Decco Centrs
Choosing wallpaper wisely: 5 expert tips for creating a cozy home
Wallpaper is one of the most powerful tools in an interior designer’s arsenal. It can be used to create a dramatic effect, visually change the proportions of a room, and add warmth to a home with relatively modest investment. However, the wide range of options can often feel overwhelming.
What are the five main steps to choosing wallpaper wisely? Inguna Gila, a specialist from the SIENA showroom (located in the DECCO CENTRS interior quarter), explains.
Today’s wallpaper market is dominated by two main materials: non-woven wallpaper and paper wallpaper. But choosing the material is not just a matter of taste — it is directly linked to the room’s function and the expected level of wear.
Vinyl wallpaper on a non-woven base: These wallpapers are especially durable and washable. The specialist recommends them for high-traffic areas such as the kitchen zone, narrow hallways, or entrance spaces where there is a greater risk of staining. However, they are not recommended for poorly ventilated rooms or spaces that heat up in direct sunlight.
Classic non-woven or paper wallpaper: These are breathable, making them the most suitable choice for bedrooms and children’s rooms, where a healthy indoor climate is a priority.
Exclusive textures: If you want something special, the SIENA showroom offers wallpapers with surfaces made from natural materials such as bamboo, silk, jute, or even granite dust and mother-of-pearl effects.
To avoid making mistakes with pattern and color, first consider the size of the room, ceiling height, and existing furniture. The walls should be in harmony with the rest of the interior.
Accent: If you choose a bold pattern or contrasting colors, the wallpaper becomes the main focal point. At the moment, it is popular to highlight the wall behind the television in the living room or the wall behind the bed’s headboard in the bedroom.
Background: If you want a calm atmosphere, choose wallpaper in neutral shades with a subtle or medium-sized ornament (for example, 30 x 30 cm). This creates an interesting texture that does not clash with other interior elements.
Room size: In small rooms, large patterns can feel overwhelming, so finer ornaments are usually a better option. In spacious and very bright rooms, you can confidently experiment with large motifs and darker colors — this helps the room feel less bare and more inviting.
Interior design trends tend to last longer than fashion trends, so wallpaper usually remains in place for at least seven years.
What is currently in style?
Nature-inspired motifs: Plant patterns in watercolor style, forest themes, and natural landscapes.
Color palette: Powder tones, turquoise, moss green, and earthy shades.
Classics: Timeless ornaments and wide horizontal stripes remain popular, especially because they visually widen a room.
All walls covered: The trend of wallpapering all the walls in a room, rather than only one accent wall, is returning.
Even the most expensive and beautiful wallpaper can be ruined by poor installation. Inguna Gila emphasizes that preparation work accounts for 50% of the final result.
Wall preparation: Walls must be smooth, dry, and primed in an even, light color, which is especially important for thin wallpaper.
Following instructions: Every type of wallpaper has its own specific adhesive and application technique.
Seams: A sign of quality workmanship is that seams should be invisible from a distance of 2.5 meters, except in the case of natural materials, where seams are part of their charm.
If you are not confident in your skills, it is better to hire a professional installer.
There is a myth that everything is more expensive in showrooms. In reality, the price range at SIENA, located in DECCO CENTRS, is very broad, while the benefits are significantly greater.
Accurate calculations: Consultants help calculate the required number of rolls, taking into account pattern repeat and the specifics of the room.
Custom orders: You can order unique designs from leading global manufacturers that are not available in mass retail.
Coordination: You can immediately match wallpaper with curtain fabrics, flooring, or doors, because everything you need is available right there in the DECCO CENTRS quarter.
High-quality wallpaper is like an artwork that defines the character of your home. By investing in design and quality, you create an inspiring environment for many years to come.
A square meter calculation can be misleading because it does not take pattern matching into account. A significant portion of the wallpaper roll may be cut off in order to align the pattern between strips. That is why it is more accurate to calculate the required number of strips and how many strips can be obtained from one roll.
It is a number, usually given in meters, for example 0.64 m, indicating how often the pattern repeats. The larger the repeat, the more material will be lost in trimming. If you choose wallpaper with a zero pattern match, or plain wallpaper, there will be the least waste.
A standard European wallpaper roll measures 0.53 m in width and 10.05 m in length. If the room height is up to 2.40 m and the wallpaper has no pattern, you can get 4 strips. If the room height is 2.50–3.00 m or the wallpaper has a large pattern, you will usually get only 3 or even 2 strips.
Specialists recommend not subtracting the area of standard windows and doors. This “extra” wallpaper serves as a reserve in case a strip gets damaged and will also be used for areas above and below windows. You should only subtract these areas if the room has very large display-style windows or several wide arches.
In that case, the calculation changes significantly, because one roll often yields only 2 strips. For such rooms, we recommend choosing custom-sized wall murals or consulting the staff at the SIENA showroom, who can help you find the most cost-effective solution.
It is always recommended to buy 1 extra roll beyond the calculated amount. Wallpaper batches may vary, and if one roll is missing a month later, the shade from the next batch may differ slightly from the one already on the wall.
