Measure twice, hang once!
Measurement is an important part of any project. When buying new wallpaper, knowing the size of the room will help ensure that you have enough to complete the job but also, so it fits perfectly with minimal wastage.
This is especially important with wallpaper as more prestigious papers are normally more expensive, so you don’t want to over order rolls for no reason. We say don’t order too much, it’s wise to allow about 10-15% extra in case (or if mistakes happen!).
We’d recommend the below calculation for wallpapers without a pattern repeat (ideally using a metal measuring tape for the best accuracy):
- Measure the total perimeter (length) of your wall or walls that you want to paper in metres (It’s best to include doors and mirrors in this total, as you’ll need to paper around these).
- Next, measure the height of your walls and multiply it by the number of the total width which will give you the square metre coverage that you need (you can leave the skirting boards out of this total unless you plan to cover them).
- Divide this total number by the length of the wallpaper roll you are buying (most are 10m).
- This will give you the number of rolls needed to cover this wall area (without any pattern repeat).
For wallpapers with a pattern repeat, you’ll need to calculate the below in addition to the above:
- Multiply the pattern repeat by the total number of wallpaper rolls as calculated above.
- For example, if your pattern repeat is 46cm on a 10m roll, you’ll need an additional 4.6 metres squared
- Divide this by the length of the wallpaper and this will tell you how many additional rolls you will need to account for the pattern repeat.
Every room has tricky bits to do but with a little care and a few tips even beginners can tackle the job. If you are investing in murals or expensive wallpaper (unless your proficient) consider hiring a decorator.
If this is your first wallpapering project start with a small room or hallway and use cheaper wallpaper and build up to the bigger rooms or rooms where you fancy splurging on a more luxury wall covering.
Measuring For Wallpaper – The Basics
If you’re looking to install wall coverings, you’ll need to measure the walls before you start. This includes both height and width measurements. Most retailers will have experts that can help you calculate how much wallpaper you’ll need with just these basic measurements.
Standard Wall
As a standard wall, this is the easiest to measure. Simply measure full width and height, don’t worry about fixture and fittings
Sloped Wall
If you have a sloped wall, the measure of the full width and height as normal, the ‘extra’ will be trimmed off during installation.
Pitched Wall
As above get the measurements from the full wall hieght and width, the ‘extra’ will be trimmed during installation.
Wall with Obstacles
Similar to the pitched and sloped walls, get the measurements from the whole wall, as the wallpaper around the obstacles will be trimmed as you install them.
The range of designs within wallpapers is massive, some have small patterns and some large scale this effects where the pattern repeats. Pattern repeat is needed for matching across the whole surface and knowing the distance between repeats effects the amount of wallpaper rolls you’ll need.
Before you settle on how many rolls you’ll need, you’ll need to know what kind of paper you’re going to be using and what the repeat is on that particular pattern. Above are some examples of different pattern repeats.
We’ve put together some of our favorite wallpaper designs by Laura Ashley for you to see how the different patterns work in your home.
It’s worth browsing for wallpaper with the basic height and width measurements to hand to ensure that you buy the right number of rolls and allow a little extra for wastage. It’s always worth getting a bit extra as all wallpapers are made in batches where the colour match is exact. Each batch number may have slight colour variations.
For more samples check out The Lighting Companys range of wallpapers and select a sample to start re-designing your interiors.