Wallpaper has a bit of a reputation for being a commitment — and it is, but not in the scary sense. It just rewards a little thinking up front. Get a few decisions right and you'll love it for years. Here's what we'd ask you before you buy.
Start with the light in the room
Before you fall for a pattern, spend a moment with the room itself. Which way does it face, and what does the light do across the day? This matters even more with wallpaper than with paint, because you're covering a much bigger surface — any colour shift gets multiplied across the whole wall.
A paper that looks like a warm ochre under showroom spotlights can turn almost terracotta by candlelight, then wash out to a soft gold on a bright morning. None of that is a flaw — it's just what light does. Knowing how your room behaves means you choose with your eyes open rather than getting a surprise once it's up.
Always look at a wallpaper sample on the wall, at eye height, in the actual room — not flat on a table or in your hand. Tape it up and leave it there for a day or two so you see it in morning light, afternoon light and lamplight before you decide.
Think hard about scale
Pattern scale is the thing that catches people out most often. A large, generous repeat usually feels calmer than you'd expect in a big room, because the design has room to breathe. Put that same big pattern in a small room and it can feel a bit much, with the repeat getting cut off at the corners and the whole thing losing its rhythm.
And the opposite trap is just as real: a small, intricate pattern that looks delicate in the roll can read as busy, almost noisy, once it covers a whole wall and you're seeing it from across the room. Step back from the sample. Squint at it. That's roughly how your eye will take it in day to day.
The practical questions worth asking
This is where a few unglamorous questions save you a lot of bother later. Is it paste-the-wall or paste-the-paper? Paste-the-wall is generally easier to hang and to reposition while you're working, which your decorator will thank you for. Is it washable or wipeable? That's worth knowing in a kitchen, a hallway or anywhere that meets the ordinary mess of daily life.
Ask about the repeat, too — sometimes called the rapport. It's the distance before the pattern starts again, and a large repeat means more offcuts and wastage when hanging, which directly affects how many rolls you need. Nobody enjoys discovering this halfway through a wall.
Always order 10–15% more than your calculation says. Batches vary slightly in colour, and if a paper sells out or a run is exhausted you may not be able to match it later. A spare roll in the cupboard is cheap insurance.
If you're only papering one wall, choose it well
A feature wall lives or dies on which wall you pick. The one that catches your eye as you walk in — usually the wall straight ahead of the door — carries a pattern beautifully, because it's the first thing the room shows you. A chimney breast is the other natural choice: it's already framed by its own architecture, so the paper feels contained and deliberate rather than random.
What you're avoiding is the slightly awkward feeling of a paper that's been put somewhere for no clear reason. Give it a job to do — draw the eye, anchor the room — and it'll look intentional.
Sit with it before you commit
As with most things in a room, the choice that endures is rarely the most dramatic one — it's the one that still feels right after you've lived with the sample for a few days. So order your samples, tape them up, and give them time. The paper you keep being pleased to see is the one to order in full.
Ready to find your wallpaper?
Shop all wallpaperBrowse our full wallpaper collection at Studio 198. Not sure where to start, or want to order samples? Our team is always happy to help — just get in touch.