Wallpaper and panelling
Traditional papers, non-woven and bespoke murals: the result is decided by the background and by the pattern lining up, drop after drop.
Before any paper goes up we prepare the surface exactly as we would for painting: every ripple and every missed filling stays readable through the finished paper in raking light.
What we hang and fit
Wallpaper
Traditional papers, non-woven and made-to-measure murals, with the pattern matched.
Panelling
Mouldings and battens on the wall, finished in eggshell, for bedrooms and entrance halls.
Seventy per cent of the work happens before the paper
Anyone can roll on a coat of white. The difference is in the preparation and in how many coats go on.
Protection
Floors, windows, furniture and light fittings covered, skirting and switches masked. A well-protected decorating job is obvious at a glance, and it is also quicker.
Preparing the surface
Sanding, brushing off anything chalky, filling cracks and holes, skimming where the wall is uneven. Old distemper has to be scraped back: paint over it and the new coat peels away in sheets.
Primer and touching in
Primer or stabiliser chosen for the surface, and spot coats over the filler so it doesn’t flash in raking light. Smoke and damp stains need a stain-blocking primer, or they come back through.
Hanging and finishing
For wallpaper we strike the first vertical to plumb, apply the paste to suit the backing and match the pattern drop by drop, trimming tight at corners and window reveals. Then the protection comes up and everything is cleaned.
Questions about wallpaper
Can wallpaper go in a bathroom or a kitchen?
Yes, with the right material: vinyl non-woven and fibreglass papers cope with steam and cleaning. What we avoid is the shower wall and the splashback behind the hob, where water and heat hit directly. Those want tile or glass. On the rest of the bathroom walls it holds up fine.
Can new paper go straight over the old?
It can be done, but it rarely pays. If the sheet underneath is lifting even in places, the new drop comes away with it, and the old seams read through. We take it off, check what is underneath and make good where needed: a few hours that save doing the whole thing again a year later.
What if the wall has damp patches?
The cause gets dealt with first, always. Papering a wall that is still taking water shuts the problem in: the stain comes back through and the paper lifts at the edges. Once the cause is fixed and the wall is dry, a stain-blocking primer goes on and it hangs without risk.
When I change my mind, is it hard to take off?
It depends on the backing, and it is worth deciding before you buy. Non-woven strips off dry by pulling the drop, with no steam and no plaster coming with it. Traditional paper-backed types have to be soaked and scraped. If you already know you will want a change in a few years, we say so while you are choosing.
This job often goes together with
Samples first, spending after
We bring the samples to your home and look at them in your light. Changing your mind at that stage costs nothing.
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