Wallpaper

Old paper is stripped, the plaster repaired and filled, and the wall sealed with a suitable primer or size so that paper can be slid into position and removed cleanly in future. On older walls we usually cross-line first, hanging lining paper horizontally so its joins never coincide with those of the wallpaper; walls and ceilings covers lining in more detail.

Papers are straight match, drop match or random match, and the repeat decides how much is lost between lengths. Before hanging we check that every roll comes from the same batch, and unroll them to check shade and print, since manufacturers generally will not accept claims once paper is hung. A bold pattern is usually centred on a chimney breast or focal wall, and the final, unavoidable mismatch is planned for an inconspicuous corner.

Many non-woven papers are hung by pasting the wall; they do not expand when wet and can be hung straight from the roll. Traditional papers are pasted on the back and left to soak for the time the manufacturer specifies. Keeping that time consistent matters: each length expands as it absorbs paste, and uneven soaking leads to joins that open or patterns that fail to meet.

Natural wallcoverings such as grasscloth vary in colour and texture from length to length, and their joins show; that is part of the material, and we follow the manufacturer’s advice on whether to reverse alternate lengths. Paste on the face marks them permanently, so they are hung with particular care. Some hand-printed papers arrive with untrimmed edges to be cut by hand, and metallic or very smooth papers show every flaw in the wall beneath.