How to wallpaper corners? A step-by-step guide

Decorative wallpaper is one of the fastest ways to completely transform the look of an interior. Proper installation of the wallpaper is oftentimes just as important as choosing the right pattern. Even the trendiest designs will lose their visual appeal if the wallpaper has been hung sloppily. That’s why it’s so important to properly match the wallpaper drops and avoid trapping air bubbles underneath.

The key moment in the installation process is wallpapering around corners. It’s easy to make a simple mistake here. One moment of inattention and you end up with an ugly gap or the drops overlap in a messy way, disrupting the pattern. All you need to do to avoid that, however, is to follow our tips and tricks on how to successfully wallpaper corners.

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How to wallpaper around corners? It doesn’t have to be difficult!

The process of hanging a wallpaper is naturally not limited to corners alone. If you want to achieve a stunning effect, make sure to properly prepare the surface of the wall for the installation of the wallpaper. It is important that the wall is clean and smooth – without cracks and holes. It is best to apply primer to seal the wall at least a day prior so that the wallpaper adheres to the surface of the wall better.

There are a lot of guides on how to hang a wallpaper online but they very often avoid the topic of wallpapering around corners. Many people make the mistake of assuming that you should just connect wallpaper drops right in the corner edge to edge. However, this strategy can lead to many unfortunate problems.

It’s very difficult to paste wallpaper evenly in a corner. Inexperienced decorators oftentimes end up with an unsightly gap in the pattern. In order to ensure that your interior makeover is up to snuff, one has to pay attention to detail! Once you know what to do, however, it’s not all that hard.

All you need is a measuring tape and a pencil to accurately measure the right length of wallpaper

How to wallpaper around corners – necessary tools and accessories

Before we discuss how to wallpaper corners, let’s take a look at the tools and materials necessary for the job. What should you prepare before you install your wallpaper? Having the right tools at hand can save you a lot of headache. Don’t worry, the shopping list isn’t too long:

• a pencil – to mark the wallpaper for cutting,

• a metre measure / straightedge – to measure the width of the drops,

• a wallpaper guide knife – sharper than regular scissors,

• a wallpaper pressure roller – should be small enough to fit in the corners,

• a step ladder – adjusted to the room height,

• a soft squeegee – to smoothen the wallpaper surface,

• a brush and a container to mix paste,

• a sponge – to remove excessive paste from under the wallpaper,

• if you want to simplify the entire process you can also install moulding panels in the corner. 

Before you start hanging the wallpaper, make sure that you have all the essential tools to get the job done

It’s also important to prepare a comfortable workspace. Place all your tools and materials on a table nearby to avoid uncomfortable kneeling and bending down. This simple step will make the job faster and more precise. When it comes to patterned wallpapers, it’s very important to install the drops evenly down to the millimetre.

• Wallpapering inner corners

Here’s our simple, step-by-step instruction on how to wallpaper corners, but first – an important tip. Make sure to always carefully read the wallpaper installation instruction. Depending on its material, pasting your wall decoration may require additional steps. In some cases, it is recommended to apply paste on the wallpaper, while in others – on the wall itself. It’s very important if you care about the final effects.

We’ll begin by discussing how to wallpaper inner corners, i.e. where the walls in a room meet. Let’s say we’re installing our wallpaper drop by drop and we got to the corner. First, measure the width of the next drop and mark it with a pencil.

Remember not to connect the wallpaper drops exactly at the corner. Instead, make sure the wallpaper goes around the corner and ends on the next wall. By adding these few extra centimetres, you’ll avoid creating ugly gaps in uneven corners.

The wallpaper drops should be matched evenly and perfectly smooth. This is where you’ll need to use the pressure roller to smoothen the decoration in the corner. Press the wallpaper to the wall to remove air bubbles from underneath and preserve the straight angle of the wall.

Useful tip

If you’re worried that you won’t be able to evenly match wallpaper drops using the overlap method, there’s another way to go. With the use of moulding corner panels, you can make the job much easier. Thanks to the moulding, you don’t have to wrap the wallpaper around the corner.

Simply install wallpaper to the edge of the moulding. One disadvantage of this solution is that the edge of the decoration will be visible. To make it a bit less conspicuous, you can choose a moulding panel that is similar in colour to the wallpaper.

• Wallpapering outer corners

Where in a typical room can we encounter outer corners? They are often a problem when installing wallpaper around windows or if an interior has a mantlepiece or a bay. How to wallpaper around the corners in such cases? When it comes to wallpapering, outer corners aren’t too different from inner corners. You should again begin with carefully measuring the required width of the drops.

Once you get to the corner, leave a few centimetres of overlap and let the wallpaper wrap around to the next wall. The overlap doesn’t have to be wide. Try to cut the pattern in such a place so as to make it easier to match it to the next drop. Then the seam will be almost invisible. You can use either a pressure roller or a soft squeegee to smoothen the wallpaper in outer corners.

When wallpapering an outer corner, remember not to connect the drops exactly at the corner. You’ll achieve a much better effect if you leave some overlap and move the seam to the next wall

Useful tip

The moulding panels which we mentioned when discussing inner corners can also be used for outer corners as well. The panel will make the job much easier. Instead of leaving an overlap, you just have to install the wallpaper to the edge of the moulding. The panel will also cover and protect the corner of the wall, which is especially important in places where you can accidentally bump into it, like hallways and corridors.

Even though modern wallpapers are printed on high-quality, durable materials, repeated mechanical damage can make the decoration wear out after a couple of years.

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How to wallpaper around corners? Patience and precision are the key to success!

Now you know what tools you need to install wallpaper on your own. Feel free to take advantage of our tips and tricks when decorating your interiors. We guarantee that they’ll make the entire process swift and simple.

A beautiful wallpaper can completely transform a non-descript interior. In order for that to happen, however, it has to be properly installed. Now that you know how to do it, all you need is the right wallpaper design for your room. Make sure to visit Myloview.com to discover thousands of decorative motifs in many different styles.