Your Guide to Buying Removable Wallpaper for Your Home

We all know the struggle of adding life and colour to our homes. Somehow, we have to make a room that resembles a white box interesting and exciting – something that shows who we are.

However, making the commitment to a paint colour to decorate your space is intimidating. You need to commit to a colour and really, hope for the best. And if you’re a renter, you can forget about this option – you need a landlord approved way to make the most of your space.

Well, this is where removable wallpaper comes in. In recent years, removable wallpaper has started to take over the interior design market – making it so much easier for people everywhere to make their home feel like their own – even when it isn’t.

If you’re new to the removable wallpaper trend, or you’re just looking for a little more information before you bite the bullet, keep reading, because we’ve put together a guide to make shopping for removable wallpaper even easier.

But first…

What exactly is removable wallpaper?

You might be feeling a little confused, because isn’t all wallpaper technically removable – and the answer to that is yes. But, when we talk about removable wallpaper these days, we’re referring to wallpaper that is actually easily removed, and doesn’t require a specialist expert, or specialist tools to actually remove it.

Removable wallpaper, also known as temporary wallpaper, peel and stick wallpaper, or self-adhesive wallpaper (to name a few of it’s other names), is wallpaper that has a similar, if not the same, look and feel of traditional wallpaper, however, it doesn’t require the equipment, skills or finesse to apply it.

Most removable wallpapers have their own low tack adhesive that sticks to smooth and clean walls, and comes off the wall easily and cleanly.

The most common variety of removable wallpaper is the Peel and Stick wallpaper. This requires a back cover of the wallpaper to be peeled off as you are applying your temporary wallpaper. There is no paste or additional equipment needed to make this type of wallpaper stick to the wall.

Another variety of temporary wallpaper is the Spray and Up variety. This kind of removable wallpaper requires water to be sprayed on the wall it is being applied to. This water activates the adhesive on the spray and up wallpaper.

Now, onto the question you’re probably dying to know the answer to.

Does removable wallpaper actually work?

Yes!

Removable wallpaper might sound so simple and little too good to be true. However, if you follow the application processes and recommendations, there is no reason why your temporary wallpaper won’t work.

With the correct preparation, removable wallpaper can last as long or a little amount of time as you wish!

It is important to be aware that in most instances, removable wallpaper will not work properly on walls that are already textured. However, it can work on a variety of different surfaces. To help you understand whether removable wallpaper is right for you, our installation guide provides information on how to prepare a variety of different wall surfaces for temporary wallpaper installation.

What are the benefits of removable wallpaper?

There truly are so many benefits that come from using temporary wallpaper, including, but most certainly not limited to:

• It’s perfect for commitment-phobes:

We all know the struggle of trying to find the perfect wall colour or wallpaper option. Often, we spend so long, or get so worried about it, we end up doing nothing at all in the space, instead we’re left with our blank, boring walls. The temporary nature of removable wallpaper means that if you get sick of it, or you don’t like it, you can take it down. Simple as that. If you’re really struggling to make a decision, you can even just get a sample of the wallpaper you’re interested in from us, and stick that to your wall. That way, you can see if you like the pattern and/or colour in that place, and how simple it is to use the wallpaper.

• It’s less costly than traditional wallpaper:

Not only is traditional wallpaper a lot more permanent and a huge commitment, it’s also notoriously expensive. Temporary wallpaper is significantly less costly than traditional wallpaper. And you have the added benefit of being able to buy by the trip rather than the roll.

• You don’t need to hire a professional

The beauty of temporary wallpaper is that you don’t need any specialist tools or materials to install it. Especially when it’s a peel and stick wallpaper or spray and up wallpaper. It’s DIY friendly and once you get the hang of it, it’s simple to install.

• There’s no mess

Like we said above, you don’t need any specialist tools, or any paste to install temporary wallpaper. You simply peel the back if using peel and stick wallpaper or you spray the wall with water if using the spray and up variety. This eliminates the opportunity for a lot of accidental mess.

• It’s super easy to remove

Removing the temporary wallpaper is pretty simple, though it will take some patience. You need to work slowly to ensure that you don’t damage the walls underneath, but you won’t need chemical removers or tools!

• It’s renter friendly

Living in a home you’re renting can make decorating and adding some personality to your space a little more difficult than when you own your own home. However, with removable wallpaper now more affordable and accessible, it opens up another opportunity for making your space your own. When used properly, removable wallpaper is not only easily removed, it won’t damage the walls underneath it, meaning that if you’re renting, you can add a little life to your home without the stress!

• There is a style to suit everyone

Removable wallpaper is available in so many different styles and patterns these days. Gone are the days when you could get maybe 3 or 4 different patterns for your removable wallpaper. Now, there is everything from concrete looking wallpaper to floral pattern masterpieces, from wood panels to abstract patterns, no matter your style preferences, there really is something for everyone.

Are there any cons?

Like anything, there are some downsides to temporary wallpaper. Some of the cons of removable wallpaper include:

• It can’t be used on all wall surfaces

While removable wallpaper works on a lot of different surfaces, it doesn’t work too well on textured walls, which can be limiting if your home has textured walls.

• It takes patience to install

While you don’t need specialist tools or experience to install the temporary wallpaper, it does take patience, and you need to follow the instructions. It’s not as simple as peeling the back and slapping it on the wall – so don’t do it in a rush.

• If not applied correctly it might not last long

We already mentioned following the installation instructions when installing removable wallpaper, but we’re bringing it up again because it’s really the most important part. The instructions will guide you through the best installation processes to ensure your temporary wallpaper lasts as long as you need it to, and it looks good in the process.

 

How do I go about buying temporary wallpaper?

As tempting as it is to buy a few panels of wallpaper and get stuck in, we highly recommend that you consider getting a few samples of some styles that you like. That way you can try them out for a few weeks and see how you feel about how they look and the feel they give to the room.

You might have been dreaming of a particular vibe for your room but then after a week with the sample stuck on the wall, you might realise that it’s not the right option for you. Luckily, like we said earlier, there are so many varieties out there, you’ll be able to find that right one for you.

Once you’re sure that you’re ready for removable wallpaper, then it’s time to measure. Measure the area you plan on covering multiple times, you can never be too thorough.

Make sure you measure the height and width of the wall area, but don’t forget any skirting board, base boards, or moulding that may feature in the room. And of course, if there are any nuances, like odd shaped corners, into account.

When you have done your measurements and you know the style you’re after, you then need to select the wall width and wall height measurements on the product page that are the closest, yet bigger than the wall you’re covering.

Here at Gioia, we supply our removable wallpaper in panels that are 61cm, they have the wallpaper pattern on 60cm of the wallpaper, with a small border for overlap. We also number our panels so you know which order to put them in. An example of measuring and how to select the right size is if your wall is 370cm wide and 220cm tall, then you would select the measurements of width:390cm and height:240cm, as these are the sizes closest to your measurements but larger than them.

Some of our favourite temporary wallpaper styles

There are loads of styles to pick from when it comes to our range of removable wallpaper, here are some of our favourites available to you, wherever you are in Australia:

Terrazzo Removable Wallpaper

The terrazzo trend isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, it’s seen all over homes and offices all over Australia, and for good reason. It’s eye catching but not overwhelming. Adding a bit of fun and colour, the various colours in the terrazzo pattern makes it easy to complement with other décor elements of your home.