Wallpaper posts seem to be popular around here, but almost always, the question comes up: Are there any good options for renters who don't want to risk losing their security deposits? Well, we may have found a solution with the Pottery Barn "Overlapping Leaves" wallpaper.
According to the website description, the paper is pre-pasted and you only need to dip it in water before applying it to your walls. It is designed for easy removal — coming off in large strips when you're ready to move out (or move on to a different look).
However, once we opened up our roll and read through the instructions, we noticed that one of the first steps is to cover your surface with wallpapering primer. Hmmm. This may prove to be a setback for some renters, so we tested out the paper on an un-primed, painted wall to see if it would still work as promised.
And it did!
We only kept the paper up for a couple of days before attempting to rip it down, but there were no problems. It came off in one piece and there was no paste residue left behind. But we're not sure if this holds true if the paper is on an unprimed wall for months — or even years. Does anyone out there know?
The "Overlapping Leaves" wallpaper is catalog/Internet-only. A double roll, which covers about 60 square feet, costs $84. (We're keeping our fingers crossed that they'll release more patterns soon.)
Related Posts:
• Best Online Wallpaper Sources
• Best Online Wallpaper Sources, Part II
© 2009 Apartment Therapy
They show it in a bathroom - I would be worried that "easy removal" would include taking a steamy shower.
view amt230's profile
Check out Wallbands:
http://www.shoptwenty2.com/shop/pages/wallbands_portal.html
And Easy Change:
http://www.sherwin-williams.com/do_it_yourself/wallpaper/new_products/index.jsp
view #9's profile
True Blue, thanks for links. Those wallbands are cool but uncomfortably close to my mother's country borders. Scary!
view ChrisToronto's profile
Screw your deposit! Live a little! It may be a rental, but while you're there, it's your home. Life is short and you can't take it with you....
I routed out the centers of four cabinet doors and installed reeded glass in my apartment.
view quiltmaster's profile
ohhhh quiltmaster you're so brave. your cabinets sound beautiful but after loosing a 500 deposit and being billed 600 more i live in fear.
view DahliaCactus's profile
I've "pasted" fabric (sheets, tablecloths, sheers, etc) to walls in the past using spray starch as the adhesive. You can find the spray starch in the laundry section of your market. When you want to change out the walls just peel off the fabric and wash the walls with a warm water & vinegar solution.
Now while it's not wallpaper, it is a great way to add a flash of colour or texture to your walls with zero damage and minimal cost.
If you are set on paper, you could use unpasted wallpaper and some repositionable adhesive spray. But as mentioned by amt, I wouldn't do this in the bathroom... or the starch treatment either...
Have fun decorating your space!
view monkeypants's profile
Yeah Ive been faced with this conundrum before too. I just tack wall paper up with a hammer and map tacks (or in a pinch, a staple gun), so I can take it with me whenever I move out. It's time consuming and imperfect, but it's a means to an end.
view frontiersperson's profile
another option: blik re-stik wall graphics.
http://www.whatisblik.com/restik.html
view ironic username's profile
apparently, the regular wall decals from blik are removable, too.
http://www.whatisblik.com/walldecals.html
view ironic username's profile
If you like decorative painting and faux finishes, check out what casart coverings has to offer. It's repositionable, removable and reusable.
http://www.casartcoverings.com/
view jackandellie's profile