Hanging a wall mural is easier than most people think. With a little preparation you can transform a room in an afternoon. Follow the steps below for your material.
Before you start: prepare the wall
- The wall should be dry, smooth, clean and dust-free.
- Fill holes and cracks, sand them flat and wipe away the dust.
- Freshly painted walls need time to cure fully before you hang wallpaper – check the paint manufacturer's advice.
- Remove switch and socket covers (turn off the power first).
- Lay out your panels in order and check the design lines up before you begin.
Tools you need
- Spirit level or plumb line and a pencil
- Smoothing tool or plastic spatula
- Sharp craft knife with spare blades and a straight edge
- Clean, soft cloth
- For paste materials: wallpaper paste suitable for nonwoven wallpaper, a roller or brush, and a bucket
Installing peel & stick
- Draw a vertical guide line with a level, one panel width from the corner where you start.
- Peel back the top 20–30 cm of the backing only – not the whole panel.
- Line up the panel with your guide line and the top of the wall, leaving your trimming margin at the ceiling.
- Smooth from the centre outwards with your smoothing tool while slowly pulling the backing down. This pushes out air bubbles.
- Hang the next panel, matching the design to the previous one.
- Trim the excess at the ceiling, floor and corners with a sharp knife and straight edge.
Tip: if a panel goes on crooked, gently peel it back and re-position it straight away.
Installing nonwoven and deluxe textured wallpaper (paste)
- Draw a vertical guide line with a level for the first panel.
- Apply paste to the wall, a little wider than one panel. With nonwoven wallpaper you normally paste the wall, not the paper – always follow the instructions on your paste.
- Hang the dry panel onto the pasted wall, line it up with your guide line and leave the trimming margin at the top and bottom.
- Smooth it out from the centre to the edges to remove air bubbles.
- Hang the next panel edge to edge with the first, matching the design carefully.
- Wipe off any paste on the surface straight away with a damp cloth.
- Trim the excess once the panels are in place, using a sharp blade for clean edges.
Common questions
Can I hang it on textured walls? Peel & stick needs a smooth wall to stick well. For lightly textured walls, a paste material is usually a better choice.
Will it damage my paint? Read our guide: Does wallpaper damage paint?
Something arrived damaged? We reprint damaged or faulty panels free of charge – see our returns policy.
Haven't measured yet? Start with our guide on how to measure your wall.