Wallpaper or paint?

[Deleted User]

Hi all

I'm looking to redecorate a couple bedrooms and hallway in my house. I'm trying to achieve a very high standard look but not too sure if best to use paint or wallpaper. We have the walls painted in one room and it just looks bobbly and peels off easily. Trying to achieve something like the below (appreciate it's a staged photo) but not too sure if they just used paint or some kind of textured wallpaper. 

Any advice? 

Sicard

If you're doing it yourself painting is a lot easier. Yonks ago I did painting and decorating and didn't like wallpapering at all because of the difficulty. If you're paying someone go for the papering.

FreeBear

Papering, done well, looks good. Hallways (if it includes a stairwell) can be <ahem> entertaining to decorate regardless of it being painted or papered - Currently in the middle of renovating my stairwell, and it is one of those jobs that most would prefer to pay someone to do...

If your existing paint is peeling off, it is possible the walls were not primed properly - Papering (or even painting) over the top is only storing up trouble for another year unless the walls are stripped and prepared properly. Are you planning on doing the work yourself or getting a professional in to do it ?

Doozergirl

I think those are CGIs, not photographs at all.  

For a truly high end feel, wallpaper is what you need, especially if your walls aren't freshly plastered.  

There are lots of 'neutral' wallpapers that use textures or just a relatively non-descript print of
different tones to achieve a higher end finish.    John Lewis have a lot of wallpaper books or Brewers, the decorating specialists.  

[Deleted User]

Thanks all. Definitely not doing it myself lol. I can't even colour within the lines in my children's art book. I was actually looking at John Lewis and saw some them look nice. Probably take a visit and take look. 

EssexExile

Most decorators' merchants have a massive number of wallpaper books. Some will let you take them home to see how they look in your rooms, some will get free samples sent to you. Beware, the free samples are often tiny!

Having an old house from the fifties and being old myself, also from the fifties, a quality heavy paper covers a multitude of sins.

Megaross

Looks like paint and panelling.

Wallpaper can be better where your plasterwork isn't immaculate.

If paint is peeling in another room that's a preparation issue

FreeBear

EssexExile said: a quality heavy paper covers a multitude of sins.

If you can only find thin lightweight wallpaper to your liking, a heavy gauge (1400g or 2000g) will hide all sorts of cracks. Not so good at lumps, bumps, & hollows, so those would need to be sorted first..

Bigphil1474

I've just finished my stairs and landing. Nightmare. Our walls were in pretty poor condition so had to do a lot of filling, bits of skimming, line them with lining paper, and then heavy gauge wallpaper over the top. Looks okay, but we're hoping to sell so okay was enough. For me, the walls we have that are in good condition would always be painted, far less hassle, and far easier to change in the future. The dodgy walls always get wallpapered as it hides the dodginess better. Obviously, the best solution would be to get the dodgy walls skimmed or re-plastered but cost/effort and availability of reliable professionals has put me off previously.

Doing a decent wallpapering job is not that difficult for a DIYer. I've always done it my self, and learned on the job. Mostly turned out ok. If you want a top quality job, you pay someone to do it. First run is always the hardest. Having said that, it's took me 3 months from start to finish in between my normal job and life, so depends if you can put up with the ongoing mess.

My tip, never ever buy the cheap thin wallpaper you can pick up at the likes of B&Q, a big false economy. Far better to buy the best quality paper you can afford - my entire stairs and landing only needed 7 rolls, so the difference between the cheap £10 a roll stuff,  and the decent £30 a roll stuff,  is only £140 for the whole job. 

Megaross

Top tip for learning if you're new to hanging paper, put up lining paper first.

You get a better finish on the wallpaper anyway and lining paper is cheap so if you mess up you can redo it without too much drama.

Also, run a thin bead of decorators caulk top and bottom - makes the finish immaculate. Hides a multitude of sins too

TELLIT01

Painting is the easier and cheaper option IF the walls are in good condition.  If they require skimming that can quickly eliminate any potential saving over the cost of wallpaper.  If you take your time over it, papering isn't actually that difficult.  Get the first piece on properly i.e. vertical and there shouldn't be any major dramas.  I've papered hall, stairs and landing too although that can be 'entertaining' when trying to paper the section over the stairs.