How Much Wallpaper Do I Need?
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Ordering the right amount the first time matters with designer wallpaper. Rolls from a later production run may not match the color of your first order, so it's better to have a little extra than to come up one roll short. Here is the method installers use.
What you need from the product page
- Roll width, in inches (often 27 inches for printed papers and 36 inches for grasscloth).
- Roll length. Most of the Thibaut and Anna French papers we carry are packaged in double rolls, and the product page shows the length.
- Pattern repeat, in inches. A plain texture or random match has no repeat to allow for.
Step 1: Measure the walls
Measure the width of every wall you're covering and add them together. Measure the height from baseboard to ceiling. Don't subtract doors and windows. That space becomes your allowance for trimming and pattern matching.
Step 2: Count the strips
Divide the total wall width by the roll width and round up.
Step 3: Work out the length of each strip
Add about 4 inches to the wall height for trimming. If the paper has a pattern repeat, round that number up to the next full repeat, so each strip starts at the same point in the pattern.
Step 4: Strips per roll
Divide the roll length by the strip length and round down. Leftover pieces shorter than a full strip can't be used for full-height drops.
Step 5: Rolls to order
Divide the strips needed by the strips per roll and round up. Then add about 15 to 20% for mistakes, tricky corners and future repairs.
Worked example
A 12 by 14 foot bedroom with 8-foot ceilings, papered in a 27-inch-wide print with a 25¼-inch repeat, sold in 9-yard double rolls:
- Total width: 12 + 14 + 12 + 14 = 52 feet = 624 inches
- Strips: 624 ÷ 27 = 23.1, so 24 strips
- Strip length: 96 + 4 = 100 inches, rounded up to 4 full repeats (4 × 25¼) = 101 inches
- Strips per double roll: 324 ÷ 101 = 3.2, so 3 strips
- Double rolls: 24 ÷ 3 = 8, plus about 15% = 9 double rolls
Grasscloth and murals
- Grasscloth is wider and has no repeat, but color varies between runs, so ordering enough at once is even more important. See how to measure and order grasscloth.
- Murals are sold as a set of panels that make one image of a fixed size. Compare your wall's width and height to the mural size on the product page. If your wall is wider, you may need a second set; if it's smaller, the extra is trimmed off.
Need a second opinion?
Ask your installer to check the count from your measurements before you order, or send us your wall sizes and the pattern you like and we will help you work it out. And if you're still choosing, order samples first.