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Fabric walls in bedroom


How to Cover a Wall With Fabric

Dress Up Your Walls With a Damage-Free, Removable Solution

By

Pamela Cole Harris

Pamela Cole Harris

Pamela Cole Harris is a budget decorating expert and writer with over four decades of experience specializing in upcycling furniture and decor. She's a recycling enthusiast with a passion for repurposing discarded items and turning them into stylish decor. Pamela has also published a book on creative DIY coffee tables.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 11/21/22

The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

In This Article

Project Overview

If you are a renter, perhaps you're looking for an innovative way to dress up your walls beyond the simple repainting that is usually allowed by landlords. If you're a homeowner, then you may be looking for something new beyond paint and wallpaper.

A great alternative might be to place removable fabric on your walls instead of paint. Ordinary textile fabric can be applied to your walls with everyday laundry starch, and it can be taken down whenever you want. It's a perfect solution to put fabric on walls without damaging them—especially for renters who may need to return the room to its original condition when moving time comes.

Decorating with fabric on walls is quite similar to the process of hanging wallpaper. If you have worked with wallpaper, you'll have no trouble with this project.

Before You Begin

The first step in this project is to find appropriate fabric. Keep in mind that using a cloth with a distinct, large pattern will require more fabric and time since you'll need to match the pattern at the seams so the design appears uninterrupted. Opt for a simple textile fabric without any cushioned backing, as padded fabric on walls must be attached with hardware.

Check fabric warehouses and bargain bins for lightweight and inexpensive fabrics. Most fabric is 40 to 50 inches wide, and you can calculate how many lengths you'll need by measuring the width of the wall. It's always better to have too much cloth than not enough.

It is also important to wash and completely dry your fabric before hanging. Hand-washing is usually best, because machine washing may fray the edges. Let the fabric dry completely.

Equipment / Tools

Materials

The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Fabric

    The best removable fabric for walls is textile fabric, which is often used for items like upholstery. Cut the lengths of fabric to fit the wall, allowing about 2 inches of extra fabric at the top and the bottom, and along wall edges. If the lengths of fabric will wrap around windows, it is a good idea to pre-fit them and cut them roughly to size. Precise trimming will happen after you hang the fabric. Working with a helper makes this work much easier.

    Prewash the fabric again, then cut off the selvage edges (the fringe) with scissors.

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  2. Prepare the Wall

    Wash the wall down and dry it before you begin. Remove cover plates from outlets and wall switches. Cover the floor with drop cloths, as rolling starch onto walls can be a messy operation.

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  3. Apply the Starch

    You can use liquid starch to attach the fabric to the wall. With this method, the wall will not be damaged and the fabric can be easily removed when the time comes. Use a plastic container with a lid to hold your liquid starch. It can then be stored away if you are interrupted.

    Tip

    You can also use velcro with damage-free backing to attach fabric to a small section of walls for accent projects. Starch is better for covering the entire wall, as fabric with velcro corners can begin to hang or crease in the center.

    It is usually easiest to apply starch to the walls using a paint roller; this method is less messy and faster than using a brush or dipping the fabric into a container of starch. Make sure to cover all wall surfaces completely. Around open light switches and outlet boxes, be careful not to slop starch onto the fixtures.

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  4. Hang the Fabric

    Hanging the fabric takes patience, but it is not difficult. While the starch is still damp, apply the strips of fabric, one at a time, beginning in one corner and moving across the room. Have a helper stand back from the wall to ensure the pattern remains properly aligned and that it matches at the edges. The fabric should overlap the side corner and the baseboard and ceiling by 1 to 2 inches. At the seams, overlap the fabric strips by about 1/2 inch.

    If necessary, use thumbtacks to secure the strips of fabric at the top. Use a wallpaper smoothing tool to flatten the fabric against the wall.

    Roll more starch over the fabric and let it dry.

