Wallpaper Q&A With Expert Installers Tom And Danielle Walker
Tom & Danielle Walker wallpapering Judith's Kitchen backsplash!
After flipping through the most recent issue of TUCK IN, our online decorating magazine publication, you may have picked up that we LOVE wallpaper! Be it an accent wall, an entire room, or creative features, wallpaper is the star of many Tuck Interiors projects.
When considering wallpaper, you may have questions about the process, how to choose the right paper, and the practicality of wallpapering. For these questions, we lean on our trusted expert installers, Tom & Danielle Walker. The duo have decades of combined wallpaper and painting experience for both commercial and residential projects. They’ve answered some common and important questions when it comes to all things wallpapering! Read on to see what they have to say.
1. What makes a wallpaper “easy” or “hard” to install? Is it the material, the pattern match, or something else entirely?
The most difficult part of installing wallpaper is figuring out the layout. This is dependent on both the pattern and the room itself. For example, if the room has a lot of outside corners or things to go around, like in a bathroom with vanities and toilets. This has to be taken into account when considering how the pattern will match up, especially with outside corners. More often than not they are not level, which will also throw off the pattern when you wrap the corner.
Also, quality does come into play when it comes to how each sheet matches up. Some materials stretch more than others when it comes off the line from the manufacturer, where sometimes the more inexpensive products get stretched. This means the pattern won't line up from piece to piece.
Jen and Dave’s sunroom with the Coordonné Diderot Black Non-Woven Wallpaper and Gus* Lodge Chairs photographed by Kelly Lawson.
2. How should someone prepare their walls before installation day?
The best way you can prepare is removing all the pictures from the walls that are getting paper. Also moving all the furniture away from the wall, just enough to get a ladder by, so approximately 3 feet from the wall. If you are installing the wallpaper yourself , then we would also recommend sanding your walls as well, this will help prevent the paper from tearing when you smooth it out. It also gives better adhesion, as the paper will have more contact to the wall if the wall is smooth. If you're hiring someone to install it for you, then that is something they will do.
3. Is there a wallpaper material you personally love working with — and one you’d happily never see again?
We LOVE working with Cole and Son paper (from Tuck Studio)! The products they make are so lovely to work with. However most brands that paste to the wall are nice to work with. It's rare that you get a pattern that doesn't work or that has a flaw if you're getting it from a reputable brand.
The only product we hope to NEVER have to hang again is anything thats peel and stick. It's a terrible product. No matter how careful you are, it always stretches and looks terrible. We are never happy with the end product, and it doesn't live up to our quality standards so we refuse to hang it.
October 2024 TUCK IN Issue of Tracy & Julien’s bedroom with Cole & Son Fanfare Flock wallpaper captured by Kelly Lawson.
4. For clients nervous about wallpaper, what's your advice to help them commit?
There is nothing to be nervous about! Wallpaper is a great way to elevate your space. It's also a lot easier to remove than it used to be. So it's no longer the forever commitment that it used to be. I think a lot of people are haunted by the days or weeks they spent stripping 18 plus layers of old wallpaper. That thankfully is no longer the case!
- Tuck Team Input: we understand why wallpaper can feel like a scary commitment, but it is something we love recommending to our clients in our home consultations, since it is an easy way to make a statement in a room, while also instantly amplifying a room's atmosphere. We believe that wallpaper can be a for-sure way to elevate any space.
5. How is wallpaper today different than it was in the past? So many people are traumatized by the wallpapers of their childhoods!
One of the biggest differences is that wallpaper now is more stable, whereas it used to grow in size on the wall quite a bit. This would slow down the installation time. The installation procedure used to be, put up two pieces, leave and come back the next day to see how much it grew/settled on the wall. Also the other main difference is it's a lot easier to remove than it used to be! Wallpaper now comes off in almost full strips, instead of the thousands of little pieces.
6. Can wallpapers be protected with a stain treatment or varnish to make them more cleanable?
You can absolutely put a protective coating like a vanish over your wallpaper for added protection. On darker papers there might be a visible cast, but on lighter paper it's a great option, that will definitely make it easier to clean and add some durability and scrubbability.
October 2024 TUCK IN Issue of Tracy & Julien’s bedroom with Cole & Son Fanfare Flock wallpaper captured by Kelly Lawson.
7. Do you recommend wallpaper for high humidity rooms like washrooms?
There is absolutely no issue with using wallpaper in high-humidity areas. Anytime we've ever seen any problems with wallpaper in washrooms it was always to do a pre-existing problem, such as damp walls, which you can test with a moisture meter.
- Tuck Team Input: We have actually wallpapered many bathrooms, and even think this can be a perfect place if you want to start experimenting with wallpaper! A smaller room like bathrooms gives you the opportunity to go for a bolder pattern.
Clarke Washroom Makeover from September 2024 TUCK IN Issue with the Cole & Son Camelia Wallpaper photographed by Kelly Lawson.
8. Can wallpaper be spot repaired if there are leftover pieces? Say a section becomes scratched, can it be cut out and replaced in just that spot or does the entire panel or wall need to be replaced?
Wallpaper spot repairs are possible! We've done it quite a few times. In some cases it's a much better option than replacing the whole strip. Just like paint, wallpaper will fade when it's in the sun over time. Not enough for it to be noticeable, unless you are installing a fresh strip next to one that has been up for years. Also dye lots change over time, so even if it's fresh wallpaper , if the pieces are from different batches there will be a big difference. If you can get away with a small repair, that is the best option. Always save your scrap paper, you never know when you might need it!
9. What's the most unique application or area you've installed wallpaper? Something that made you say "I never would have thought to do that!"
Ceilings are always cool but I think the most unique place we've wallpapered recently was actually for Tuck Studio. We wallpapered the front of the drawers on a bathroom vanity which was something I never would have thought of. It was featured in their Christmas Lookbook. We also wallpapered the glass walls in The Nook area of Tuck.
Left: Coordonne Diderot Black Non-Woven Wallpaper on Bathroom Vanity Drawers from Tuck’s 2023 Holiday Loft Look Book
Tuck’s Tuck Shop interior consult Nook with Soli Wallpaper
Ceiling of Tuck’s Summer 2025 Lounge Room with Caselio Arches Wallpaper
10. Since you started painting and working with wallpaper, what is the biggest change you've noticed?
When it comes to painting, the quality of products is probably the biggest change. There are so many incredible products now, such as Command (Benjamin Moore). It's made our life so much easier for certain projects like cabinets.
For wallpaper, it's also the quality. However, it's also the wide new range of patterns. Wallpaper for the most part used to be more basic, whereas now it's so unique and interesting!
