Wallpaper

Available in the latest colors, textures, and patterns, wallpaper will never go out of style. When it comes to selecting your wallpaper, it's important to know more than just the designs available. Research how it's installed, removed, and how the different materials compare in terms of strength and quality. Looking for an alternative to paint? You've come to the right place!

Wallpaper Choices

Here are the different types you’ll find at your local wallpaper retailer:

• Vinyl coated paper
• Paper backed vinyl/solid sheet vinyl
• Coated fabric
• Natural textures; grasscloths & stringcloths
• Hand painted, plaster, metallic
• Fabric backed vinyl = solid vinyl & paper

Brief Description of Each Type:

Vinyl coated paper

• Easy to clean and more resistant to grease and moisture than plain paper. Great for bathrooms and kitchens. Easily stripped. Essentially, this type is a decorative surface coated with vinyl onto a paper substrate.

Paper backed vinyl/solid sheet vinyl

• Very durable. Decorative surface is a solid sheet of vinyl. Scrub-able and peel-able. Resistant to moisture, stain, and grease. Not as durable as other types, so avoid using it in playrooms and mudrooms.

Coated fabric

• Very breathable. Suitable for low-moisture areas like living rooms. Fabric is coated with liquid vinyl or acrylic and the decorative layer is then printed onto the coating.

Natural textures

• Hand-pounded tree bark, burlap, woven bamboo are just a few examples of this category. Made from natural and synthetic fibers. Recommended for low-traffic areas that are dry, as it can be damaged by moisture.

Polished plaster, metallic & hand painted

• This category speaks for itself. It’s very artistic and expensive but worth every penny. The one-of-a-kind Venetian Plaster wallpaper by Studio E is a great example of how far wallpapers have come. The Venetian plaster is hand-applied to a recycled poly-cotton paper. This product is probably not suitable for a kitchen or areas with high traffic but may withstand humidity in the bathroom – check with your retailer. 

Fabric backed vinyl

This wallpaper has a substrate laminated to a solid vinyl decorative surface. Categories of this type include solid vinyl and paper.