Liquid wallpaper: what types there are, their advantages and disadvantages, choosing a color and design, caring for them.

What is liquid wallpaper?

A type of finishing material used to decorate walls and ceilings. The material is essentially different from regular wallpaper and is more related to decorative plaster. Liquid wallpaper is purchased dry, then diluted with water before use.

Are they harmful?

Liquid wallpaper is a safe and environmentally friendly product. They are suitable for finishing a child’s room and other living spaces, as they contain natural components. The coating does not emit harmful substances even under the influence of high temperatures.

Composition

As already mentioned above, high-quality liquid wallpaper does not contain critical ingredients that can harm health. An exception may be low-quality products from unscrupulous manufacturers.

• Liquid wallpaper is based on cellulose fiber or cotton, which is about 90 percent of the total composition. Often used waste paper, wood and textiles after recycling.
• Additives to improve technical characteristics. Antiseptics are added to increase resistance to mold, fungus and bacteria on the surface.
• Binding base. Bustilat, PVA, wallpaper glue, paste can be used as glue.
• Decorative additives of various kinds. Additives are used exclusively for aesthetic effect and to give texture: beads, glitter, silk fibers, dye, flock, velor.

Characteristics

Liquid wallpaper has a number of characteristics that can influence the decision to choose a finishing material.

Types of liquid wallpaper

Liquid wallpaper can be divided into two subgroups: by the material they consist of, or by the external effect.

By material

Cotton

Almost 100 percent consist of natural material, have only a small part of additives in the form of glue, mica and decorative particles. The finished coating is warm and pleasant.

Cellulose (paper)

The most budget type of liquid wallpaper, otherwise called paper. Made from a wood processing product. The material is suitable for finishing cold rooms and areas, such as a balcony.

Silk

Represents the most durable type of liquid wallpaper. The coating mainly consists of silk fibers. The coating is “not afraid” of ultraviolet light, which means it will not fade or change color over time.

Silk-cellulose

Also refers to an inexpensive type of coating, not much different from paper. Silk threads are added to the composition for aesthetic reasons. Unlike silk material, they have a shorter service life.

By texture

Smooth

Smooth liquid wallpaper will look like a flat surface. They look more strict, correspond to modern design.

Relief

Require more consumption during work. Externally similar to soft fabric. Will look good in a classic room design.

Pros and cons

When choosing a finishing material, you should consider all your needs. A detailed examination of the product allows you to be sure that you have made the right choice.

Photo ideas in the interior of rooms

In the kitchen

In the kitchen, liquid wallpaper is suitable for decorating the dining area, for the cooking area it is better to choose a more moisture-resistant material, such as tiles or glass wallpaper. Thanks to the “breathing” surface, the possibility of mold and mildew is minimized. Liquid wallpaper also does not absorb odors, which is especially important in the kitchen.

In the hall

In the living room, you can use different methods of applying material, forming a pattern or unusual relief. The coating is perfect for creating an interior in different styles, it can imitate a concrete wall for a loft, have a smooth even surface for high-tech or an unusual pattern for a modern design.

On the loggia

Liquid wallpaper is suitable for finishing a closed balcony or loggia, since it does not tolerate contact with water, but there will be no problems with low temperatures or sunlight. A very practical way to decorate a space.

For the bathroom

Having decided to decorate the bathroom with liquid wallpaper, it is necessary to remember about their inability to interact with water. Finishing should be done in places with the least possibility of contact with moisture.

In the hallway

Liquid wallpaper is a simple and beautiful solution for finishing a hallway. For a small room, it is worth sticking to a light color scheme. Floor-length mirrors and bright daylight will also help to correct the situation. Liquid wallpaper is convenient for the hallway due to its ability to be repaired in parts.

In the children’s room room

Safety and environmental friendliness of the material plays a decisive role when decorating a children’s room. Liquid wallpaper is just that. The soft and warm surface will decorate the children’s room, and the varied application method allows you to reproduce various patterns or volumetric images, such as flowers or butterflies for a girl’s room.

In the bedroom

The warm, breathable surface creates a cozy atmosphere and is perfect for decorating a bedroom. Liquid wallpaper may include additional components for external decor, glitter or glass beads. Liquid wallpaper can also be combined with other types of finishing, such as wallpaper or wood panels.

In the toilet

Liquid wallpaper is good for a small toilet because it can be applied without seams. Regular wallpaper cannot “boast” of this ability and it is quite difficult to use it to decorate a room with many corners. Considering the possible high humidity in the toilet, the surface should be varnished.

