Wallpaper or paint?

If you are unsure whether to wallpaper or paint your walls consider the following points.

Home interiors is big business. There are countless shops dedicated to furniture, soft furnishings and fixtures to make your home look exactly as you wish. Should you be renting or selling your home in Thailand it is more important than ever to make sure that it is presenting at its best. It is about creating a lifestyle that people want to be a part of. Whether it is picking the latest paint colours or trying to resemble a five-star hotel look. Ask yourself these following questions to decide whether to go bold with wallpaper or opt for paint instead.  

1. Is there a time constraint?

It can take time to remove wallpaper from the walls. Tools are likely to be needed to do this too. However one benefit of wallpaper is that it can be applied to walls that are less than perfect. Whereas a wall that is to be painted needs to be in perfect condition and may need to be prepped with filler and even plastering. The condition of your walls may dictate whether wallpapering or paint is better but also the time you have to play with too. 

2. What room is it for?

Wallpaper is durable, however it is not suitable for a room that is subject to a lot of moisture like the shower room or kitchen where the paper may peel from the wall due to the weakening of the adhesive. It is ideal for families as it is hard wearing, but should you children like to try out their latest drawing skills on the wall then paint is probably your best bet. Any damage to wallpaper especially chips means that the whole wall needs to be re-papered rather than just a quick coat of paint.

3. Is cost a factor?

Paint is cheaper than wallpaper. Especially as there are many designers out there putting their name to a wallpaper which increases its price. But if you are keen to wallpaper but do not have an endless budget, consider just wallpapering a feature wall instead

4. Is there an target audience?

The interior of a room will vary if it is for yourself or for an end user. If you are letting out the property as part of your buy-to-let portfolio in Thailand, then you need to consider the tenant you are aiming to ensure you generate a healthy rental yield. If this is the case, do not go to eclectic and pick something that will suit a variety of tastes. 

5. Is there a particular look in mind?

As wallpaper comes in some many designs, this is one way to adopt a new style in your home. You may love birds so pick a wallpaper teeming with wildlife. Plus with wallpaper no other artwork is needed for that wall which makes it decoration even easier. If you have an eccentric range of furniture it may be hard to match the pieces with a wallpaper design so stick with one colour paint colour instead.

6. Undecided?

No problem: wallpaper and paint. Have a feature wall in wallpaper and paint the remaining walls. This is a play safe option as well as being cheaper.