All About The Peel and Stick Grasscloth in Our Bedroom

For awhile I had been itching to make a change in our bedroom, throwing around ideas like painting the entire room one color, swapping out furnishings or installing wallpaper. Paint is always an option, I didn’t really care to make anymore big furnishing purchases for this room – but what I really wanted was wallpaper. Our home was built in 1917 and many spaces still have the original plaster walls. Plaster walls are all the rage now so I feel lucky to have a home that’s full of it! However, to install actual wallpaper over textured walls requires skim coating and quite a bit of prep work. To be honest, if this was wallpaper going up in the dining room (what I dream of doing one day) then I probably would’ve bit the bullet and went for the big project. But I have long lived with a bright white bedroom so I wanted to look into something easier and more budget-friendly just in case I would decide this look isn’t my favorite.

before and after

I ended up ordering this NuWallpaper from Amazon, which is the same brand of wallpaper that lines the shelving in our tv den. I had worked with it before and knew that it’s easy on, easy off. I chose a darker color way to bring a bit of depth and masculinity to the otherwise more feminine elements in our bedding and my desk area. The verdict? I’m in love. Although I’ll always be a proponent of a creamy white palette, it sure does feel good to bring some depth and personality to this space.

installing peel and stick grasscloth

How many rolls did it take?
It took about 12 rolls to cover our 10 x 14′ room with 9′-ish ceilings. We ended up with quite a bit of waste (as you do with wallpaper) even though we didn’t have to worry about pattern matching from panel to panel. If I had to do it over, I think I would’ve order 2 rolls less and matched broken panels (we did this in two spots which was fairly easy) to save on waste and create more variation from panel to panel.

How long did it take?
With two of us it took about 14 hours altogether. That included prepping the walls (filling all holes and wiping the walls down to remove any dust or dirt) and taking a few breaks.

Does this paper have texture like actual grasscloth?
It does have some light texture which keeps it from feeling too faux. It’s nowhere near the texture that true grasscloth brings to space but definitely could pass for the real thing from a distance.

How easy was it to apply? What tools are necessary?
Removable wallpaper is like working with a giant sticker, so it’s easy to reposition if it doesn’t go on right the first time. We preferred removing the backing from the entire sheet rather than slowly peeling it off as you applied the paper, but be sure that it doesn’t fold and stick to itself – the panel is pretty much a waste at that point, as it’s almost impossible to unstick the panel from itself without damaging it. It requires some patience when working around doors and windows when making specific cuts – as well as working around corners. And applying each panel is much easier with two people: one person working from the top and the other at the bottom to keep the panel straight.
When installing peel and stick wallpaper you’ll absolutely want a very sharp utility knife, plastic wallpaper smoother, measuring tape and laser level. The laser level was especially important for our room as the ceiling and walls are not square (old house problems) but in general using a laser level will make the whole process go much smoother.

Will it damage the walls when removed?
Nope. I tested a piece before applying it to the whole room and it came off as easy as it went on.

Can you see the wall texture through the paper?
Surprisingly, no! I think that’s largely because of the busy pattern that is on the paper. If this was a light background with minimal pattern then it definitely would have shown through and not looked right.

Have any of the panels started to peel back since installing them?
None of the panels have pulled away from the walls at any point. It’s possible that with high humidity this will start to happen – I would be cautious to install this paper (or any peel and stick) in bathrooms or kitchens.

Is there anything you would’ve done differently?
I do wish I had mixed up the panels more so that the pattern repeat wasn’t so obvious. It’s the most noticeable on the largest wall – when standing from the side – that there’s a pattern to the paper and it ends up feeling less authentic and more faux.