Renovation: Wallpaper or Wall paint?

What is best for Singaporean homes?

The debate on Wallpaper vs Wall Paint has been heated, to say the least in the past decade. While some can’t stop talking about the many merits of the new-age wallpapers as the best option to adorn and protect walls, others vehemently oppose any questions challenging the goodness of traditional paint.

While it is entirely an individual choice which team you side with, it is important to be objective when you are picking an option for your home. Your requirements will play a decisive role whether you pick wallpaper or wall paint to adorn your four walls.

There are many questions to be answered in the debate between wallpaper and wall paint. Which one is better; cheapest; most aesthetically pleasing? Which does a better job at hiding those ugly pipes behind your sink or saving you time when creating a fresh new look?

Price Point (Wallpaper vs Wall paint)

• Price of wallpaper: The cost is dependant on the type of wallpaper used.
  To use wallpaper to do up a whole 4 Room HDB Flat(1000sqf) it will cost
  1. $2300 ~ $3300 for Korean Wallpaper
  2. $2900 ~ $4200 for Japanese Wallpaper
  3. $4500 ~ $6000 for premium European Non-woven Wallpaper
  4. $3000 ~ $5000 for a blend of different types of wallpapers ( For example, European for the feature walls and Korean for the rest)

• Price of wall paint: a typical 4-room HDB(1000sqf) will cost around $1,500 ~ $2,900 to fully paint it

In terms of pricing, wall paint wins!

Design Variety (Wallpaper Vs Wall Paint)

In terms of design, paint is more traditional providing one-dimensional looks and serves mostly to clean up a house than truly design a home. Wallpaper, on the other hand, offers a huge variety of patterns, colours and textures to give your home an excellent look and vibe. In a way paint only offers colour coating to give your home a fresh look but Wallpaper gives a chance to completely transform your home!

If you are interested in doing beautiful design for your homes, wallpaper will be the choice as they offer you a chance to give your home a cafe vibe or a hotel’s grandiose looks. No matter what your idea is, there will be wallpaper to help you fulfil it.

To finish wrapping up, if you are going for a more traditional and simple clean look then, paint will be a good choice while if you are going for a bolder and more fanciful design, wallpapers will definitely be a huge help! Another thing to note is texture.

Paint itself provides no texture but wallpaper do provide a variety of textures. If you are somebody who wants a 3 dimensional feeling to your walls wallpaper will be your go-to!

In terms of Design Variety, Wallpaper will be the clear winner!

Difference between plain wallpaper and plain wall paint

Side note: There is a difference between a plain wallpaper design and a plain paint design which is the gradient as well as total colours used. Plain wall paint is a truly singular monotonous colour while Wallpaper offers gradients and different shades of colours blended together (Example Below)

In terms of Wallpaper pattern designs, there are a good varierty from Wood, Concrete, Metal, Damask, Oriental, Floral and many more!

Maintenance, Durability and Value

Most Wallpapers are made with a blend of Pvc, paper and other materials. This makes Wallpaper incredibly durable along with some special properties like water resistance, ant-bacterial and protection against discolouration. This means that wallpapers are cleanable and can be wiped down with a damp cloth and a small amount of detergent.

On the other hand, Paint is primarily made from solvents and additives and not water-resistant.
A constant dusting of the wall will be needed to maintain the paint’s shine.

The Life span of Wallpapers tends to be around 7-12 Years while the lifespan of paint tend to be around 3-6 years. Paint will also fade and develop cracks along the way while quality wallpapers will not wear down until near its lifespan.
In terms of value over the years, Wallpaper is definitely the better choice.

For Maintenance, Wallpaper wins as well due to its ease of cleaning and the ability of its designs to last

For Durability, this is a no-contest and wallpaper wins hands down, being able to last longer and be resistant to more of nature’s elements.

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