Now testing: Removable wallpaper

For renters and homeowners alike, removable wallpaper can quickly transform a space Katie Okamoto YOUR GUIDE Katie Okamoto For DIY-inclined renters and homeowners alike, “peel-and-stick” removable wallpaper (also called “self-adhesive”) can quickly transform a space. Because it’s designed to peel off like a sticker without damaging paint, peel-and-stick wallpaper is great for anyone who wants a low-commitment change—as long as you don’t apply it to matte paint or textured walls. And compared with other wallpapers—including pre-pasted and paste-the-wall removable types—peel-and-stick paper is low on mess and forgiving to install. After consulting with indoor-air-quality experts, interior designers, and DIYers, as well as reviewing the vast array of peel-and-stick options, we ordered samples from nine brands and decided to test full panels of eight. We’re still testing, but we have started deciding which removable wallpaper is best—depending on your situation. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. [Learn More ›]( What we tested Katie Okamoto We considered 23 peel-and-stick removable wallpaper brands. We called in samples from nine brands, and we’re currently testing full-size panels from eight brands in a range of patterns. Note: All per-square-foot prices below are estimates and will vary by style and quantity ordered. - [Carter + Main]( // $3.55 per square foot - [Chasing Paper]( // $4.17 per square foot - [Livette’s Wallpaper]( // $5.39 per square foot - [NuWallpaper by Wallpops!]( // $1.36 per square foot - [Tempaper]( // $4.17 per square foot - [Walls Need Love]( // $5.02 per square foot - [Wallshoppe]( // $4.77 per square foot The numbers 1 Hallway, 1 kitchen, 1 bathroom, and 1 laundry room partially papered 1 Damaged paint job (our bad!) 8 Brands tested 17 Patterns ordered How we tested Katie Okamoto The best wallpaper for any given person varies based on personal taste and budget. One person’s dream room may be another person’s hellscape. But subjective taste aside, the best peel-and-stick wallpapers must actually stay on the wall over time, be easy to clean, and (when the time comes) peel off easily without damaging what’s underneath. Wallpapers should also have high-quality printing and enough structure to ensure they won’t become a sticky nightmare during installation. Finally, they shouldn’t give off any harmful chemicals. We immediately eliminated Spoonflower from further testing, since the printing quality of the pattern was extremely blurry, and the sample came away from the wall in less than 24 hours. Katie Okamoto That left us with eight brands: Astek Home, Carter + Main, Chasing Paper, Livette’s Wallpaper, NuWallpaper by Wallpops!, Tempaper, Walls Need Love, and Wallshoppe. They all featured very good to excellent print quality and stayed on the wall for 48 hours without signs of peeling or bubbling. We’re currently testing the performance of these wallpapers in a variety of conditions. They’re stuck in locations around the apartment—on smooth gloss paint in a bathroom, in a hot kitchen, in a sun-baked laundry room. And we are testing them in a variety of climates, such as the high humidity of a bathroom or in direct Los Angeles sunlight. So far, every wallpaper is sticking to every surface we applied it to with no visible bubbling or lifted corners, and each has removed cleanly from gloss and satin paint surfaces without damaging the paint or leaving residue. For soloists Katie Okamoto [Wallshoppe]( is the easiest wallpaper for one person to install well. The company prints its peel-and-stick wallpaper on a cellulose-based, non-woven paper that’s forgiving to maneuver without wrinkling or creasing it. The thickness of the wallpaper gives it enough structure that it won’t flop and stick to itself before it’s been properly applied, making the paper a relative breeze to line up and reposition. The Wallshoppe paper has a slight satin sheen that gives it a polished, paper-look finish with no distracting glare. This wallpaper smoothed to the wall with a few quick swipes of our hand, instead of having to use a squeegee to finesse away pesky bubbles. We found the print quality of the painterly, collage-like design we ordered to be excellent, and there was no off-putting plastic odor. For impatient DIYers Katie Okamoto We agree with manufacturer advice that says if you plan to eventually remove your wallpaper without repainting, you should apply peel-and-stick paper only to non-textured walls painted with a semi-gloss, satin, or eggshell paint. We also agree that for the cleanest look and easiest application, it’s a good idea to prep walls so they’re as smooth as possible. Lightly sand away dried paint drips, and wipe walls with a damp cloth to remove dust and gunk. But we also know that sometimes you just want to wallpaper over a coat of paint that isn’t perfect, and we were curious as to how these would fare. We’ve found that [Wallshoppe]( [Chasing Paper]( (which has the nicest woven look we tested), and [Astek Home]( Eco style go over imperfections best, and they require the least amount of patience to smooth out wrinkles and bubbles those imperfections can create. You’ll quickly realize while applying peel-and-stick wallpaper how unsmooth your smooth walls really are. For the undecided Katie Okamoto [Tempaper]( is one of the few brands we tested that offer returns through the retail site—you have 30 days after delivery. There is a 25% restocking fee, and you’ll have to pay for shipping. But this is far better than for most other brands we tested, which print on demand and offer exchanges only. This is one of the only vinyl wallpapers we tested—a complicated environmental issue we’ll address in our guide. But a spokesperson told us Tempaper’s products meet US and California standards for ortho-phthalate content and VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions, respectively. Tempaper has a huge range of patterns and textures, and, depending on the style, it offers rolls and panels. As one of the biggest removable wallpaper brands out there, it is also widely available at home-improvement retailers. Tempaper sent consistently sized samples and material that felt of higher quality (less contact-paper-like). It was easy to apply cleanly and had an expensive, finished look once applied. For fine details and lots of pattern options With wallpaper, you really are investing in pattern and color. The samples we received from [Livette’s Wallpaper]( were crisp and finely detailed, with vibrant color. Its peel-and-stick wallpaper isn’t the easiest to install solo. But it is a very lightweight, non-vinyl Oeko-Tex–certified material with a subtle woven texture of very high quality, especially in its printing. Unlike those of some other wallpaper brands we tested, Livette’s samples offered a good density of drawing to “white space,” even for larger-scale patterns. So it looked better on the wall regardless of the size of the space. Because Livette’s paper is thin and very sticky, we’re finding it to be more challenging to reposition during installation, especially when working alone. When installing Livette’s, we recommend breaking out the pencil and level—and enlisting a helper if you can. But if you’re ready to make the commitment, we found Livette’s to be of very high quality, and there are lots of pattern options. What else we’re testing - Telescopes - Pens - Wine subscriptions [View email in browser]( You are receiving this email because you signed up for Wirecutter’s Newsletter. Getting too many emails from us? [Unsubscribe here](. 
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