How to create a feature wall with wallpaper

Give any room in your home a splash of serious style with a new, modern wallpaper.

 

The Fired Earth range of wallpapers at your local Builders Warehouse come in a wide range of styles - from casual to contemporary. What's nice about this range of wallpaper is that it's vinyl - that doesn't mean it looks like plastic but that it's easier to apply and far easier to keep clean.

YOU WILL NEED:

Wallpaper - If you're creating a feature or accent wall, choose a design that will complement your existing decor and provide impact
Plumb line/bob and spirit level
Wallpaper paste and brushes
Craft knife and palette knife
Pencil

HERE'S HOW:

1. Even if your ceiling or floor doesn't make a 90-degree angle with your wall, a plumb line ensures that your paper is hung straight. Starting at the left corner of the wall, measure 5cm less than the width of your paper from the edge of the wall. At this point, draw a faint vertical line with a pencil - using a level to guide you - that connects the ceiling (or cornice) and the skirting.

GOOD TO KNOW
A plumb bob quickly creates a line that is perpendicular to the ground. This tool has a weight suspended on a chalked string; hold the tool at the top of the wall and let the weight drop to the bottom, hold the weight in place, then snap the string against the wall and voila - an instant plumb line.

2. Prepare the wallpaper depending on which kind you're working with. Holding the strip by its upper corners, climb a stepladder and position the strip to the right of the plumb line with a 2-inch overlap at the ceiling or crown molding. Make sure the edge is perfectly parallel to the plumb line, then smooth paper with a wallpaper smoother (or your hand).

3. Trim off the overlap at the ceiling and any excess at the skirting with a craft knife (always wallpaper with a brand-new blade and have extras on hand). Hold a broad knife (see photo) just below where you're cutting to guide your blade and prevent the wallpaper from tearing.

4. Working from the top down, align the next panel of paper to the right of the first, making sure the patterns line up. Use one hand to press and adjoin the two strips. With your other hand, hold the paper away from the wall to prevent it from sticking before it's lined up properly. Continue until the rest of the wall is papered. The last strip you hang will be to the left of the plumb line. Trim excess at the left corner of the wall.

DIY Tip:
After applying paste, fold the paper on itself (paste- side to paste-side) in thirds. Roll your folded strip and let it sit for 5 to 15 minutes. Booking gives your paper time to absorb the paste uniformly and avoids uneven stretching.