Achieve an elegant look with wallpaper
What you need to know:
When designing our rooms, uniqueness, especially in the living room, is paramount. To achieve this, some people use different shades of paint. However, there are ordinary paints that may not bring out that exact look. Betty Ndagire brings you an option of using wallpaper and how it is used
Most people that are building I talked to confess that they are ready to spend money on home decors because they want their home to look elegant.
The dilemma so far is the basic understanding of designs and colour combinations that are good.
Even when they can afford the paint, they are afraid the paint may not cater for their preferred designs.
To cater for this, some people have resorted to using wallpaper.
Advantages
With wallpaper, the walls of your house can transform overnight. A room that feels too big can instantly feel comfortable with darker wallpaper with a striking pattern.
Elena Nakintu, an interior designer, at Royal Interiors Decorators, in Nateete, a Kampala suburb says it is generally cheaper to paint a room than to buy wallpaper it, but wallpaper tends to have a longer life span.
She argues that in some cases, if your walls are not in good condition to paint without being plastered, high quality thick wallpaper will help cover defects on the walls cheaply the cost of plastering and paint and without the difficulty and the mess involved.
Nakintu adds: “Wallpaper can last up to 15 years and beyond, which makes it cost-effective in the long-run. It is accepted that properly hung wallpaper will last three times as long as paint. Wallpaper conforms easily and smoothly to walls, hiding many surface imperfections.”
Besides the beauty, wallpaper can also add warmth, depth and style to a room that monotone paint simply cannot achieve.
Cool designs, intriguing textures and beautiful prints have an impactful effect on the décor of a room. Wallpaper can be used to create a designer look in any space, and can also be applied to just one wall as a feature wall.
Considerations
“Before deciding whether to put wallpaper, it is always a good idea to consider the current condition of the walls.
Nakintu says, wallpapering over wallpaper is generally acceptable, depending on whether it is rough or smooth. She recommends that it is important to groom the walls first.
Priming these walls makes an ideal and uniform surface for your wallpaper to stick to, and is also an important part of making the wallpaper removal process easier.
“Priming the wall properly will also help in the removal of the wallpaper when it’s time to update your room with fresh new wallpaper,” she says.
Other than that, she says, wallpaper has special advantages. It can camouflage flawed or damaged walls, soften rough or irregular architectural features, and unite awkward angles.
Wallpaper also makes your house unique as it offers combinations of colours, patterns, and textures that would be nearly impossible for those who want a similar look to duplicate it,” she explains.
She adds, when wallpapering, it is not where you start, but where you end up that is important.
As you work around the room, you will eventually reach a point where the pattern between two strips will not line up. This is called the ‘mismatch’.
The idea is to hide the mismatch by putting it over a door, in a corner, or in some other less visible spot. This takes some planning.
To find out where your layers will fall, go around the room with a pencil, marking the width of the roll as you go.
Durability
Wallpaper is Unlike paint, wallpaper is durable, prevents wear and tear, making it ideal for high traffic areas or homes with young children.
It often lasts up to 15 years. Most modern varieties are even washable.
Also, with wallpaper, the condition of the wall underneath is less important.
It is still a good idea to wash the wall and fill in holes prior to applying the wallpaper in order to get the best finish possible.
But you don’t have to obsess over little nicks or cracks because they won’t be visible.
It prevents wear and tear, making it ideal for high traffic areas or homes with young children.
It often lasts up to 15 years. Most modern varieties are washable, too.
Also, with wallpaper, the condition of the wall underneath is less important.
It is still a good idea to wash the wall and fill in holes prior to applying the wallpaper, in order to get the best finish possible.
But you don’t have to obsess over little nicks or cracks because they won’t be visible.
Another advantage of wallpaper is that you can virtually achieve anything with it. From accentuating angles, you have the freedom to assort your colours, create graphics, artwork and so much more. While these are also achievable with paint, wallpaper customisation (to change something in order to fit the needs) is easier, cheaper and much more effective.
Wallpaper is cost effective in the long-run this option provides better value for money. The fact that you have to change paint every two to three years means that you end up spending more over time.
Since wallpaper is always customised to the home owners’ needs with all the graphics and artwork, they can remain an elegant appearance for as long as they are on the walls.
Cost
Bashir Masembe of Nomaro Wallpapers and Interiors says wallpaper that wraps a medium sized room can cost about Shs500,000.
He however, says that you can minimise costs by artistically putting it on a few parts of the walls.
“You use a concept called a feature wall or accent wall whereby you put the wallpaper on the point of focus alone. That way you will minimise costs and blend wallpaper and paint if you do not want to lose the paint concept,” he recommends.