How to Install Wallpaper in a Bathroom

Thinking about adding wallpaper to your bathroom? What a great idea! This post will show you exactly how to complete the process and inject tons of color and texture in your small bathroom space.

Wallpaper. What’s not to love?

Wallpaper provides the opportunity to bring new, fresh patterns, textures and colors to a space that would not be possible without it. It can completely transform a space into whatever you want it to be! Modern, mid-century, farmhouse, transitional; whatever floats your boat!

It can completely give new life to your space. And it doesn’t have to be the traditional, floor-to-ceiling, total room coverage. You can do just one accent wall, or a closet, half of a wall under some molding or even a ceiling. The options really are endless.

Before I get into the details of completing the DIY, let’s answer a few commonly asked questions:

Do I need a professional to install wallpaper?

While you certainly can have a professional come and install wallpaper for you, it’s not necessary. You’ll save a ton of money by installing it yourself if it’s done properly.

(Read: if you install it incorrectly or cut corners, it won’t last and you’ll have to call that professional in the end anyway, ultimately costing way more in time and money than if you just hired it out initially. So take the time to do it right.)

But it is totally doable! If I can do it, anyone can.

Though it can be a bit tedious at times, it really is a simple DIY project that will provide major impact without breaking the bank, especially if you do it yourself.

Is wallpaper hard to remove if you change your mind?

This was the case in the past, where old wallpaper would rip off in small sections, requiring a lot of time and effort to remove without damaging the walls. It was always an incredibly frustrating job, so I can certainly understand the concern.

However, wallpaper technology has improved drastically. Today, the wallpaper you’ll find is incredibly easy to peel off the paper if you decide you don’t like it anymore in a few years, while still being sticky enough to stay on the wall without peeling until that day comes where you decide to remove it.

So no more dreadful removal process. It’s an easy-on, easy-off process, leaving you clean and damage-free walls should the day come when you’re ready to remove it.

Can I put wallpaper in a bathroom?

The humidity factor is a concern when considering wallpaper for your bathroom. Enjoying those hot, steamy showers can take a toll on the adhesive and may increase the risk of peeling.

While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend putting wallpaper in a bathroom with a shower, I have seen it done with great results. It’s a risk but it can be done, especially in a bathroom with ample ventilation or that doesn’t get used regularly, like in a basement or a guest bathroom.

However, a half-bath powder room which doesn’t have the humidity from a shower is the perfect location for installing wallpaper. And wallpaper in the half-bath is an amazing place to add color and a fun surprise for guests.

In my case, our water closet is separated from the rest of the bathroom with a door, there’s two windows and a fan. I still is a bit of a risk but it’s totally worth it.

Can I wallpaper over coarse, uneven or textured walls?

Yes! You’ll just need a little bit of extra preparation time with wallpaper liner, which goes on as your base. It allowed us to wallpaper over dried glue on top of cement board!

It’s a thick paper material, almost like contact paper. It can go over just about any surface and will create an even wall to attach your wallpaper to. It’s wonderful.

Check out our post on it here.

So now let’s get into the process!

What you’ll need:

• Wallpaper
• Glue (if the paper you choose is not pre-pasted)
• Wallpaper smoothing tool
• Wallpaper Sponge
• Level (laser level is ideal)
• Razor
• Wallpaper seam roller
• Tape measure
• Framing square
• Scrap wood (optional)

Notes on supplies:

You can purchase a wallpaper kit on amazon or at your local hardware store which will include everything you need.

How to determine how much wallpaper you’ll need:

Make sure you have enough wallpaper! You don’t want to get halfway into a project to realize that you don’t have enough to complete it, only to find out that your paper is sold out.

Trust me on this one 😆

Wallpaper is hung vertically. To do it properly, you’re going to cut out doorways, windows, etc. from the full wall-length strip, instead of piecing together smaller pieces for above the doorway, around windows, etc.

1. Measure the height of the wall you’ll apply the paper, top to bottom. Keep in mind that you’ll need a few extra inches (maybe 6) for each sheet as you want to cut it long and remove the excess after it’s applied.
   
   Based on the pattern, you may have to waste a little more than those 6 inches to ensure it matches up from one section to the next. (I explain all this down below. )
2. Measure the width of all your walls to be wallpapered.
3. Add together the total width of your walls. For example, I have two 6’ wide walls and two 3’ wide walls, so in total the width is 18 (6+6+3+3).
4. Then divide the total width of your walls by the width of the paper. The paper I wanted came in 2’ wide rolls, so I divided 18 by 2 which came to 9.
5. Then multiply that number by the height of your ceilings plus the extra 6 inches to get the total square feet of wallpaper you’ll need.
   
   For me, the ceiling height is 8’, so 9 x 8.5 = 76.5 square feet.
6. Then add 10% to your number. This is recommended to account for mistakes and extra paper to match the patterns between sections. For me, this was an extra 8 square feet (rounded up).

Your rolls will come in a specified amount (mine was 60 Sq feet). It’s always better to have too much than not enough.

Another good reason to purchase extra initially is that if you order the rolls separately, the run numbers may not match, so the print or coloring may be noticeably different next to each other. It’s worth the extra investment.

