Sometimes you’ve just got to make a change or you’ll go screaming out into the night. Often, the easiest thing to change is your home’s décor, much easier, say, than getting a divorce or having your mother-in-law euthanized.
 
In fact, there was a time when I thought putting up wallpaper was a fine alternative to psychotherapy, and a lot cheaper. Whenever things started to get me down, off I’d go in search of the perfect pattern. And I was pretty good at it, too, able to put the stuff up in a flash and earn compliments on the results. Maybe it’s my artistic training, but I think I’m better than most novices; if you can’t make the same boast, please hire a pro.
 
However, if you are really determined to do it yourself, there are a few very key rules to follow:
 
1.      Pre-pasted or not? The two types of papers available don’t really look or feel all that different, and if you don’t know it’s pre-pasted and you go ahead and apply paste to it, you’re done for, so pay attention when you buy. Since working with each kind has its blessings and curses, choose the paper you want based on how it looks, not whether or not it comes pre-pasted.
2.      Measure, measure, measure your room. Then measure again. Allow for waste, and  plenty of  it if this is your first time. The very worst thing is to run out of paper a foot from the end of the job.  Not only is it annoying to have to go back to the store and get another roll, but sometimes there isn’t another roll available anywhere in these United States, or if there is it’s from another dye lot and the color is off.
3.      Geometrics, stripes or florals? Steer clear of patterns that absolutely must match up in order to look good. Larger floral patterns, toile and animal prints will camouflage a mismatched edge better than tiny, repeating patterns. Avoid stripes since they will call attention to any section that is not hung 100% straight and true. (Crooked seams get lost in patterns, but not in stripes.)
4.      Be prepared to remove the wallpaper if you absolutely hate it. For this I strongly recommend hiring a pro, since stripping wallpaper is a far less rewarding job than hanging it.  If you make a blunder your future walls hang in the balance, since any remaining glue can prevent a smooth paint job or hinder another attempt at wallpaper.
5.      Consider paint. Instead.