Where To Start When Decorating - WallpaperBuddy™ (2024)

FAQs

When wallpapering, where should you start? ›

Hang the first piece of wallpaper close to the corner, leaving perhaps half a width to hang to the left depending on if you are right or left handed (see below). Continue all the way around the room until you get back to the first corner.

Start with the ceiling

We recommend you start your decorating project at the top and work your way down. Taking this approach will allow you to avoid dripping any paint onto freshly painted areas. Before you start painting, clean your ceiling, fill any holes or cracks and sand it.

HANGING THE WALLPAPER

First find the centre point of your feature wall, the easiest way to do this is measure across at the top, middle and bottom and then line the three dots up with your plumb line.

Where on the wall do you start wallpapering? If your wallpaper does not have a main focal point, start at the left corner of the wall and move toward the right. If you do have a central design element, you'll want to center that in the middle of the wall and move outwards.

Follow the 2:3 Rule

“The 2:3 design rule suggests your sofa should be the equivalent of ⅔ the size of your room.” However, if your living room is also your dining room or home office, that may not be possible, explains the designer.

What is the "Rule of Three" In a nutshell, the rule of three suggests that things grouped in threes are more natural, harmonious and visually appealing. Odd numbers challenge our brains a bit and are more interesting.

What is the 60-30-10 Rule? It's a classic decor rule that helps create a color palette for a space. It states that 60% of the room should be a dominant color, 30% should be the secondary color or texture and the last 10% should be an accent.

You will want to decorate with your large pieces or statement pieces first. Get your bed frame, sofa, and dining table in the room first before you start adding all the other decor pieces. This will make it easier for you as you continue to decorate so you know where you need to add what.

How to decorate for beginners? ›

Start with the bedroom.

It's where you'll be spending almost a third of your time when you're at home, after all.

If you're wallpapering a full room then it's usually best to start in an inconspicuous corner however remember not to follow the wall as a straight edge, it's likely going to be wonky so it's usually best to start just shy of one strip in so you can straighten the design running into the corner.

Begin at the top of the wall and place your first piece using the plumb line (or level) as a guide to keep it straight. There's no need to wait if you're not using the booking method. Simply apply the paste to the wall and hang the piece on top before the paste dries.

Don't choose the wall behind you or out of your line of sight when you enter the room. For maximum impact, choose the wall you first see when you walk into the room. Don't choose a wallpaper design that's too plain and light in colour for a high traffic area as it will experience more wear and tear over time.

Here's a few tips you can use if you're not sure the wallpaper design goes up or down: Manufacturers usually roll the wallpaper up. When you undo the wrapping on the wallpaper roll, the end you unroll is the top.

Start from the place where you are going to hang the first length of wallpaper and hang a half-width of lining paper. Continue with full widths across the rest of the wall. This is okay if the two papers are the same width, but be aware that lining papers are available in different widths.

With one side of a corner complete you need to to make sure that the next drop matches up and is straight as Clark explains: “Set up a plumb line on the adjoining wall and hang the offcut against this line, matching the pattern as best as possible, this should fit neatly into the corner with a slight overlap.”