Looking for a way to breathe new life into your lacklustre walls? Deciding on the right type of wall treatment is no easy task, given the huge number of products available today. And homeowners are mostly confused between two popular options for Indian walls – Paint or Wallpaper.
While both of these have their own advantages, the right option will depend on your unique needs. To make your choice easier, take a look at how paint and wallpaper compare on these six essential factors
Paint or Wallpaper Factor #1: Variety
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| interior designers in chennai |
Variety in colors and
finishes is a major plus point if you are looking to create a unique look for
your home. Thankfully, there is no dearth of variety in both these options.
Paint is available in literally every color under the sun – you
can mix and match to your heart’s content. When applied in combination with the
hundreds of texturing techniques in use today, paint can create stunning
effects that completely transform the look of any Indian home. You
can also choose from a variety of finishes such as matte, satin,
semi-gloss and glossy.
Wallpaper is also available in a huge variety of colors and
patterns ranging from elegant classical motifs to peppy contemporary patterns.
Wallpapers also come in many different finishes like vinyl, fabric, foil
printed, embossed textures, suede etc.
Paint or Wallpaper Factor #2: Ease of
application
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| interior designers in chennai |
Between the two, paint is
the easier and less fussy option for Indian walls. A day or two will suffice
for a paint job for a standard size room. Painted walls are also very
accommodating to incoming, newer coats of paint of the same hue. In most cases,
if the surface isn’t too worn out, a new coat of paint can be applied on to the
older one.
Wallpaper application is a job best tackled by an expert. The
process is elaborate and demands a lot of time and patience. The same holds
true for stripping the wallpaper too. A new layer of wallpaper cannot be
applied on top of the existing one.
Paint or Wallpaper Factor #3: Durability
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| interior designers in chennai |
Good quality paint on
walls, when finished well, can last you up to five years. That said, paint
tends to fade and flake in areas that have high usage and exposure to sunlight.
Hence, retouching will be necessary 3 years or so – maybe even sooner for
paints in lighter colours.
Wallpaper, on the other hand, will be your long term partner.
Experts maintain that a one-time application on Indian walls will last for
around fifteen years. However, wallpaper is not immune to tearing. Any
mishap will mean that you will have to redo the whole process of stripping and
pasting, which is more time consuming than re-painting.
Paint or Wallpaper Factor #4: Expense
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| interior designers in chennai |
Paint is an easily
available resource. The time, effort and skill required for application is
relatively less. This means that the overall cost incurred for each paint job
will be relatively lower than the cost of wallpapering.
Wallpaper is a more expensive, one-time investment. Since it
lasts much longer, it works out to be more cost-effective in the longer
run.
Paint or Wallpaper Factor #5: Type
of usage
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| interior designers in chennai |
While deciding between
wallpaper and paint, take into account the area of your home in question. While
paint is generally suitable for all areas of the house, excess heat can
adversely affect the life of painted walls.
Similarly, wallpaper doesn’t fare too well in areas with
moisture and heat like kitchens and bathrooms. Since wallpaper can be easily
torn or damaged, it’s probably best to avoid using it in high traffic areas or
children’s rooms.
Paint or Wallpaper Factor #6:
Aesthetics
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| interior designers in chennai |
Both paint and wallpaper
can be used in effective ways to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your rooms.
Use textured paints or flashy patterned wallpapers to create stunning backdrops
for your furniture. Unleash your creativity and bring your individual
style to every room.
Paint or Wallpaper Factor #7:
Customization
Paint offers ample
opportunity for customization. Paints can be generated in any color you
can conceive. You can choose from thousands of paint swatches or mix hues and
tints to get a precisely customized color.
Wallpaper is relatively a new entrant in India. Though there is
a wide variety of standard designs available in stores across the country, it’s
tricky to find a vendor to print out custom patterns.
Do keep in mind that both paint and wallpaper can be applied
only on smoothened walls. You can choose to have a mix of wallpaper and paint
in your home too – wallpaper for your elegant, exclusive drawing room and paint
to brighten up other areas that see more traffic. This will give each space in
your house its own unique character. So choose according to your needs and add
stunning embellishments to your walls.
