Once you have chosen your perfect wallpaper design, correctly prepared the wall for the wallpaper installation, you might wonder - but where to start and place the first wallpaper panel? And not always it might be the same spot, as different walls and projects might require different wallpapering starting points. To help you out, in this blog post we will be going through different wallpaper projects, and where it might be advised to start applying the first wallpaper panel.
Accent Wall
If you have decided to create an accent wall with a beautiful eye-catching wallpaper design, then you will only need to cover one wall. When wallpapering one wall, we suggest starting from one side, to assure that the wallpaper pattern matches perfectly with each added wallpaper panel. But the decision from which side to start can be influenced by a couple of factors, starting with the light. As sometimes during wallpaper installment panels can overlap slightly, for the edges to not create a shadow, it is best to start wallpapering away from the window. As an example of an accent wall, above we can see the beautiful guest bedroom project by Candace, where she has chosen our Bold Floral Removable Wall Mural to add a wow factor, gorgeous detail to the interior.
Another factor that can affect whether to start from the left or right side is if you are right-handed or left-handed. Right-handed people might find themselves feeling more confident installing wallpaper clockwise that can make the trimming of the excess wallpaper easier, as it can be done from left to right side. Left-handed people, on the other hand, might find it more comfortable to wallpaper anti clockwise and trim the excess wallpaper from the right to the left side. If you are still trying to decide which wall should be your accent wall, please visit our Which Wall Should Be An Accent Wall? blog post.
Summary
- It is best to start from one side of the wall for a perfect wallpaper pattern repeat;
- It is best to start wallpapering away from the window;
- Whether you are left-handed or right-handed can affect which side to start wallpapering for a more comfortable process.
Wall With An Obstacle
Often the wall you have chosen to wallpaper can have an obstacle such as doors, windows, chimney breasts. In this case we recommend starting to wallpaper again from one side to ensure that the pattern matches perfectly and the wall is covered fully. In some cases, if you, for example, have chosen a wallpaper design with a larger pattern and there are windows on both sides of the wall or there is a focal point on the wall such as chimney breast, you might want to consider starting to wallpaper from the middle of the wall or the chimney breast and work your way towards both sides. If you are looking for detailed information on wallpapering a chimney breast, visit our How To Wallpaper A Chimney Breast blog post.
Starting from the focal point would then make the wallpaper design central. However, if starting to wallpaper from the center of the wall, make sure to measure the wall carefully and calculate enough wallpaper to ensure a perfect finish on both sides of the wall. In the photo above we can see the blooming bedroom design by Elaine with our Grey Peony Removable Wallpaper giving the interior a charming atmosphere.
Above we can see another example of a wallpaper project with an obstacle. Laney has created a very charming sea themed kids room with our Chinese Wave Pattern Removable Wallpaper and Blue Whale Pattern Ocean Theme Wallpaper. In this case the wall with the Chinese Wave Pattern Removable Wallpaper not only has a window but it is slanted as well. In this case we recommend starting from one side and start from the bottom where the wall is slanted. If you are looking for more information on measuring the wall for the needed wallpaper amount for a wall with an obstacle, a slanted wall and other type of walls, please visit our Learn & How To section How To Measure Your Wall page.
Summary
- If wallpapering a wall with an obstacle in most cases it is recommended to start from one side;
- In some cases if you have chosen wallpaper design with a large wallpaper or there is a focal point on the wall such as a chimney breast, consider starting from the focal point to centre the wallpaper design - make sure to calculate enough wallpaper;
- In case of a slanted wall, start from the bottom to ensure a perfect pattern match and a full wall coverage.
Wallpapering All Walls - Meeting Point Of The First And Last Panel
If your wallpapering project involves covering all walls in the room then you will need to choose the starting point taking in mind that it will be the place where the first and last wallpaper panel will meet. Our wallpaper has a pattern repeat and because of the total measurements of the walls, not always the first and last wallpaper panel can add up to make a perfect match . In this case we suggest starting from the least noticeable place to disguise the small pattern inconsistency. It could be behind the entrance door, the least noticeable corner in the room or, for example, the wall that has curtains. In the photo above we can see the beutiful job by Jeru, where she has chosen our Coral Terrazzo Design Wall Mural to cover the walls, giving the interior an eye-catching pop of color and a fun atmosphere.
Summary
- If wallpapering all walls in the room, start wallpapering from the least noticeable place to disguise the small pattern inconsistency that can occur as not always the first and last panel can make a perfect pattern match.
We hope this blog post showing different wallpapering projects will give you some guidance and tips on where to start wallpapering in your next DIY wallpaper project. If you are looking for more information on installing our wallpaper, visit How To Install Removable Wallpaper - Wallpaper 101 blog post for details on our self-adhesive wallpaper installation, or How To Install Traditional Non Woven Wallpaper | Wallpaper 101 for details on our traditional wallpaper installation.
