If you’ve decided that you want to hang wallpaper in your bathroom, brace yourself. No one is going to tell you that you’re making a mistake. “That’s a terrible idea.” “You can’t hang wallpaper in a bathroom, the steam will destroy it.” “It will peel off in six months.” Take one imaginary step into your bathroom and shout about how you JUST WANT TO HANG PAPER ON THE WALL. When you tell your contractor that you want to hang wallpaper in your bathroom he will cock his eyebrow and mutter something about destroying your walls under his breath while violently shaking his head no.
But here we are two years later and I”m still happily staring at my botanical wallpaper in my main bathroom. Zero bubbles, peels or water stains. What gives?!
How does my bathroom wallpaper look fantastic after two years of steam showers when everybody says it’s the downfall of bathroom wallpaper? Well, my friends, it turns out that if you prep properly and take the necessary steps to protect your wallpaper you can hang it in bathrooms without disaster.
Promise.
I will admit that I started small. With my powder room. And honestly, it was the perfect place to test out my theory.
There was no shower to worry about, very little moisture and a tiny space that could use a little pick-me-up. The walls were boring white builder white and the space had major doctor’ appointment waiting room vibes. I had been hoarding wallpaper samples for months (months- yes I’m THAT girl that hoards wallpaper scraps) and kept coming back to this botanical wallpaper.
It was a William Morris-inspired pattern with deep hunter greens and lush botanical swirls. Hanging the wallpaper was… lets just say that’s why professionals get paid the big bucks. After ripping the first attempt from the wall because the pattern matched looked like a preschooler cut it with safety scissors, I measured twice and cut once (thanks Dad for the advice).
And I mean REALLY measured twice and cut once. I wanted to make sure that these seams were small enough to hide, so I took my time. Patterns matched and the room was transformed!
Okay the powder room was a success but would my wallpaper hold up in MY bathroom? You know…the bathroom with the shower that my kids take multiple times a day creating tons of steam? Everyone thought I was nuts.
But I did my research. Here is the thing. Wallpapering your bathroom is not about avoiding moisture…it’s about controlling it.
First, I used a high quality primer made specifically for high moisture areas. Not just “painter’ primer” but Zinsser’s Bulls Eye 1-2-3 primer. It creates a plastic sort of film between the wall and wallpaper.
And I did two coats. I made sure each coat was completely dry before adding the second layer and even waited 24 hours before hanging my wallpaper. Trust me when I say that patience is key with wallpaper.
The next step was of course choosing your wallpaper and this step is equally as important! You can’t just buy wallpaper and assume it will hold up. I chose a vinyl coated wallpaper.
Of course you can hang non-vinyl wallpaper in your bathroom, but using vinyl wallpaper adds an extra layer of protection against those unexpected splashes and high humidity. The wallpaper I ended up choosing was this gorgeous damask style pattern in blue and grey tones. It was classy enough to look like an adult lives here but wasn’t too busy for the small space.
Hanging my wallpaper took me an entire weekend. My arms and back were sore from installing but I fueled my rage hanging with copious amounts of tea and consumed at least two packages of biscuits (stress baking is real people, don’t judge). But watching the transformation from blah beige box to bathroom sanctuary was worth every painful muscle.
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But here’s the secret nobody tells you about how to protect your bathroom wallpaper. Ventilation! After hanging my wallpaper I installed a new ventilation fan.
Not just any fan, but one that would quickly pull the steam out of the bathroom. Our old ventilation fan was ornamental at best. It was loud, yes it turned on when you flicked the switch but did nothing to quickly vent the room.
Our new ventilation fan cuts the steam in LESS THAN 5 MINUTES after taking a hot shower! On top of the ventilation fan I applied 3 coats of clear sealant over the wallpaper, making sure to put extra coats on around the sink and shower areas. It’s not very noticeable but it gives you that little extra layer of protection from moisture.
A lot of people will skip this step and say you don’t need it. But I’m telling you two years later of daily bathing it’s helped. The real test came when last January our furnace broke (it was the coldest month of the year) and we were without heat for weeks.
The house was so cold you could see condensation on every surface including the bathroom walls. I was POSITIVE that when the heat came back on I was going to find bubble-y, soaking wet wallpaper. You.
Would. Not. Believe. me.
When I peeked at the walls after our heat returned…the wallpaper was flawless. No damage what-so-ever. Cleaning the wallpaper is way easier than I expected too.
I simply wipe down the bathroom with a wet sponge every week when I give the bathroom a good cleaning. I don’t use any special products or try to be extra careful when I wipe down the walls. Because of the vinyl coating you can easily wipe down your wallpaper like you would any other surface.
As far as cost goes, wallpaper was actually very inexpensive. Especially when you compare the cost to tile or other luxury wall options. The wallpaper itself was about £45 per roll.
I needed 4 rolls to cover my main bathroom. Including the primer, wallpaper adhesive and sealant I spent around £220 on materials. When I compare that to what good quality tile would’ve cost me I call that a win!
BUT- aside from all of these pro tips and ventilation, there’s something about walking into a beautifully decorated bathroom every day. Like you planned it. Like you spend a lot of money there.
Even though we ALL know you didn’t spend that much money on your bathroom, friends compliment the wallpaper all the time and its SO satisfying to know you did it yourself.
It really does make brushing your teeth seem a little more glamorous. My powder room wallpaper turned into hallway wallpaper then dining room wallpaper and now I”m trying to talk myself into wallpapering our bedroom.
Once you take that leap and try bathroom wallpaper you will never go back to painted walls. Moral of the story, don’t listen to naysayers. Start small if you have to!
Grab that wallpaper you’ve been eyeing for your bathroom and just do it! Use a good primer, hang vinyl coated wallpaper in bathrooms, protect that paper and get yourself a nice ventilation fan. Please yourself and ignore the warnings of people who don’t want to take that chance.
You won’t regret it! PS- two years later I STILL smile when I see those beautiful botanical walls every morning. Sometimes the worst idea turn out to be the best ones.
