper by yourself, which is ideal if your other option is to hire somebody.
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Moisture Resistant
Wallpaper in the bathrooms and in the kitchen is a great way to update the space and make sure that it fits with the rest of the décor of your home, but it’s important that you consider the quality of wallpaper that you use because these rooms tend to be damp.
If you want to use wallpaper on your backsplash or near your bathtub, then it’s important that you make sure that it is moisture resistant. This means that even if it does get wet, it will not start to peel off of the wall.
Wallpaper that is not moisture resistant will have seams that are very obvious and the seams will tend to peel rather quickly once the wallpaper gets damp.
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Peel and Stick
Peel and stick wallpaper is incredibly easy to install by yourself. By simply peeling off the back of the wallpaper and positioning the panel or tile where you want to go, you can quickly and easily affix it to the wall.
Make sure when using this type of wallpaper that you are careful about bubbles left behind, as it is easy to cause wrinkles in your wallpaper when trying to use this type.
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Vintage
Vintage wallpaper is a great way to bring in the ultimate feel to your home. Whether you choose to use it in a complete room, throughout the house, or only as an accent on a wall.
Vintage wallpaper is generally very charming. It’s important that you take into consideration the quality of the wallpaper, as well as how it is going to affix to your wall so that you do not have problems trying to hang it.
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Application
Self Adhesive
If you do not want to have to deal with wallpaper paste and simply want to be able to peel the back of your wallpaper off to expose a sticky surface and then place it on the wall, then self-adhesive wallpaper is the best choice for you.
As long as your wall has been smooth, times, and painted, you should not have any problems with bumps in the wallpaper.
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Non-Pasted
Non-pasted, or unpasted wallpaper, is not as common, thanks to recent developments in creating prepasted wallpaper. After marking the wall and cutting your wallpaper to make sure that it will fit correctly, lay the wallpaper printed side down on a flat surface.
You will then have to apply wallpaper glue or paste to the wallpaper using either a brush or a roller. Gently fold the paper in half and allow the wallpaper to rest, as this will allow the glue to soak into the paper.
Then place the paper on the wall, slide it into place, and gently smooth it with your hands to ensure that there are no bubbles or creases in the wallpaper.
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Prepasted
Prepasted wallpaper is generally very easy to install, as long as you are prepared for a little bit of a mess. After you have cut the wallpaper to the correct size and dimensions and left a few inches for allowance, in case of error, then you will put the wallpaper into a large container of water.
The water acts as a stimulant to help make the back of the wallpaper sticky. It’s important that you do not accidentally leave the wallpaper in the water for an extended period of time, as this can cause the adhesive to accidentally wash off into the water.
Just a few seconds in the water will allow the back of the paper to become very sticky. Then you simply have to wipe off the extra water rolled up in the strip, and then attach it to the wall.
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Material
Vinyl
This is a very popular type of wallpaper that consists of a backing layer, a paper layer, and a plastic coating on the top. Vinyl wallpaper is incredibly washable, will stand up to light without fading, and is fairly inexpensive and easy to hang.
This makes it ideal for rooms, such as the kitchen or a child’s room, where it may get drawn on or get particularly dirty. However, there are some problems with vinyl wallpaper including the fact that it does not allow your walls to breathe.
Older vinyl wallpaper has been shown in some tests to release toxic fumes into the home and needs to be replaced every decade.
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Paper
A very common type of wallpaper, paper wallpaper, has been, for the most part, replaced by vinyl wallpaper because vinyl is so much more durable and easy to install.
There are some people who still love the look of paper wallpaper and so it is still on the market, although you’re much more likely to find vinyl wallpaper when shopping.
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Grass Cloth
Grasscloth wallpaper is a wonderful way to add texture to your walls without having to worry about using mud or other three-dimensional products on your wall. This wallpaper is generally very attractive, will last for a long period of time, and can often be painted.
When you do opt for grasscloth wallpaper that can be painted, it makes it incredibly easy to change up the look in your room without a lot of effort.
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Fabric
Made from textiles, fabric wallpaper is sometimes laminated onto regular wallpaper. This is a very difficult wallpaper to work with, as it’s important to stretch it, but not so hard that the fabric warts.
In addition, it’s not always easy to prevent stains from occurring on your fabric wallpaper or to keep it clean.
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Wood
For a great way to bring part of the natural environment into your home, without a huge commitment, you want to consider wallpaper that is made from wood veneer, which is relatively rare and not so common that you will find it in many homes.
However, when you do opt for this type of wallpaper, you can rest easy knowing that your home will look amazing and that you can enjoy natural beauty without having to be outside.
This is great if you suffer from allergies, want to feel like you are on vacation when you’re in your home, or simply love the look of wood on your walls.
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Flock
A great way to add decorative highlights to your home or to a specific room is by using flocked wallpaper. This type of paper has a raised velvet pattern on it that is soft to the touch.
It’s important that when you are going to install flocked wallpaper in your home that you take the time to vacuum any loose flock particles from the wallpaper so that they will not prevent you from a smooth and even finish.
You can generally wash flock wallpaper as long as you’re very careful, as rough scrubbing can damage the surface.
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