Where To Start Wallpapering Guide

"Where do I start wallpapering this room?" is one of the most common questions decorators are asked. Choosing the right starting point helps your pattern look balanced, keeps awkward slivers of wallpaper to a minimum and makes it easier to work neatly around features such as fireplaces and windows.

The principles below apply whether you are hanging a simple plain wallpaper, a bold floral, a geometric design or a scenic mural wallpaper. The only thing that changes is how much you need to think about centring the pattern.

Large vs Small Pattern Wallpapers

Large patterned wallpapers and murals usually look best when the main motif is centred on a focal point such as a chimney breast, bed or main wall. This is particularly important if the pattern has a clear vertical element, such as a medallion, damask or bold geometric.

Small patterned wallpapers and subtle textures are more forgiving. With these, you can usually start close to a corner and simply work your way around the room without worrying about centring the design.

If you are papering a room with a fireplace or mantelpiece and your wallpaper has a strong, regular motif, the neatest result is normally to centre the first length over the fireplace and work outwards.

Diagram showing where to start wallpapering by centring a patterned wallpaper over a fireplace

For a detailed step-by-step on working around the breast and returns, see our guide how to wallpaper a chimney breast.

Where to Start Wallpapering in Rooms with Windows

When your main wall has two windows, you have two options depending on the pattern and how much wall space is left on either side.

Option 1 – Centre the wallpaper between the windows

For a strong vertical pattern (for example a stripe, trellis or geometric), you can centre a full drop of wallpaper between the windows so the design runs symmetrically.

Diagram showing wallpaper centred between two windows for a symmetrical layout

Before committing, check how much wall you will have left at each outside edge. If centring the drop leaves very narrow strips of wallpaper either side, it is usually better to use option 2.

Option 2 – Butt two lengths on the centre line

Instead of centring a single drop, you can position the vertical centre line where two drops meet. This gives a more even width of wallpaper at each outside edge and avoids thin strips.

Diagram showing two wallpaper drops meeting on the centre line between windows

These same principles apply to other features such as doors and built-in cupboards. Our guide wallpaper around obstacles covers more awkward shapes in detail.

How to Wallpaper a Simple Rectangular Room

In a straightforward rectangular or square room using a small-scale pattern or semi-plain design, you don"t usually need to centralise the pattern. Instead, you choose a sensible starting corner and work methodically around the room.

Diagram showing the direction to hang wallpaper around a simple rectangular room

Start close to a corner, but don"t use the corner itself as your vertical reference – always create a plumb line with a level or plumb bob.
Hang the first length so there is a partial width left to hang into the corner later.
Work around the room, keeping each new drop tightly butted to the last.
When you return to the starting corner, the final piece will be the remaining partial width that completes the corner.

Right-handed decorators often find it easier to work clockwise, trimming from left to right. Left-handed decorators may prefer to work anti-clockwise and trim from right to left. Choose the direction that feels most natural to you.

Where to Start in a Room with a Chimney Breast

If your wallpaper does not need to be centred, you can treat a chimney breast room similarly to a plain rectangular space. However, with a bold pattern or motif it usually looks much better if you centralise the design on the chimney breast first.

Diagram showing wallpapering sequence for a room with a chimney breast

Mark the centre line of the chimney breast and hang the first drop so the pattern is centred on this line.
Work outwards over the external corner to one side and into the first internal corner.
Return to the centre and repeat on the other side of the chimney breast.
Continue around the rest of the room and finish in the internal corner next to the breast, where any small pattern discrepancy is least noticeable.

Wallpapering Tips – Choosing the Best Starting Point

In most rooms, the neatest place for your final join is an internal corner. The eye is much less likely to notice a slight pattern mis-match here than in the middle of a flat wall.

Try to choose a starting corner that is relatively inconspicuous when you walk into the room – for example, the corner behind the door or beside a tall bookcase. If you have a full-height bookcase or built-in wardrobe, you can often start to one side and finish behind it so there is no visible join at all.

For more detailed step-by-step techniques, see our other guides:

Ready to choose your wallpaper?

Once you know where to start, you can focus on finding the perfect design. Explore our curated collections:

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Bathroom wallpaper and kitchen wallpaper for moisture-prone rooms
Feature wallpaper and mural wallpaper for statement walls

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