Wallpaper or paint? How to choose room by room

Wallpaper or paint: what is the real difference?

Paint is a coating. It gives colour and a choice of sheen, it is quick to apply, and it is simple to wash, touch up or change. Wallpaper is a finish in its own right. It brings pattern, texture and depth that paint cannot imitate, and a good paper on a sound wall can stay fresh longer than paint.

The trade off is tolerance. Paint forgives damp air, knocks and a change of mind. Wallpaper needs a smooth, dry wall and steady conditions, and a damaged strip means replacing a full drop from the same batch. Neither hides a poor wall: paint shows every ripple and wallpaper shows every lump.

Which is better, room by room?

• Living room: paint for the main walls, with wallpaper on one wall behind the sofa or the television if you want a focal point.
• Bedrooms: wallpaper works well behind the headboard, where it is seen most and touched least. Paint the rest.
• Dining room and majlis: good rooms for a full wallpaper scheme, because they are dry, formal and lightly used.
• Powder room: a strong candidate for bold wallpaper, since there is no shower and the room is small.
• Bathrooms with a shower or bath: paint made for humid rooms, or tile. Keep paper out of the splash zone.
• Kitchen: washable paint. Vinyl wallpaper is possible on a wall well away from the hob and the sink.
• Children's rooms: washable paint, or a wipeable vinyl paper above a painted lower wall.
• Corridors and stairs: washable paint. These walls take bags, hands and furniture.
• Study or home office: either. A textured paper softens echo slightly and looks good on camera.

How does the Dubai climate affect wallpaper?

Three local conditions decide whether wallpaper lasts.

The first is moisture. An outside wall that takes water from irrigation, a leaking pipe or a failed window seal will lift seams and grow mould behind the paper, and vinyl hides the problem until it is advanced because it does not let the wall breathe. The second is the air conditioning. Cold air blowing straight onto a wall creates condensation, so avoid papering directly below or opposite a diffuser. The third is sun. Light through full height glazing fades printed papers and natural fibres such as grasscloth and silk within a few seasons.

Summer closures matter too. In a home left with the AC off, humidity softens the paste and the joints open, so leave the cooling on at a warmer setting. In a newly built home, let the plaster dry fully before any paper goes up.

Which types of wallpaper work where?

• Non woven paper. Stable, breathable and hung by pasting the wall. It strips off dry in full sheets, which suits rented homes if the landlord agrees.
• Vinyl. A wipeable plastic face on a paper or fabric backing. The practical choice for children's rooms, corridors and powder rooms.
• Traditional paper. Fine printed detail, but it marks and tears easily.
• Textile, grasscloth and other natural fibres. Rich texture, visible joints and no tolerance for water or pets. Use them in formal rooms out of direct sun.
• Murals and custom prints. Made to the exact wall size, so accurate measurement and a flat wall are essential.

What makes either finish last?

Preparation, in both cases. For paint, that means filling and sanding, a primer where needed and two full coats of a washable product, with the colour codes kept for touch ups. For wallpaper, the wall is checked with a moisture meter, skimmed smooth, sealed and lined if the paper requires it. All rolls should come from one batch, with a spare kept for repairs, because a later batch rarely matches exactly.

Many homes use both: painted walls throughout and paper where it earns its place. The MELLS painters and wallpaper hangers belong to one directly employed team, so both finishes are surveyed, specified and programmed together. Book a site visit to have the walls checked for damp and flatness before you choose.