Art Director and wallpaper regular, Lauren Kavanagh, gives her top tips to beat ‘hangxiety’.
As an interior decor brand known for creating modern wall designs, Hovia is well aware that hanging wallpaper can seem intimidating to any DIY novice.
A lot of people hire professional installers after buying their wallpaper, since they don't feel confident enough to get it right.
Others love the idea of having a mural or pattern on their walls, but settle for paint because they're worried wallpapering will be too much hassle.
Hovia calls this 'hangxiety'.
A lot of people hire professional installers after buying their wallpaper, since they don't feel confident enough to get it right.
Others love the idea of having a mural or pattern on their walls, but settle for paint because they're worried wallpapering will be too much hassle.
Hovia calls this 'hangxiety'.
It's that feeling when you really want a wallpaper, but the idea of putting it up yourself has you worried.
Lauren Kavanagh
Lauren is the Art Director at Hovia, and she's installed a lot of different wallpapers during her time at the interior decor brand. But Lauren was a beginner once, and has experienced hangxiety herself. Now, she wants to let people know that it's easier than they think.
Lauren's favourite little-known wallpapering tips
Acclimatise your paper rolls
This is an important step that shouldn't be missed! I've learned that it's a good idea to let your wallpaper acclimatise in your space for a minimum of 24 hours before hanging it.
To do this, take the wallpaper out of its packaging, slightly unravel the rolls, and leave them in the room that you'll be putting the wallpaper up in.
Let the wall dry for 24 hours
After you've filled in any cracks on the wall, sanded down any rough areas to make it smooth and used a sponge with warm water and mild soap to clean it, let your wall dry for at least 24 hours.
This will ensure the wall has fully dried before you start installing, which will give you the best possible surface for your wallpaper to adhere to.
After you've filled in any cracks on the wall, sanded down any rough areas to make it smooth and used a sponge with warm water and mild soap to clean it, let your wall dry for at least 24 hours.
This will ensure the wall has fully dried before you start installing, which will give you the best possible surface for your wallpaper to adhere to.
A light or white wall works best
I'd recommend painting your wall white or in a plain, light colour if it isn't already. If you currently have a pattern on your wall, it's also best to make it one uniform colour instead.
This will make sure the colour or pattern on your wall won't show through the wallpaper. Most wallpaper isn't thick, so if you have a light-coloured wallpaper design and a dark-coloured wall, the dark colour could show up underneath the paper.
I'd recommend painting your wall white or in a plain, light colour if it isn't already. If you currently have a pattern on your wall, it's also best to make it one uniform colour instead.
This will make sure the colour or pattern on your wall won't show through the wallpaper. Most wallpaper isn't thick, so if you have a light-coloured wallpaper design and a dark-coloured wall, the dark colour could show up underneath the paper.
Paste the wall, not the paper
Most modern wallpaper types are made of a non-woven material, and the easiest way I find to install them is by pasting the wall.
Traditionally, wallpaper is pasted by laying it out on a pasting table and applying the adhesive directly to the paper. This is a messy method, so I prefer to make things simpler by applying the paste to the wall section by section, then simply pressing the wallpaper strips onto the pasted wall.
Most modern wallpaper types are made of a non-woven material, and the easiest way I find to install them is by pasting the wall.
Traditionally, wallpaper is pasted by laying it out on a pasting table and applying the adhesive directly to the paper. This is a messy method, so I prefer to make things simpler by applying the paste to the wall section by section, then simply pressing the wallpaper strips onto the pasted wall.
A sharp blade for success
When you come to the end of your installation, you'll have bits of wallpaper hanging off at the edges that you'll then cut away neatly to get a perfect finish.
I recommend using a craft knife to do your cutting, such as a Stanley knife. But beware — a dull blade can cause your paper to tear. So make sure your knife is super sharp by renewing your blade every few meters, especially if you're working on a large mural or wallpaper design.
When you come to the end of your installation, you'll have bits of wallpaper hanging off at the edges that you'll then cut away neatly to get a perfect finish.
I recommend using a craft knife to do your cutting, such as a Stanley knife. But beware — a dull blade can cause your paper to tear. So make sure your knife is super sharp by renewing your blade every few meters, especially if you're working on a large mural or wallpaper design.
Grab a friend
It's usually helpful to get another person involved in the installation to help out. You can make a fun time of it — put some music on and treat yourself to a reward like ordering in a pizza to share when it's all done, and you can admire your work.
Sometimes, having someone else there might just mean they'll get in the way or they won't be needed if the paper is really easy to install alone. But for types where the wallpaper is a heavy material or comes in wide panels, I suggest two or more people to make things go smoothly.
It's usually helpful to get another person involved in the installation to help out. You can make a fun time of it — put some music on and treat yourself to a reward like ordering in a pizza to share when it's all done, and you can admire your work.
Sometimes, having someone else there might just mean they'll get in the way or they won't be needed if the paper is really easy to install alone. But for types where the wallpaper is a heavy material or comes in wide panels, I suggest two or more people to make things go smoothly.
Hovia has created (and perfected) a set of detailed, step-by-step guides for each of their wall coverings, which aim to make the wallpaper hanging process as simple as possible and allow their customers to DIY their installation — without needing to hire a pro.
Discover the guides for more tips and instructions.
Discover the guides for more tips and instructions.
Get in touch with Anna at annafell@milexagroup.com with any requests for exclusive comments from our wallpaper experts, high-resolution images and more.
Find Hovia's related images below, and download the press release as PDF or DOCX —
Find Hovia's related images below, and download the press release as PDF or DOCX —
Let the wallpaper rolls acclimatise in the room for 24 hours.
Lauren grabbed a friend to help install this wall mural, because of its wide panels and heavy paper material.
Clean the wall with warm water and soap, then let it dry for 24 hours.
Cut off the excess paper at the end of the installation with a sharp craft knife, for a perfect finish.
Lauren, admiring her handiwork after installing a Hovia mural.
Hovia's 'Hangxiety' definition.