Give Your Walls A Textured Look With Fabric Wallpaper

If traditional wallpaper doesn't have enough texture for your taste, try something more daring and dynamic. Whether you are a renter or you want to try your hand at a clever DIY, consider the power of fabric wallpaper. After all, unexpected wallpaper is the trendy way to give your home personality. From aesthetics to practicality, discover the benefits of this unique decor method. There are several ways to modify the fabric wallpaper trend to suit your unique space and parameters. Even if you aren't a DIY master, you can easily get the fabric wall look in just five steps.

Choose between hanging thick textiles or adhering gauzy fabric to your wall. Thick fabric can act as a soundproofing method, reducing noise in a space where sound carries. For a thicker textile, make sure your walls are completely smooth before applying a heavy duty, pre-mixed adhesive like ROMAN wallpaper adhesive. Some have even had success stapling upholstery to the wall instead of relying on a glue. 

However, thin fabric is easy to work with and doesn't require such a strong glue. If you're working with thin fabric, you can use liquid starch, like Malco Linit starch, as a rental-friendly adhesive that won't damage your walls. Apply the adhesive directly to the wall for acrylic-backed fabrics and to the back of the fabric for paper-backed ones. No matter which you use, press the fabric in place quickly before the adhesive dries.

To make the process easier, you can tack or pin the fabric to the top of the wall before smoothing it across the adhesive. Use a utility knife to cut the fabric around the edges, baseboards, and outlets. A smoothing tool can also be helpful for reducing wrinkles throughout the installation process. If you want an additional touch of visual interest, try adding tape trim to the border of doorways or along the top or bottom of the walls. Choose between solid and patterned tape, depending on the design of your fabric wallpaper.

If a full wall of fabric wallpaper is too overwhelming for your interior, you have some more understated options. You can create a dynamic look with a half wall of fabric by hanging it above lower wainscoting. If your walls don't have panels or molding, check out the best types of wood for DIY wainscoting. Or, consider hanging individual upholstered wall panels to give your home a touch of texture without taking over. You can use wooden strips as trim between the panels for an elegant board and batten design. For other ways to add visible texture to your walls, try adding stunning texture to your walls with this easy paint trick.