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journalism → support → readers
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we → purchase → commission
Adding colour and interest to spaces, it’s hardly surprising that searches for ‘wall coverings’ around the world have increased by 40 per cent in the last year, according to Google Trends, while searches for ‘removable wallpaper’ in the UK have soared by a whopping 5,000 per cent in the past three months.
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searches → add → months
Once seen as old-fashioned and ‘fuddy-duddy’, the latest and greatest styles now range from chintzy for those who like a touch of nostalgia to full-on murals to add impact and contemporary for thoroughly modern homes, while removable designs mean even renters or simply those who like to refresh their rooms on the regular can get in on the action.
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who → see → action
Best removable wallpaper at a glance
Best overall – Sandberg Tree of Life Mural Multi: £53.04, Sandbergwallpaper.com
Best budget buy – Dunelm Pressed Flowers Wallpaper: £27, Dunelm.com
Best for immediate impact – Rebel Walls Bellewood Clouds Blue Vintage: £43, Rebelwalls.com
Best for accurate alignment – B&Q GoodHome Osum Sage Nature Textured Wallpaper: £28, Diy.com
But what actually is removable wallpaper, how does it work and, crucially, what are the benefits?
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benefits → work → alignment
“Removable wallpaper is a great option for anyone who wants the freedom to change the look and feel of a space over time,” explains Sandra Willund, creative director at Rebel Walls – the Swedish design studio that creates murals and custom wallpaper, including removable styles.
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that → want → styles
“It brings pattern, colour and personality to a room, while giving you the flexibility to update it when life, your style or the space itself changes.”
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life → bring → it
She adds: “We’re seeing a broader shift towards interiors that feel more individual and expressive.
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that → add → interiors
People are embracing colour, pattern and scale as a way to create spaces that reflect their personality.
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that → embrace → personality
At the same time, our homes and how we use them are constantly evolving.
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we → use → them
Removable wallpaper fits naturally into that mindset, offering another way to make a meaningful visual change, while retaining the flexibility to adapt the space in the future.”
Explaining how it actually works, Sandra says: “Since our peel-and-stick wallpaper is self-adhesive, there’s no need for wallpaper paste.
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wallpaper → fit → paste
Simply peel away the backing and apply the covering directly onto a smooth and prepared wall, taking care to position each panel correctly as you go.”
What is the difference between peel-and-stick and paste-the-wall designs?
Peel-and-stick styles are basically giant wall stickers.
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styles → peel → designs
You peel away the backing, then smooth the paper onto the wall.
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You → peel → wall
It’s the more convenient option, but positioning large pieces correctly and smoothly can be challenging.
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positioning → ’ → pieces
Paste-the-wall designs do what they say on the tin, quite literally, whereby you apply glue to the wall rather than the paper (like traditional and non-removable styles), then position the paper over the top.
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you → paste → top
The benefit is that you can usually move the paper around a bit before the paste dries – wiggle room, if you like – which makes aligning pattern to other pieces easier.
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aligning → move → pieces
How I tested
I tested every removable wallpaper by applying each to a wall of my house that I’m yet to decorate – ensuring the surface was moisture-free and smooth – then I left them for 24 hours to see if they had come away at the edges or developed any dreaded bubbles.
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they → test → bubbles
Then, I removed them to see how easy it was and if the process left the surface undamaged.
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process → remove → surface
Naturally, I also assessed each of the four styles on design, texture, quality and value.
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I → assess → design
Sandberg Tree of Life Mural Multi
★★★★★
Best: Overall removable wallpaper
What we love: A digital print of a hand-painted design
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we → love → design
; I could sit and stare at the design of Sandberg’s mural for hours – it’s a real conversation-starter.
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it → sit → hours
Take note: The busy pattern, peel-and-stick format and mural design make lining up the motif between pieces a challenge.
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lining → take → pieces
Hand-painted with a fantastical tree adorned with decorative fruit, this intricate removable wallpaper from Sandberg – a Swedish company – is perfect for adding a touch of playfulness to any space in the house.
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wallpaper → paint → house
I particularly like using anything with food motifs in a kitchen, dining room or pantry, whether that’s wallpaper or paintings.
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that → like → kitchen
Featuring a warm beige backdrop complemented by rich shades of green, red, yellow, brown, purple, blue and pink, it’s vibrant and packed with personality.
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it → feature → personality
The matte finish feels like quality under your fingertips.
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finish → feel → fingertips
- Type: Peel-and-stick
Dunelm Pressed Flowers Wallpaper
★★★★☆
Best: Budget removable wallpaper
What we love:
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we → peel → What
At the cheaper end of the scale among the papers reviewed, this design punches well above its weight with a quality look and feel that could easily be mistaken for a designer covering.
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that → review → covering
Take note: The intricate pattern combined with the peel-and-stick design means it takes a bit of time to line up the edges of the floral motif between individual pieces.
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it → take → pieces
I love the fact that Dunelm lists a trio of complementary paints to pair with their removable wallpaper – perfect for making woodwork around it, like skirting, the door and cornices pop.
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cornices → love → skirting
The peel-and-stick design features a pretty floral pattern in pastel shades of yellow, pink, green and purple, while its surface is smooth to the touch.
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surface → peel → touch
Wipeable with a cloth, why not try it in a child’s bedroom or busy hallway, where scuffs and spills are pretty much inevitable?
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scuffs → try → bedroom
- Type: Peel-and-stick
Rebel Walls Bellewood Clouds Blue Vintage
★★★★★
Best: Removable wallpaper with immediate impact
What we love: The versatility of this paper means it’s as at home in a grown-up room as it is in a little one’s, while the price means it’s a steal compared to some of the designer murals on the market (not naming names).
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it → peel → names
Take note: Peel-and-stick or otherwise, applying mural papers to your walls can prove a nightmare for even the most accomplished DIYer, so divide the lengths as indicated by the cutting symbols, then lay in numerical order from left to right starting with length number one.
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applying → take → number
Based on several toile designs featuring trees from romantic landscapes, the Bellewood Clouds removable wallpaper from Rebel Walls weaves a narrative into a room.
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wallpaper → base → room
In shades of blue, brown and beige, the digital print is calming and cocooning, while mural-style design envelops spaces with its natural charm.
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design → calm → charm
I rather like this for a dining room as a conversation-starter around the table, although it would work equally well as a backdrop for a playroom that’s whimsical without being childish.
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that → like → playroom
- Type: Peel-and-stick
B&Q GoodHome Osum Sage Nature Textured Wallpaper
★★★★☆
Best: Removable wallpaper for accurate alignment
What we love: With no pasting table necessary, this wallpaper can be hung directly to a layer of glue added directly to the wall, which is best for accurately lining up patterns between the edges of pieces.
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which → stick → pieces
The tactile feel of the paper is lovely under the fingertips, too – but don’t tell the kids.
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feel → tell → kids
Take note: It’s still not peel-and-stick, so it wasn’t quite as easy to whack on the wall as the others.
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it → take → others
…and 11 more, not listed.
The Aporia
