How to Choose Wallpaper for a Bathroom
Where paper can and cannot go in a bathroom, which of our three papers to use, and the one thing that decides whether it stays up
Yes, in most bathrooms. Use our heavy-grade paper, keep it out of direct spray, and make sure the room is properly ventilated. Our traditional paper can be used in a well-ventilated bathroom. Our removable peel and stick paper is not suitable for bathrooms, because steam is exactly what defeats a pressure-sensitive adhesive.
Ventilation decides everything
Wallpaper does not fail in bathrooms because of water. It fails because of steam that has nowhere to go, condensing on cool walls and working its way behind the edges.
- Run an extractor during a shower and for fifteen to twenty minutes afterwards.
- Open a window if there is no extractor.
- Keep the door shut while the room is in use and the extractor running, so moisture goes out rather than into the landing.
- Deal with any existing condensation or mould problem before you paper. Wallpaper hides it briefly and makes it worse.
A bathroom with good ventilation takes wallpaper happily. One where the mirror stays fogged for an hour will defeat any paper made.
Where paper can and cannot go
- Yes: the wall opposite the bath, behind a freestanding bath, above a half-tiled wall, around a window, behind a WC, and the whole of a cloakroom.
- No: inside a shower enclosure, on the wall directly behind a bath's taps, or as a splashback behind a basin.
The rule is simple: wherever water lands directly, use tile, glass or panelling. Everywhere else, paper is fine.
Heavy-grade, 300gsm: recommended
Vinyl-coated non-woven, so it copes with an occasionally humid room and can be gently cleaned. The sand texture and matte finish also disguise the small imperfections common on bathroom walls.
Traditional, 150gsm: usable
Fine in a well-ventilated bathroom, particularly a cloakroom or a family bathroom with a good extractor. Keep it further from the wet areas than you would the heavy-grade.
Removable, 180gsm: not suitable
Its adhesive relies on contact with the paint film, and repeated steam works between the two. It will lift at the edges within weeks.
The downstairs cloakroom
The easiest and most rewarding room in the house to paper. It is small, so the roll count is low. It is dry, because nobody showers in it. And because it is a room people spend only a minute in, it can carry a bolder design than you would live with in a living room.
Two or three rolls typically does an entire cloakroom. It is the room to be brave in.
Hanging it well
- Prepare thoroughly, because bathroom walls carry more residue than they look. Wash, rinse, dry, dust.
- Check for damp and condensation staining before you start.
- Paste generously and take the adhesive right into the corners and edges, where steam finds its way in.
- Trim neatly to tiles, splashbacks and around the WC cistern. Crease first, then cut against a broad knife.
- Let it dry for a full 48 hours before anyone showers in the room, with the extractor running.
Papering above a half-tiled wall
A common and sensible arrangement: tile stays where the water is, paper goes above. Trim the paper down onto the top edge of the tile or its trim, creasing first. It is the same technique as trimming onto a dado rail.
Do not paper over the tiles themselves.
Can you wallpaper a bathroom?
Yes, in a properly ventilated bathroom, keeping the paper out of direct spray. Heavy-grade is the paper we recommend.
Can you use peel and stick wallpaper in a bathroom?
We do not recommend it. Steam gets between the adhesive and the paint film and the edges lift.
Can wallpaper go in a shower?
No. Inside an enclosure needs tile, glass or panelling.
Will bathroom wallpaper peel?
Not if the room is ventilated, the wall was properly prepared and the paper was allowed to dry fully before the room was used.
Is your wallpaper waterproof?
No. The heavy-grade paper is vinyl-coated and tolerates humidity and gentle cleaning; none of our papers is waterproof.
What about a downstairs cloakroom?
The best room in the house for it: small, dry, and the right place for a bold design.
