Using Wallpaper To Set The Tone For Your Country Kitchen

Many a country kitchen design starts with wallpaper. It is easy to hang and relatively inexpensive, compared to other traditionally country wall options, such as wood paneling. It is a popular belief that everything about wallpaper is complicated, from determining how much to buy to getting it to stick where you put it. Actually, nothing is further from the truth on both counts.

Measuring a room for wallpaper is not as complicated as some people believe. Start by gather up the tools you’ll need: measuring tape, paper, pen or pencil, calculator, and, if possible, a friend to help by holding the other end of the tape measure. The first measurement is simple – how high are your walls? Typical ceiling heights are 8 or 9 feet, but always measure to be sure. You don’t want to find out to late that you guessed wrong.

Next, you’ll need to measure the length of every wall that is going to be covered, ignoring doors and windows for right now. Just stretch the tape measure from one wall to the next & write down the numbers.

Multiply the total length of your walls by the height of the room to get the overall square footage of the room. If you have unusually large doors or windows, you will need to measure each of them individually, multiplying the width by the height to determine the number of square feet to subtract from your overall measurement. If you have typical windows and doors, you can use these measurements: A regular doors approximately 3 feet x 7 feet, or 21 square feet. Regular windows are approximately 3 feet by 5 feet, or 15 square feet. Now you just need to count the number of doors and windows in your room and subtract that amount from your overall total. If you have unusually shaped areas that you want to cover, such as around a kitchen island, or above cabinets, you will need to measure these individually and add that to your total.

Now that you have determined that number of square feet you need to cover your walls, it is time to translate that number into rolls of wallpaper. One tricky thing to remember here is that wallpaper is measured in “single rolls” but it is only sold in “double rolls”. This is part of the reason that many people find measuring for wallpaper confusing. A single roll will cover 25 square feet, so divide your total square feet needed by 25 to get the number of single rolls needed, then divide that number by 2 to get the actual number of double rolls you need to buy.

Some other things to keep in mind as you figure that amount of paper you need include the repeat pattern. If you will have to match an exact pattern, you will need extra paper. You should also try to buy enough so that you can fix a mistake if you make one, without having to go back to the store. Actually, you should buy an extra roll if possible just to have for future patches and repairs.

The last thing to keep in mind is that you'll want to buy all of the paper that you need to cover your kitchen at the same time. If you have to go back to the store, or order more online, you may find that the color doesn’t match exactly. If the new roll has as different “run number” or “batch number”, chances are, the manufacturer mixed a fresh batch of ink that may or may not be exactly like the last batch. Be generous when you estimate how much you’ll need and avoid possible disappointment over mismatched colors.