Wallpaper Tutorial Hub
Every wallpaper question, answered
Start with the four core guides, then dip into the tutorials for whatever your particular wall is throwing at you — corners, windows, half-walls or a move-out.
Start here
Four guides cover everything before, during and after. If peel and stick is new to you, read them in this order.
How Much Do I Need?
Measuring your wall, the add-10cm rule, the width and height cheat sheets, and how to read them straight off a tape measure.
Installation Guide
Wall prep, paint types, hanging panel by panel with the 2 cm overlap, outlets and windows, and what to do when something drifts.
Removal Guide
How to take panels down without damaging paint — heat, angle, pace — plus the honest truth about rental walls.
Care & Longevity
Cleaning, what shortens the life of an install, fixing a lifted edge, and storing spare panels for later.
Step-by-step tutorials
Practical walk-throughs for specific jobs. Each one assumes you've read the installation guide first.
A full feature wall
- Measure the wall, add 10 cm to width and height, and order the next size up.
- Mark a true vertical line where panel one will start — not off the corner.
- Hang panel by panel in numbered order, overlapping each by 2 cm.
- Trim at ceiling, skirting and both side edges with a fresh blade.
- Go back and press every seam and edge firmly.
A half-wall or dado look
- Decide your height and mark a level line right across the wall.
- Run painter's tape along the line as a cutting guide.
- Hang the panels from the line downward, overlapping by 2 cm as usual.
- Trim along the tape line for a crisp finish, then peel the tape away.
- Add a timber batten or trim strip over the join if you want it sharper.
Our 80 cm and 120 cm drops are made for exactly this.
Turning a corner
- Wrap the panel 1–2 cm around the corner rather than cutting at the edge.
- Mark a fresh vertical line on the new wall — corners are rarely square.
- Lay the next panel over the wrapped edge, against your new line.
- Trim the overlap with a sharp blade if it sits proud.
- Press both sides of the corner down firmly.
Around a window or door
- Hang the panel straight over the opening as though it weren't there.
- Cut a diagonal relief into each corner of the frame to release the tension.
- Trim to the frame edge against a straight edge.
- Wrap the cut edges into the reveal if you want a fully finished look.
- Press every trimmed edge down with a squeegee.
Wallpapering a nursery or kids' room
- Pick a wall out of direct sunlight — UV is what fades a design over the years.
- Check the paint has cured for at least four weeks before you start.
- Press every edge and seam down firmly once the panels are up.
- Re-press the edges every few months as the room heats and cools.
- Order one spare panel and store it, in case you want to patch a section later.
Wallpapering as a renter
- Test an $8 sample on a hidden patch for 48–72 hours before you order a wall.
- Photograph the wall before you install anything.
- When it's time to go, use heat on every panel — no exceptions.
- Peel at 15–20°, folding back along the wall, never outward.
- Photograph the wall again afterwards for your records.
Measuring and ordering correctly
- Measure your wall width and height in centimetres, at the widest and tallest points.
- Measure straight across windows and doors — don't subtract them.
- Add 10 cm to each measurement.
- Round each one up to the next available option on the design page.
- We cut and number the panels to fit — you never work out panel counts yourself.
A layered gum tree wall
- Lay every piece out on the floor before anything touches the wall.
- Plan the whole composition first — this is the step people skip.
- Start with background pieces and work forward.
- Overlap pieces to build depth rather than butting them together.
- Step back often to check the effect from across the room.
You never count panels. Each panel covers 60 cm of wall, but you don't need to do that maths — measure your wall, add 10 cm, and pick the matching width and height on the design page. We cut and number everything to fit.
Quick answers
The questions we're asked most often.
Can I install it myself, or do I need a professional?
Almost everyone does it themselves. There's no paste, no water and no specialist tools beyond a sharp blade and a straight edge. A standard feature wall takes most people two to three hours on a first attempt. Two people makes walls wider than 2 m considerably easier.
How do I know what size to order?
Measure your wall's width and height, add 10 cm to each, and round up to the next option on the design page. Don't subtract windows or doors. The cheat sheets let you read your raw wall measurement straight off a table.
Will it damage my walls when I remove it?
Our adhesive is water-based and designed to release cleanly from properly prepared, fully cured walls, and in the large majority of cases removal is clean. The variable is your paint: paint that was rolled over old coats without sanding or priming may never have bonded properly, and can lift when anything adhesive comes off it. That's a pre-existing wall condition rather than a product fault — the removal guide explains it in full, and testing a sample first is the best check available.
Can I use it in a bathroom or kitchen?
Bathrooms and laundries, no — humidity works against the adhesive and will shorten the life of the install considerably. A kitchen wall away from the sink, splashback and cooktop is usually fine. It's designed for dry interior spaces.
My walls were just painted. How long do I wait?
At least four weeks. Paint that feels dry to the touch can still be curing underneath, and hanging wallpaper on uncured paint is the single most common cause of it lifting — both straight away and later, on removal.
Can I reuse the wallpaper after taking it down?
Yes, if you keep the original backing paper. As you peel each panel off, line it back up with its backing sticky-side-down so it never touches itself, smooth it flat, then roll it loosely and store it somewhere cool, dry and out of sunlight.
What's the difference between your wallpaper and your wall decals?
Wallpaper comes as full-height panels that cover a whole wall, cut and numbered to your measurements. Decals are individual shapes you place where you like. Both are printed on the same fabric in Melbourne — decals also arrive with a test piece so you can check your paint, which wallpaper orders don't include.
Can I get a sample first?
Yes, and we'd recommend it. On any design, choose Sample (30cm) for both the wall width and the wall height. It's $8 and it lets you see the colour in your own light and test how it sits on your particular wall before you commit to a full order.
Still stuck?
Send us a photo of your wall and tell us what you're trying to do. We answer Monday to Friday, and we'd much rather hear from you before you start than after.
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