Wallpaper vs. Paint: Which Should You Choose?
Address the elephant—err, wall—in the room and see whether wallpaper or paint is right for you
Highlights
Wallpaper and paint are both great options to refresh a room.
Paint is best for areas prone to moisture, like kitchens and bathrooms.
Paint is DIY-friendly, while wallpaper generally needs professional installation.
Wallpaper can last 10 to 15 years, while paint needs touch-ups every three to five years.
Installing wallpaper costs $250 to $1,000 per room, and paint costs $200 to $700 per room.
Whether you just moved into your new home or you’ve been there for years and are tired of the current style, you know it's time to give your walls a makeover. Transforming your walls—even creating an accent wall—can bring life into any space. But the tricky part is deciding how you will do it, and whether wallpaper or paint is the best option.
We have you covered. This guide will list the pros and cons of wallpaper versus paint and how they stack up against each other.
Wallpaper vs. Paint Breakdown
When it comes to finding that perfect design or color to bring out the room’s beauty, you really can’t go wrong with wallpaper or paint. But how do they compare when faced with some of the most critical factors to homeowners?
Durability: Wallpaper
Wallpaper can last 10 to 15 years with very little maintenance, while paint requires constant touch-ups and a fresh coat every three to five years.
Cost: Wallpaper
Both wallpaper and paint can be inexpensive or costly, depending on the quality and material you use. The cost to have wallpaper installed is $250 to $1,000 per room, while a professional paint job costs $200 to $700 per room. However, the initial upfront cost of wallpaper installation pays for itself because of its long life span.
DIY-Friendly: Paint
Installing wallpaper isn’t a simple project and typically requires a pro to get it done right. Painting, on the other hand, is a DIY project even beginners can do—as long as they have patience.
Designs: Tie
Wallpapers are known for their various designs, but the sheer customization you can get from paint can’t be ignored. While paint is the go-to for creating designs unique to you, it’ll take much more time than applying wallpaper with designs.
Resale Value: Paint
The style you choose can impact your resale value for both wallpaper and paint. If your wallpaper has a neutral design, it won’t drastically affect the value compared to wallpaper suited for a specific style. But overall, paint is less likely to hurt your resale value.
Bathrooms and Kitchens: Paint
Wallpaper doesn’t fare well in these moist climate areas of your home, and the wallpaper itself can peel, and excessive water can lead to mold growth behind it. But because of the different types of paint, you can give your bathroom or kitchen the makeover you want without worrying about moisture impacting its appearance.
Replacement: Paint
When you’re ready to change wallpaper, carefully remove it from your wall so you don’t accidentally damage the drywall underneath. Then, you’ll need to install fresh wallpaper over it, which can require professional installation. Even if you only need to make repairs, it’ll also take careful application on your part.
Solid Colors: Paint
While wallpaper comes in different patterns and has solid colors to choose from, too, it can’t compare to paint. With paint, homeowners can mix different shades and hues to fit their exact needs.
Wallpaper Pros and Cons
Wallpaper can come in a variety of colors and patterns, making it a great choice for homes looking for a wow factor. Wallpaper can also come in different materials, like the simple peel-and-stick to more expensive fibers. Wallpaper can be an expensive and time-intensive project, so it’s good to start off with a basic understanding of its pros and cons.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Durable | Difficult to remove |
| Versatile | Damaged by moisture |
| Soundproofing | Difficult to install |
Best for: Rooms that don’t experience a lot of humidity, like bedrooms or living rooms
Wallpaper Pros
While some might think of wallpaper as passé, this element of home decor is making a huge comeback thanks to the various styles, designs, and colors you can find it in. There’s even paintable wallpaper and peel-and-stick, too, so you can make your space one-of-a-kind.
Modern-day wallpapers are made with higher-quality material and are more durable than their predecessors. So, with proper installation and maintenance, you can expect your wallpaper to last 10 to 15 years on average.
Long gone are the limited wallpaper design options. Now you can get simple, textured, paintable, landscape, matte, glitter, flocked, and many more wallpaper types to fit any need.
Whether you’re looking to transform a wall into a focal point or give a room an entirely new feel, the possibilities are endless. Some materials even come with additional insulation to provide some mild soundproofing.
Wallpaper Cons
When you’re ready for a new look, you can’t just pull your wallpaper down. While it sounds like a simple solution, you can potentially damage your wall—which means more work for you—if you don’t remove wallpaper carefully using a scraping tool with water or a wallpaper solvent.
If you need to make any repairs, it’ll require some time and effort since you’ll essentially have to remove it. After removing it, you’ll have to align the wallpaper to give it a seamless appearance, which is much easier said than done.