In my case, 2 rolls was the perfect amount. I still have plenty left over (which is a lot better than not having enough!) which could have been used if i made any serious mistakes, or it can be utilized down the line if one of the sections fail.

Prep your walls

It is imperative that you prep your walls appropriately or the wallpaper won’t adhere or last long term.

The first thing you should do is remove all molding in the room, including crown, baseboard, and around doorways and windows. The wallpaper should go underneath the molding. This will make it look finished, but also will help keep the edges down.

Set them aside in a safe place.

The prep process really depends on what you’re putting your wallpaper on top of, but for any surface it is necessary to clean your walls well.

Some simple dish soap and warm water should do the trick. Use an old rag or sponge that is just slightly damp to wipe down the walls and then dry them off with an old microfiber towel.

Allow the walls to dry completely.

If you have painted walls, this cleaning should suffice as your prep work. But if you have something more “unique”, like bricks, cement, plywood, or the like, you’re not out of luck.

Wallpaper liner, as mentioned earlier, can help you. We used this over our walls that were covered in cement board with dried glue, and it worked wonders. It helps to not only to even out any bumpy surface, but also creates a nice base for the wallpaper to adhere to.

Determine your starting point

The best place to start your first sheet of wallpaper is in a more challenging area. For example, I have one section that has a window, two outside corners and one inside corner over the small 2’ section.

Since this section of wall has so many challenges, it is best to start with it as then you won’t also have to line it up to the adjacent paper.

Unfortunately, I did not start with this most difficult section, which made the job even more challenging because I had to line it up properly to the one next to it.

If you have any particularly challenging areas, starting your job there will help to ease the process slightly.

Also keep in mind where you want to finish, as it is likely that you’ll have a smaller section to finish with than the width of the wallpaper.

You want to end in a less conspicuous area, like over a doorway, where you don’t have to go the full wall length, but just a small area above the door.

As you move around the room, you can start in a more challenging area, and work around the room in either direction until you get to that finish place above a door.

Find Level

Now that you know where you’re going to start, set up your laser level in a vertical position so you’ll know where to align your first section. If you don’t have a laser level, hold your level up to the wall and draw a straight (level) line where you’re going to start the first section.

Cut the Paper

Take the measurement of the height of your wall (or wherever you want the wallpaper to be) and add about 6 inches. This extra space will be the slack on either end which you will trim off once the paper is on the wall.

This seemed wasteful to me too, but it is done because it is difficult to cut the paper perfectly. You may cut it too short, at an angle, or your ceiling or floors may not be totally level. It’s better to make it long and cut off the excess than to try and cut it perfectly initially.

Roll out your paper (in an area where you have plenty of room to do so) and measure your determined height.

Depending on what surface you are working on (I used my living room rug), you may want to protect your surface from your razor. I placed the wallpaper paper on top of a piece of scrap 1×4, and then placed my straight edge square on top of that, ensuring that the edges were aligned for a nice straight cut.

Then using your razor, make your cut into the paper. Press firmly when doing this so you only make one pass with the blade.

Line up your next section

Now that you have your cut piece, you are ready to get it in place, but before you do that it’s a good idea to line your first section up with what will be the adjacent piece to figure out where the top of the next section will be.

Say your paper repeats every two feet. If your initial cut was a 1foot, you’ll need more than the extra 6 inches to line it up properly. It’s a really good idea to figure this out before you cut the remaining pieces, since if you cut it short prematurely, you’ll have to scrap that entire piece.

Measure 15 times and cut once.

Follow the Directions for the Adhesive

Some wallpapers need glue applied, and some come pre-pasted. I purchased the pre-pasted kind. While it has it’s own unique challenges, I think this is the easier way to go as you skip the step of applying the glue which can be quite messy.

For most pre-pasted wallpapers, you have to submerge the entire section in water. I have seen where people get a squirt bottle full of water and soak the glue that way, but it is not recommended as the water will be applied unevenly and you could easily miss spots, which will cause
incomplete adhesion.

Instead, the best method is to submerge the whole sheet into water. You can do this in a large bucket of water. I simply used my tub as the paper was being hung in the bathroom anyway.

Whichever way you decide to go, use room temperature water. What you want to do is roll your cut section of paper up with the pattern to the inside of your roll, so that the pasted sections are facing out.

Then submerge the entire roll in your bucket/tub for just a few seconds until the glue is wet and activated. Then grab the top end of the wallpaper and fold it like an accordion as you pull it completely out of the water.

I did find that getting the paper out of the water is a two-person job as it can bunch up and cause it to be submerged too long. You don’t want either of these things to happen. An extra set of hands here is very helpful.

Hang your Wallpaper

Then take your wallpaper over to your wall and align the edge with your drawn or laser line, ensuring the top and bottom of the wall have enough excess wallpaper to cut (about 3 inches on either side).

Then stick the paper lightly to the wall just so it stays in place while you ensure the rest of the paper is aligned properly to your level line. You will be able to maneuver the paper as needed so long as you don’t press it down completely at first.

Side note: I found it helpful here to have an old towel draped on my step stool to dry off my hands.
Wet hands and slippery wallpaper don’t go well when you’re trying to be precise!