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

  5. Trim the Fabric

    When the starch and fabric are dry to the touch, use a straightedge and sharp utility knife to carefully trim the excess fabric at the ceiling line, along baseboards, and around any wood trim. Use care when trimming around outlet and switch boxes, to avoid touching wires with the knife blade.

    After the fabric is fully trimmed, wipe the baseboards and wood trim clean, then put the outlet and switch cover plates back on.

    The Spruce / Meg MacDonald

Cleaning and Caring for Fabric Walls

Whenever your walls need cleaning because the fabric gets dirty, use water mixed with a tiny bit of dishwashing detergent and sponge the walls lightly to remove dirt.

When it comes time to remove the fabric, use a wet sponge to soak the corners until they fall away from the walls. The fabric should come right off in complete strips.

Alternative Ideas for Fabric Walls

Want another idea to create a fabric wall that involves no contact with the wall? You can cover pieces of paneling with fabric and either attach them to the wall with removable tacks or velcro strips or lean the panels against the wall. You don't have to cover the whole wall with fabric panels to make a big impact—even a single piece of paneling covered with fabric can be impressive.

Watch Now: This Paint Roller Instantly Gives You Custom Wallpaper

12 Ways to Decorate with Fabric Wallcoverings

Decorating + Renovation

Find inspiration with these sophisticated spaces from the AD archives

Statement walls are making a comeback. From toile to faux bois, chic wallcoverings are popping up everywhere—and with good reason. Bold walls make for a quick yet effective redesign and can transform the style of any room. Fabric-covered walls are an ode to the sophistication of France and England, where wall fabric was in vogue as early as the 14th century. Similarly textured walls lend just as much elegance now. Whether you prefer a brilliant brocade or a punchy paisley, check out these 12 fabric wallcoverings from the pages of Architectural Digest, including a playful toile de Jouy in a child’s Manhattan bedroom and a brilliant floral print in a Polish château.

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Specificity of wall decoration with fabric | Blog Angstrem

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Wall decoration with fabric was used in Europe in the 12th century, and this method of decoration was most widespread in the 18th century. The very word "wallpaper", so familiar to modern man, originally referred specifically to the canvases of fabric with which the walls were upholstered.

Now wall decoration with matter is not so common, but it can be used in modern interiors. nine0003


Pros and cons of fabric wallpaper

When choosing this option, it is worth considering that

● wall decoration with fabric will cost significantly more than when using other materials;

● work presents a certain complexity;

● The fabric cover will require special care.

However, the advantages of this design method are much greater. Fabric trim nine0003

● makes it possible to give the room a non-trivial look, to create a particularly cozy and warm atmosphere;

● does not require preliminary alignment of the walls;

● Prevents the appearance of mold and fungal formations;

● Provides good breathability;

● creates an additional heat and sound insulating layer on the walls.

● With the right choice of fabric, the finish does not fade, is easy to clean and can be repaired. nine0003

Textile selection

Almost any fairly dense fabric is suitable for finishing. A win-win option is natural and artificial materials used for furniture upholstery.

● Natural fabrics are more environmentally friendly - this option will appeal to adherents of a natural interior and a healthy atmosphere in the house. Jacquard, jute or sisal fabric is suitable for decoration.

● Synthetic materials are more practical: they are less subject to wear, are not hygroscopic and hold their shape better. You can use upholstery made of polyamide, polyester or viscose. nine0003

The choice of colors largely depends on the style of the room.

● For a classic setting, fabrics with stripes, repeating patterns, three-dimensional patterns are suitable.

● Most modern interiors will be successfully complemented by monochrome fabrics in neutral shades.

● For an Art Deco room, you can use materials with a bright, expressive pattern, as well as plain fabrics of complex colors. nine0003

● Patterns in the form of zigzags and waves go well with the ethnic setting.

● For an oriental-style room, fabrics with metallic threads are perfect.

Work Technicians

There are several ways to decorate walls with fabric.

