Wallpaper Installation

Ordered before October 17, 2026? If your rolls have no extra pattern along the edges, or the instructions in your box say to paste the wall, use the instructions for our original paper.

Our traditional wallpaper is pasted on the back and double cut at the seams. Every panel is printed with ½ inch of extra pattern on each side, so the seams can be cut to meet exactly. We recommend a professional installer for the best result; please share these instructions with them. You can find one through the Wallcovering Installers Association.

Download the printable instructions (PDF)

Before you start

Inspect every roll when it arrives. Check for visible defects, make sure the pattern matches across all rolls, and check the color is consistent. Do not hang wallpaper with any defects; email customerservice@katiekime.com right away. We are not responsible for defects found during or after hanging, or for any resulting damage.

Prep the space

Keep the room above 65°F (18°C) for at least 48 hours before and after installation, and let the wallpaper sit in the room for 48 hours first. For indoor use in climate-controlled rooms only. Walls should be completely dry, no more than 4% residual moisture on a moisture meter.

Prep the wall

Surfaces must be clean, dry, smooth, and primed. Remove any old wallpaper, dust, grease, flaking paint, mold, or mildew. This wallpaper breathes, so fix any leaks, condensation, or trapped moisture first, especially in warm, humid climates. Fill holes with filler, sand smooth, and prime with a breathable, mold-inhibiting wallcovering primer. For drywall, we recommend Roman PRO-977 ULTRA-PRIME Premium Pigmented Primer. Glossy or "wash-and-wear" paint needs sanding and priming. If needed, paint the wall a color close to the wallpaper's background so seams don't show. Wait at least 4 weeks after painting. Mark the wall and the back of the paper with pencil only; pen and marker can bleed through.

Gather your supplies

Wallpaper, heavy-duty clay-based wallpaper paste (we recommend Roman PRO-838 Ultra Clay; do not dilute), low-tack painter's tape, a utility knife with plenty of new blades, straightedge, measuring tape, scissors, pencil, level, paint roller and tray, paint brush, smoothing tool, sponge, a bucket of clean water, lint-free cloth, drop cloth, and a step ladder if needed.

Plan

With a pencil and a level, draw a plumb line from ceiling to floor so your first panel hangs straight. Mark down the line every 11 to 15 inches. Plan the layout so no seam falls closer than 6 inches to a corner.

Cut

Cut each panel about 4 inches longer than the wall (2 inches extra at the top and bottom), allowing for the pattern match. Number the panels in the order you cut them and hang them in that order. Use a new blade for every cut; a dull blade frays the edges.

Paste and book

Roll an even coat of paste over the entire back of the panel, all the way to the edges. Book the panel: fold both pasted ends toward the middle, paste to paste, with the edges lined up. Don't crease the folds. Let it rest about 10 minutes so the paste soaks in, then hang.

Hang the first panel

Start at your plumb line and smooth from the center out with a wallpaper brush or plastic smoother, working from the ceiling down. Do not rub or burnish the printed surface, and don't use hard tools. Wipe paste off the front right away with a damp sponge, rinse it often, and blot dry with a lint-free cloth. Paste left to dry can leave a white haze.

Double cut the seams

Run a strip of low-tack painter's tape down the wall where the seam will fall. It keeps paste off the wallpaper and protects the wall from your blade. Hang the next panel so it overlaps the first by about 1 inch, with the pattern matched. Using a straightedge and a new blade, cut straight down through both layers in the middle of the overlap. Peel back the top panel, remove the cut strip underneath and the tape, then smooth both edges back down so they meet. Leave no overlap; the paper will not stick to itself. Seams should be vertical, tight, and free of air and paste bubbles.

Trim

Trim the excess at the ceiling and baseboard with a sharp blade and a straightedge. Push the paper into the ceiling line and skirting, and wipe any paste off the ceiling and baseboard. Use a new blade for each cut.

Check as you go

After three panels, step back and check the color and pattern match. If anything looks off, stop and email customerservice@katiekime.com before you continue.

Cleaning and care

Clean with mild soap and warm water on a soft sponge, then dry with a soft, lint-free cloth. Do not scrub or use steel wool, abrasive powders, or solvents like nail polish remover. Grease and oil stains may not come out. While newly hung wallpaper dries, keep the room well ventilated at 65°F (18°C) or warmer, and avoid closing it up.

Tips

Raised edges, blistering, and gaps usually come from the wall surface, the hanging method, or the amount of paste, not the wallpaper itself.

Specs

Printed on a smooth, breathable, PVC-free wallcovering of non-woven natural fibers and wood pulp. 180 g/m² (8 oz per linear yard), 0.011 inches thick. Breathable at 66 perms (ASTM E96), letting moisture pass through to help prevent mold and mildew. Free of PVC, phthalates, plasticizers, formaldehyde, chlorine, and heavy metals; Prop 65 compliant. Low VOC, meeting California Section 1350 indoor air standards (third-party certified). FSC-sourced materials. Class A fire rated (ASTM E-84, NFPA 101).

Made for homes. Planning a commercial space? Contact us.