Some common mistakes homeowners make when buying wallpaper are incorrectly measuring wallpaper rolls, not preparing the wall surface, forgetting to order samples, and so on.

Mistakes in decor are inevitable, but, most of the time homeowners are unaware they are making mistakes that gravely affect the wallpaper result. From choosing the wrong pattern scale to failing to hire professional installation service, small oversights like these can completely change the look and longevity of a wallpaper.

Understanding these common mistakes beforehand can help stretch the beauty, durability, and life of your wallpaper while creating a room that feels well-designed.

Why Buying Wallpaper Requires Planning

Buying wallpaper requires careful planning because:

  • It Prevents Material Shortage: Since wallpaper comes in rolls or panels, proper planning provides accurate wallpaper measurements to prevent shortage.
  • Helps Decide Room Material Suitability: Different rooms require different wallpaper materials, depending on moisture, maintenance, and durability needs.
  • Avoids Costly Mistakes: Careful planning helps avoid any expensive mistakes.
  • Helps Keep it Practical: Since wallpaper is a long-term decor investment, planning ensures the style remains appealing and practical over time.

Top 10 Wallpaper Buying Mistakes (With Fixes)

Top 10 Wallpaper Buying Mistakes You Should Avoid

Here are ten common wallpaper buying mistakes homeowners make and how to avoid them:

1. Picking Style and Trend Over Practicality

Not all wallpapers work in every room. There are different wallpaper materials that are suitable for different locations in the house.

How to Avoid it: When choosing a wallpaper material, look at the environment of the room. For instance, bathrooms and kitchens require moisture-resistant materials that can withstand moisture and humidity.

2. Following Trends Without Considering Longevity

It’s tempting to choose the latest interior trend, but not every wallpaper design suits all rooms and lifestyles.

How to Avoid it: Strike a balance between what is trendy and what will feel timeless a decade from now. Accent walls, neutral colour palettes, and classic patterns remain versatile for years.

3. Skipping Professional Installation

Beginner-friendly wallpapers like peel-and-stick are quick and easy to install. However, you cannot install traditional wallpapers with intricate patterns by yourself.

How to Avoid it: Hire professional installation service to prevent misaligned patterns, air bubbles, and peeling edges.

4. Ignoring Room Size and Scale

When it comes to wallpaper patterns, room size matters. If you choose large, bold prints for a small room, the patterns will overwhelm the space, and if you choose tiny, subtle prints for a large room, it may look lost.

How to Avoid it: To prevent this visual impact, consider the room size and accordingly, match it. For instance, large patterns work best in expansive spaces, and subtle prints perform well in small spaces.

5. Forgetting About Room Lighting

Room lighting also plays a major role in how a wallpaper looks after installation. Choosing the wrong colour or finish can impact its visual appearance.

How to Avoid it: Tape samples (gloss or matte) to your walls under various room lighting and deduce the correct colour and finish for your room.

6. Saving on Low-Quality Materials

While there are many affordable wallpaper materials available, choosing the low-cost ones may come with poor quality and weak durability.

How to Avoid it: Since wallpapers are a long-term investment, buy high-quality options that last longer and save up replacement costs.

7. Pasting Over Old Wallpaper

A major mistake homeowners make is wallpapering over old wallpaper. This causes the new wallpaper to bubble, peel, or tear due to wet adhesive.

How to Avoid it: Strip away the old wallpaper carefully using correct removal methods, sand down any uneven surfaces, and prime the wall well.

8. Using Wrong Installation Tools

Many first-time wallpaper users use wrong installation tools to either prepare the walls or install wallpaper. This often results in aesthetic flaws and a failed decor project.

How to Avoid it: Use correct installation tools like squeegee, seam rollers, and utility knives.

9. Incorrectly Measuring the Walls

Measurement mistakes occur when homeowners are unaware of how to measure architectural features, walls, or calculate the area correctly.

How to Avoid it: To prevent any measurement discrepancies, follow Magicdecor’s guide on measuring various walls for wallpaper and use our calculator to derive the total number of panels you require.

10. Not Ordering Samples Before Committing

Not ordering any wallpaper samples before purchasing often leads to wasted money and disappointment as the wallpaper does not match your room lighting or colour palette.

How to Avoid it: To prevent any big, disappointing surprises, order a sample kit or a wallpaper material to feel and see the colour, texture, and look under your room lighting conditions.

Material Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these common pitfalls when you’re selecting the material of the wallpaper:

  • Selecting Wrong Material for the Space

Do not use delicate wallpaper materials like paper or grasscloth in high-traffic areas like kitchens which cause peeling. Choose wallpaper material based on the room function such as vinyl-based for kitchens and non-woven for living rooms.

  • Assuming Wallpaper Will Stick to Any Wall Surface

Another common mistake is assuming wallpaper that will stick to any wall surface— textured or popcorn. While wallpaper does stick to any wall surface, the surface must be prepared—sanding, cleaning, and priming.

  • Selecting Poor Quality Materials

Purchasing wallpapers with cheap material quality that tear or scratch easily for less expenses. Instead, choose high-quality options that may be costly upfront, but offer longevity and durability.

Design & Pattern Mistakes

Avoid these common wallpaper design and pattern mistakes:

  • Ignoring the Scale of the Pattern

Pattern scale plays a huge role in how a room looks and feels. Oversized prints in small rooms may feel overpowering, while tiny, repetitive ones can get lost in spacious spaces.

