Review of Peel & Stick Wallpaper

Remember that floral wallpaper that was all over your grandma’s house? And all those hours and days spent peeling it off years later?

And it made us swear off wallpaper forever, right?

Flip 2 made me swear I’d never buy into the wallpaper trend. There was SO much (ugly) wallpaper in that house!

And while I still stand firm that wallpaper is a thorn in my side, the designs and application process have improved so much! I’ve spent hours before helping Mom hang wallpaper. Laying out the sheets. Cutting them. Rolling the glue on the back. Brushing it. Cursing all the glue that was stuck on your fingers.

You may recall that in Flip 7’s kitchen, I needed a fast and very affordable backsplash option. And while perusing the aisle of Target, I found the perfect solution. Peel & stick wallpaper…in a variety of colors and styles- even shiplap! Since I had already used shiplap in the kitchen, I didn’t want to have too much of a good thing, plus I wanted something that didn’t have crisp and precise lines, so that applying it would be more forgiving. I ended up choosing a whitewashed brick pattern. Each roll covers almost 30 sq. ft. which was more than enough for the small backsplash area in the kitchen.

I had the entire backsplash done in about 2 hours with the help of my sister. Applying it to the walls was substantially less frustrating than the roll-on glue kind I had helped Mom apply. The only really frustrating part was around the window trim and getting the cuts just right. I was also very glad I had chosen a pattern that had varied lines rather than crisp lines.

The wallpaper backing is similar to contact paper, but the paper is definitely a better, thicker quality. There were times where I didn’t get the lines matched perfectly and had to remove the wallpaper from the wall and reapply. It never lost its adhesive backing and was very forgiving in the application process. Another thing I liked about this option- besides the ease & affordability- is how easy it’ll be to clean. Spaghetti sauce splashes on it? Just wipe it off!

 

And another ideal thing about this new trend of wallpaper is that it’s apartment friendly! There is no glue that permanently alters the texture of the walls, so it’s an easy way to add some style to your rental! Obviously check with your landlord first, but it’s super easy to remove without any glue residue or damage to the sheetrock!

So little and so much changed in the tiny kitchen at Flip 7, and I knew with my shoe string budget that I had to get super creative on the backsplash. And who would have thought peel and stick wallpaper would be the winner? I only used a portion of the roll, and I have enough to do an accent wall or another backsplash!