Then when you have it lined up where you want it, use your sponge to press the paper firmly to the wall, working from the center of the paper outwards to ensure you get all the air pockets out.

This is important for proper adhesion and for aesthetics, too. Using the sponge will also help to dry the water off the paper. You don’t want any drips due to the potential for stains, do clean those up quickly.

Cut the Excess Wallpaper

Then when you have the paper where you want it and it’s dry and secure, take your straight edge and razor blade, press the straight edge firmly into the angle where the wall meets the ceiling and cut off the excess paper. Then do the same on the floor side.

You don’t have to make yourself crazy here. Unless you don’t plan on adding any molding, the edges don’t have to be perfect because they will be covered up with your floor and crown moldings.

If you don’t want to add molding, then you must be quite a bit more careful when cutting. Make sure your razor is sharp and you’re holding your straight edge firmly into the wall, so you get a clean cut.

Remove Air Bubbles

You can now take your wallpaper smoothing tool and carefully swipe it over the entire section of paper, ensuring all the air bubbles are removed and the paper is good and stuck.

Roll the Edges

With your seam roller, go over the still-damp edges and really press them down. This will help keep them from peeling up over time. You really want that adhesive to do it’s job. Get the entire edge, from floor to ceiling.

Continue to Hang the Adjacent Sections

Then move on to the adjacent section, following the same steps, keeping in mind that the paper has to line up exactly with the pattern of the prior sheet.

It is also important to ensure that the paper is level so it doesn’t turn out crooked. Most walls are not perfectly level or plumb, especially in old homes, so make sure you check for level instead of just going off the first piece.

You’ll continue along the same way until the entire room is complete.

How to Wallpaper Corners

Your wallpaper should wrap around corners with a continuous piece to give a seamless look in your paper.

Line up your paper with the adjacent installed piece and work horizontally, sticking down and getting air pockets out as you move across the paper so that you have a tight fit.

When you get to an outside corner, use your straight edge and really press the paper into the corner so you get a good tight fit, while continuing to ensure that it is lined up properly with the adjacent paper.

Once the paper is pressed into the corner from floor to ceiling, continue to move along the wall and press down the remainder of the paper with your sponge.

You can keep your straight edge in the corner with one had as you place the rest of the paper with the other hand, so you know the paper isn’t moving on you.

It’s the same process for inside corners, though they can be a little more tricky. Work from one side to the other, ensuring that the entire paper is stuck to the wall (from floor to ceiling) and work your way horizontally.

The only difference is you’ll press the paper firmly around the inside corner with your sponge and make sure there’s no air bubbles stuck underneath the corner. You really want a snug fit here along the wall. It can be tricky at first, but it gets easier as you gain practice.

How to Wallpaper around Doors and Windows

When you come across a doorway or window, there is a proper way to cut the paper so you get a nice clean look.

You’re going to cut your paper as usual, so that you’re arriving to the wall with a full piece from floor to ceiling. Then using the same process as for corners, align the paper and move from one side to the other until you reach the obstacle.

Then find the corner of the door or window and slice the paper at the corner and diagonally with your razor down and into where the door will be cut out, until you have two flaps on either side of your obstacle. This will allow you to lay the paper flat around it.

Then continue to stick the paper to the wall, allowing the flaps to hang until the rest of the paper is secure in it’s place. Use your sponge and straight edge to ensure all the air pockets are out and the paper is lined up appropriately.

Then when you have everything in the right place, secured and dried, press your straight edge into the corner of the door or window frame and along the vertical edge, overlapping where the trim will sit and cut off the excess flap.

Repeat on the process on the horizontal edge. This will give you a perfectly cut window or door every time.

How to Wallpaper Around Other Obstacles

For a small room, I had a lot to contend with including the toilet and a radiator. The nice thing about the paper is that it is flexible when wet, so you can maneuver it down into those tight spaces.

Finishing the Wallpaper

It is very likely that when you make your way around the room, you will not finish with the exact width of your roll of wallpaper. You will have to splice a piece to fit.

If possible, making the shorter section in an unnoticeable area is best. While every room is different, a great place to do this is over a doorway as it will be less noticeable due to the decreased surface area.

And being it is less surface area, you won’t have to stress so much about making a straight vertical cut.

I tired to line up the edges so that it blended in, but it helps that it is less noticeable over the doorway.

(Our floors got a facelift too. Check out our post on tiling tips for beginners (and mistakes to avoid) that I learned the hard way!)

I found it was helpful to use a ruler to get behind the obstacles when my hands wouldn’t fit to line up the paper as needed. Then do your best to press it down with the flat edge. A long flat edge is helpful when you can’t get your hands where you want them.

Conclusion

Wallpapering your bathroom water closet is an easy job that will bring so much personality to your space! It’s an inexpensive DIY that is SO worth the effort.

Remember the simple steps:

• Collect your supplies
• Prep your walls and find level
• Measure and Cut the paper
• Follow the directions for your adhesive
• Hang the paper and cut the excess
• remove air bubbles
• Roll the edges
  

And before you know it you’ll have the wallpapered room of your dreams!