  • Picking Trendy Designs Without Thinking Long-Term

Trendy wallpaper patterns may look appealing at the moment, but some styles lose their charm quickly. Loud colour combinations or short-lived trends can make the space feel outdated within a few years.

  • Mixing Too Many Patterns in One Room

Combining wallpaper with patterned curtains, rugs, upholstery, and cushions without a cohesive coordination can overwhelm the space and make it appear restless and visually noisy.

Budgeting Mistakes to Avoid

Here are some budgeting mistakes to avoid buying a wallpaper:

  • Measuring Walls Incorrectly

If your measurements are not correct or exact, it may result in material shortage or excess. You should measure all walls correctly, keep 10% extra wallpaper, and calculate using total square footage.

  • Not Watching Out for Hidden Costs

If you fail to account hidden costs such as labour charges, delivery charges, and preparation supplies, you’ll be surprised to find how much you spent on the wallpaper project. So beware.

  • Ignoring Long-Term Value

Skimming on costs often means low-quality materials that will scratch and tear easily and not last long, leading to higher replacement costs.

Installation & Preparation Mistakes

Let’s take a look at four common wallpaper installation and preparation mistakes homeowners make:

  • Not Preparing the Wall Surface

One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is installing wallpaper on walls that are not prepared well. If the walls have dust, cracks, or uneven surfaces, the wallpaper will not adhere well and lead to bubbling and peeling.

  • Not Measuring Properly

Another mistake is underestimating the wallpaper quantity needed for the space. If you measure incorrectly, you’ll run out of wallpaper material. And if you buy too much, you spend extra on material you do not need.

  • Skipping Instructions

Every wallpaper brand provides their own set of installation instructions and maintenance tips. Failing to adhere or skipping certain steps may result in wallpaper peeling off, bubbling, or tearing.

  • Rushing the Installation Process

Wallpaper installation needs precision, patience, and time. If you rush the process, your wallpaper may end up with design overlap, wrinkled lines, and bubbles. Many homeowners get excited and rush the process, leading to a heap of mistakes.

How to Choose the Right Wallpaper for Your Space

Modern living room with wallpaper samples and stylish botanical wall design.

Here are some considerations when choosing the right wallpaper for your space:

  • Consider Your Existing Colour Palette

If you don’t plan on changing the aesthetic style of your room, you can coordinate the wallpaper colour to complement your existing furniture and decor.

  • Consider the Scale of the Wallpaper Design

Large, bold patterns tend to work well in spacious rooms with tall ceilings. While small prints create cosier and intimate settings in small spaces.

  • Consider the Mood You Want to Create

You can select a wallpaper design based on the mood you want to create. If you want a light and airy feel, opt for light-toned wallpaper with subtle prints. And if you desire a snug and moody atmosphere, choose bold and large prints.

  • Consider the Level of Contrast

The last key factor is the level of contrast you desire to deliver a vibrant or gentle interior setting. For instance, if the wallpaper is a bold colour, choose light or pastel colours as contrast.

Why Should You Always Order Samples?

Ordering wallpaper samples is an underrated step that most homeowners bypass. Samples help avoid costly design mistakes and disappointment later. With a sample, you can check the true colour, texture, finish, and pattern scale in your own space.

Plus, it also becomes easier to compare multiple options and understand various wallpaper materials and quality.

Questions to Ask Before Buying Wallpaper

Before you purchase a wallpaper for your space, ask yourself these questions and then proceed:

  • Is the wallpaper suitable for the specific room type and its environment?
  • Will the colour and pattern work well with the room’s lighting?
  • Is the material durable, washable, and easy to maintain?
  • Will the pattern scale make the room feel balanced or overcrowded?
  • Is professional installation needed for this wallpaper type?
  • Will the design still feel appealing and timeless a few years from now?

How Magicdecor Helps You Avoid These Mistakes

We prevent any costly wallpaper mistakes by offering the following:

  • We offer wallpaper samples and material kits that help customers check colours, patterns, and textures before fully committing.
  • Provide a variety of designs with various colours and pattern scales.
  • Provide detailed descriptions of our wallpaper so customers are well informed about what they are buying.
  • Deliver high-quality wallpapers that are printed on 250-350 GSM for long-lasting durability and life.

Wallpaper Buying Checklist

  • Measure the walls accurately before ordering wallpaper.
  • Choose a wallpaper material that is suitable for the room type and moisture levels.
  • Test samples before making the final purchase.
  • Check if professional installation is required.
  • Think about long-term style preferences instead of only trends.
  • Set a realistic budget and be aware of hidden costs.

FAQs

  • How many samples should I order before committing?

Order at least two to three options and place them on your wall, under your room’s lighting conditions and view how they all perform.

  • Can wallpaper be installed on textured or uneven wall surfaces?

Wallpaper should ideally be installed on smooth, even surfaces. Uneven or textured wall surfaces can affect both the final finish and durability of the wallpaper.

  • Does every room need the same wallpaper material?

No, different rooms have different requirements. For example, moisture-resistant wallpaper works better in kitchens and bathrooms, while bedrooms and living rooms benefit from luxurious non-woven material.

  • Why is measuring walls correctly so important before ordering wallpaper?

Incorrect measurements can lead to ordering too little wallpaper or unnecessary extra costs. Accurate measurements help ensure a smoother installation process.