How to Order and Use Wallpaper Samples Properly
What our samples are, where to put one and when to look at it, and why a week on the wall beats an afternoon in your hand
Order the sample in the colourway you are actually considering, tape it to the wall you intend to paper, and look at it in morning light, afternoon light and under lamps at night before you decide. A week with a sample on the wall prevents almost every wallpaper regret there is.
What our samples are
- A3 size, big enough to show the design properly rather than a fragment of it.
- Printed in the colourway you select, not a standard version.
- Free for trade account holders, and charged for retail orders.
- Ordered from the product page. There are two sample buttons, one below the wallpaper types and one below the add-to-cart button.
- Final sale. Samples cannot be returned or refunded.
How to test one properly
- Tape it to the wall you intend to paper. Not held in your hand, not flat on a table, because colour behaves differently on a vertical surface with the room's light falling across it.
- Put it at eye level, where you will actually see the paper.
- Look at it in the morning.
- Look at it in the afternoon. In a west-facing room these two can be startlingly different.
- Look at it at night under your own lamps. Most rooms are used in the evening, and warm bulbs shift colour considerably.
- Move it to another wall in the same room, and to the wall opposite the window.
- Hold it against the floor, the sofa, the woodwork and anything else you are not changing.
- Leave it up for a week. First impressions are about novelty; the seventh day tells you whether you want to live with it.
Order more than one
Two or three samples side by side tell you more than one sample on its own, because colour is comparative. A green that looks perfect alone can look grey next to a warmer green, and that comparison is the information you need.
It is also worth sampling the same design in two colourways if you are undecided. The drawing is the same, and seeing the two on the wall settles it quickly.
Sample the paper you intend to buy
The three papers have different finishes: traditional and removable are super-matte and smooth, heavy-grade is matte with a fine sand texture. The same colourway reads slightly differently on each, so sample the one you are actually going to hang.
Why a screen is not enough
- Every monitor and phone renders colour differently, and none is calibrated to your room.
- Screens are backlit. Paper is not, because it reflects the light that falls on it.
- A matte surface cannot be represented on a glossy screen.
- Scale reads differently on a phone than on a wall.
Where a sample also helps
- Judging scale at the height it will sit, particularly above panelling, where a design is cropped.
- In a hallway, held at the distance you actually stand from the wall.
- In a kitchen, against the units rather than on a clear wall.
- Choosing paint for woodwork, a ceiling or the panelling below.
Then use the sample again
Once you have decided, the sample is still useful. Take it with you when you choose paint, and keep it while the job is on, because it is a reference for the colour you are expecting when the rolls arrive.
How big are your wallpaper samples?
A3, printed in the colourway you choose.
Are samples free?
They are free for trade account holders and charged for retail orders. Samples are final sale and cannot be returned.
How do I order one?
From the product page. There are sample buttons below the wallpaper types and below the add-to-cart button.
How long should I keep a sample up?
A week, and look at it at different times of day.
Should I order more than one?
Yes. Colour is easier to judge comparatively than in isolation.
Can I judge a wallpaper from the website images?
For scale and design, largely. For colour, no, because screens are backlit and uncalibrated, and a matte paper cannot be represented accurately on one.