On the other hand, if you know you’d rather bypass this step in the future, you might be able to paint over your wallpaper, though it depends on the type of wallpaper and its conditions.
Because wallpaper adheres to your walls using glue, it starts to peel when exposed to moist, humid conditions. Peeling can also occur in extreme heat, which is why it’s not suitable to install wallpaper in rooms that are prone to moisture and high temperatures, like the kitchen and bathroom.
While it seems simple, in reality, this is a time-consuming and complex project that requires precious cutting, lining up the pattern exactly, and careful smoothing to remove any air bubbles. The skill and experience needed for this project make hiring a local wallpaper pro the best choice.
Paint Pros and Cons
Painting is a home improvement project everyone is familiar with. There is almost nothing you can’t paint, so it’s a versatile and easy DIY to upgrade your space. There are some small trade-offs to consider, though.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Works with moisture | Requires touch-ups |
| Easy to DIY | Can be expensive |
| Customizable | Requires prep |
| Easy to change | Finishes are limited |
Best for: Any interior or exterior project
Painting Pros
Painting walls is a classic way to transform a room. Along with colors in any hue you can imagine, paint comes in different types and finishes for you to choose from.
Most wallpapers don’t perform best under moist, humid conditions. But, with so many types of paint on the market, you can give your bathrooms a new look by using a moisture-friendly paint that’ll stand up to even the hottest showers.
The most time-consuming part of applying paint to your walls is the preparation. But once you’ve cleaned the surface, covered up all the blemishes, taped off areas, and sanded and primed the wall, the only step left is to roll or brush on your paint. The best part is that you don’t have to worry about removing air bubbles and making sure the pattern is lined up.
If you’re ready for a new look, plan on using the same type of paint, and your wall is in good condition, you can paint directly over it. If you plan to go from a darker color to a lighter one or change the type of paint you use, you’ll need to prime the wall first, but the process isn’t time- or labor-intensive.
Painting Cons
Painting your room is easy, but one of the downsides is that paint in high-traffic areas typically peels and chips, requiring touch-ups to keep it in tip-top condition. Also, most paint will need a fresh coat every three to five years, compared to wallpaper that can last for over a decade.
Also, beautiful, unique designs are possible with paint, but it’ll take loads of time to create it—and cost a pretty penny to get all the shades you’ll need. If you want to hire a local painting pro to design a mural on your wall, it’ll save you time but can cost $1,270 on average.
Finally, choosing the right paint requires knowledge of paint finishes and an understanding of which one will work best for your space. A local painting pro can help guide you through that decision-making process.
Cost to Install Wallpaper vs. Painting
It’s typically more budget-friendly to install wallpaper instead of painting. Putting up wallpaper costs an average of $562, though that price will increase if you have high walls or if you opt for expensive wallpaper.
Painting a home interior costs an average of $1,990, and will increase with high ceilings and uniquely-shaped rooms. Both options could also require some wall repairs to provide a clean slate.
DIY vs. Hiring a Pro
Both jobs are relatively DIY-friendly, but only if you have experience with wallpaper or paint. They can be fun weekend projects if you’re just refreshing a single room, but doing an entire interior will be tedious, messy, and time-consuming. You’ll save on labor by doing it yourself, but you’ll be at risk of bubbling paint, drips, and offset patterns.
If you want to ensure the job gets done right, hire a pro. Contact a local interior painter or a local wallpaper hanger to inquire about their services.
Frequently Asked Questions
In some cases, you can paint over wallpaper. It depends on the type of wallpaper you have and its overall condition. Don’t paint over peeling wallpaper, since you won’t get an even finish. You should also avoid painting over fabric-backed vinyl wallpaper. Beyond that, repair the wallpaper throughout and clean it thoroughly before adding paint. If you aren’t sure if your wallpaper is appropriate for paint, talk to a pro.
If your bathroom is properly ventilated, you should be fine with wallpaper, so long as it's designed for durability. However, this is never the ideal solution, as bathrooms are extremely humid, and we all know what humidity does to wallpaper adhesive. All things equal, go with a nice eggshell paint that resists humidity.
Neither type is better, as there’s a tradeoff with each. Peel-and-stick wallpaper is easier to put up, with minimal cleanup, but there’s a high risk of air bubbles getting trapped underneath the paper as you go. It can be tough to fix those mistakes due to the overall design of peel-and-stick wallpaper. It’s much easier to fix mistakes when installing traditional wallpaper, but the overall process takes longer and is messier.