● Pasting involves gluing the fabric directly to the surface of the walls. This method is suitable for fleecy materials: velor, suede, velvet. The process involves the mandatory leveling of the surface. nine0003

● Upholstery can be made on or under the rail. The second option is considered easier to implement. A rack frame is installed on the wall along the perimeter, which can be filled with foam rubber for additional sound insulation, and then a fabric sheet is fixed to it.

● Drapery involves the use of wide sheets of fabric: usually it should be 1.5 - 2 times the width of the wall. The more fabric is used, the richer and richer the drapery is. nine0003

Fabric wall decoration in the interior of individual rooms

You can use this wall decoration option in almost any room of the house. In this case, it is not necessary to sheathe all the walls in the room with a cloth. Matter is great for creating accents, inserts in combination with other finishing materials: plaster, paint, traditional wallpaper.

● In the bedroom, you can decorate the wall or its fragment at the head of the bed with fabric drapery. nine0003

● In the living room, this finish is suitable to highlight the seating area.

● Fabric wallpaper in the kitchen will give a special coziness to the dining area.

Care instructions

To remove dust from the fabric, it is regularly vacuumed. More serious contamination is removed with soapy water or dishwashing detergent.

It is not recommended to use aggressive stain removers and other products for cleaning - due to such exposure, the fabric may stretch or change color. nine0003

If the material is torn, the gap is carefully repaired with a patch of the same material, gluing a piece of fabric to the surface.

Fabric stretch walls: operation features

Even in the distant past, it was fashionable to have painted fabric walls in your house, which only rich people could afford. They were worn to show their status and wealth. Today, painted walls can often be seen in modern apartments. Now they are much more creative, reliable and functional. Such walls will decorate any wall and any interior. nine0003

Production time depends on the size of the painting and what special effects are required. They make complex projects with drawings, usually from 1 to 2 weeks, and standard ones in complexity from 3 to 5 days.

These paintings are absolutely ecological and applied using UV printing. UV ink does not emit any chemical and toxic substances and harmful odors. Another advantage is that these inks are the least prone to fading. So you can be sure that the wall will retain bright colors for a long time. nine0003

A wide variety of designs and shapes are now available. You can cover the wall with absolutely any material, be it silk, suede, natural or synthetic fabrics. Also a new trend are different sound and light effects. The noise of the waterfall, the singing of birds, the sounds of the forest - the main thing is to listen to yourself and connect your imagination, and a beautiful wall with special effects is already in front of your eyes.

The installation of such walls is very similar to the installation of ceilings, it will not create a mess in the apartment and is easy to install. There is no need for large preparations: just align the places where the fabric will be attached. You just need to choose a picture to your taste and install it on the wall. Such stretch paintings look great on plain walls. Choose delicate colors and paintings of light colors. Immediately think about which room you want to place the stretch wall. nine0003

Another convenience is that you can hide the wires under such a wall, carry out sound insulation, alarm, lighting. Such things are difficult to do when the wall is pasted with ordinary wallpaper. There is no need to be afraid that the pattern will disappear from the fabric stretch walls, as from the wallpaper. Do not be afraid of scratches or cracks. These walls are completely immune to cuts and splits. You can safely remove the canvas, attach a socket or hide something, and put it back in place.

At first glance, you might think that the fabric is very fragile. However, for a wall, it is strong and easily restored in case of damage. The base of the fabric is treated with moisture-proof compounds that protect against solar fading and mechanical damage. The brightness of the picture and the availability of applying not only pictures, but also photographs are guaranteed. nine0003

A very big advantage is that such walls repel dust and do not absorb odors. Therefore, they can fit perfectly in the kitchen. Such decoration can change any home interior and make it unique.

They do not require much personal care - you just need to wipe the surface with a soft cloth. Also, such walls are frost-resistant. Such a fabric will be relevant in rooms that are not heated in winter, for example, on a balcony.

This new design move, which is considered one of the very fashionable and creative solutions. Such a wall has practically no flaws - they are pleasant to touch, they are strong, they hide surface flaws.

A huge variety of patterns, brightness, richness of colors attracts with its wide selection. Not in every house or apartment you will find such beauty.

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