Painting any room in your home can transform how it looks and feels but wallpaper should not be ignored. Indeed, there are many people choosing modern wallpapers now to decorate a room and give it a distinct look. So which one should you choose?
What About Costs?
It makes sense that painting a room is cheaper and easier. Almost anyone can do it. The problem with wallpaper is that it takes time, requires some level of expertise, and generally costs more in terms of time and money. But this is not the whole story.
While paint is definitely cheaper, wallpaper has a lot of durability over time. Yes, it might be more expensive in the first instance but it will definitely last for longer before you need to redecorate. If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t want to decorate every few years, wallpaper may just be the better option.
Of course, even if you choose paint, you should always choose a good-quality brand. These are thicker and don’t need so many coats to create a good finish. Overall, a good-quality wallpaper will be more durable but your choice reflects how much you want to spend and how often you will be decorating in the future.
Location and Experimentation
If you want to decorate a high moisture or humidity area such as the bathroom, wallpaper should not be your first choice. Those smaller walls lend themselves to greater levels of experimentation and you can get very creative with modern wallpaper patterns. The problem is that the moisture inherent in these rooms can lift the wallpaper no matter how good the quality is.
In such cases, a good-quality paint is going to be your best option. Just choose one that is intended for use in bathrooms and other moisture-filled areas of the home so that mold does not become an immediate issue. And you can definitely still experiment with bold color choices in these areas too.
A Question of Variety vs. Ease and Convenience
One of the reasons why wallpaper has been making a comeback in homes is that it provides a huge range of variety. There are so many patterns and prints to choose from that it can create atmospheres and visual surprises that paint just can’t match.
You can add so much feel to a room with the right wallpaper. For example, use subtle strips to enhance the vertical space in a home office or hallway. Or have your own bespoke image custom-printed using digital means. The fact is that paint just can’t match this endless variety of shapes, patterns, lines, and prints.
However, paint has some distinct advantages too. First of all, it’s easier to grab some colors and just get them on the walls. It invites color experimentation and is easier to paint over if you don’t like the color choices you made. Wallpaper can also be more difficult to get right, especially if you’re into complex patterns.
Conclusion
Wallpaper and paint offer different strengths and weaknesses. What you choose is largely down to your needs and where you’re decorating in the home but you also need to bear in mind costs, durability, and ease and convenience.