On the stairs

Liquid wallpaper on the stairs will look elegant and laconic, supporting the color scheme of the overall interior. In addition to a single-color surface, the wall along the stairs can be decorated with various patterns or an unusual combination of two colors.

Colors

White

White looks quite strict, externally, white liquid wallpaper looks like plaster. Suitable for office decoration or modern home interior design.

Beige

Cream or beige shades will be a good solution for interior design in a classic style. The coating looks unobtrusive and tasteful, the shade goes well with many colors.

Yellow

Yellow will add a bright color to the room’s interior. A good solution for finishing the northern room of the house, yellow liquid wallpaper will compensate for the lack of sunlight.

Green

Green color has a beneficial effect on a person, helps to relax and gives a positive mood. The interior will look interesting with a combination of different shades of green, such as olive and pistachio.

Gray

Gray looks stylish and strict, visually similar to wet asphalt. Shades can be different, they go well with white, beige and lilac tones. Gray is suitable for decorating a hallway, living room, balcony or kitchen.

Black

Black liquid wallpaper will look impressive as a finishing element, not as the main color. Black can be used to create an unusual pattern, decorate one of the walls or a fragment of a wall in the form of a geometric figure.

Brown

The brown tone creates a cozy, warm atmosphere. Coffee with milk is the most successful tone for decorating a bedroom, the interior is calm and laconic.

Blue

Thanks to the structure of liquid wallpaper, the texture will look interesting on a blue background, forming irregularities similar to the surface of water. The color refreshes a sunny room well.

Lilac

Lavender and lilac shades look good in classic and Provence styles, the shades can be delicate pale or rich and saturated.

Violet

A darker shade of lilac. The color is beautiful, but its oversaturation in the interior can lead to a depressive state. So it is better to combine the purple tone with a lighter range.

Blue

The smooth surface of the walls of a rich blue color will look spectacular in a modern design and will harmoniously decorate the classics. The finish can be combined with white, beige and chocolate tones.

Orange

A positive shade that is often chosen by creative people. Orange color improves mood, promotes communication and makes a room deprived of sunlight brighter.

Turquoise

A beautiful and exciting shade. The color of the sea wave is mesmerizing and subconsciously associated with sea water. Looks especially good in a spacious, light room.

Red

By nature, red is quite an aggressive and bold color. But its various shades can make the interior luxurious and harmonious. For example, a burgundy tone will look good in a classic living room.

Gold

For a spectacular appearance, glitter and sparkles are added to the liquid wallpaper, which give a gold shine in the light. Suitable for classic, Victorian or ethnic design.

Peach

Delicate peach color can decorate any room. The tone is calm, unpretentious, but has its own charm and gives the interior a gentle and cozy atmosphere.

Pink

Pink color is combined with white, gray, blue and cream shades. You can combine different materials to create an interesting design, for example with photo wallpaper.

Combinations with other colors and surfaces

Different colors

A combination of two or more shades is a common practice in interior design. Different shades allow you to make things more complex and voluminous. Most often, two colors are used in decoration, there are a huge number of ways to combine them, liquid wallpaper can be laid out in patterns, creating a single picture on the wall.

With other wallpaper

Liquid wallpaper is a rather “calm” material, it will go well with wood, other types of wallpaper, tiles. One of the types of successful combination of materials can be called liquid and vinyl wallpaper, the latter are presented in a huge form, with different colors and types of production.

With decorative stone

Decorative stone, which can have a completely different texture, for example, imitating brick or a piece of rock, is successfully applied to the smooth surface of liquid wallpaper. The combination is practical for decorating a hallway, protecting corners from damage and abrasion.

Wall decoration design options

Drawings and patterns

Using different shades on the surface of the walls or ceiling, you can lay out patterns or entire pictures. In the finished form, such work looks like a single drawing, without seams and unnecessary lines. To decorate walls with liquid wallpaper with a pattern, it is better to resort to the help of professionals, since the work requires accuracy and skills.

With glitter

Decorative filler in the form of sparkles, glass beads or glitter will add shine to the interior. Small inclusions shimmer beautifully in daylight and evening light.

Glowing

You can add a luminescent decorative filler to the liquid wallpaper; it glows in the dark, creating a fabulous atmosphere. Glowing liquid wallpaper can be used to decorate children’s rooms and bedrooms.

Marbled

Liquid wallpaper with quartz chips visually resembles a marble surface. The application technique can also be with noticeable irregularities, imitating old stone.

Quartz

Quartz is added to the composition in the form of crumbs. As a result, the coating looks like a beach strewn with small pebbles.

Mother-of-pearl

The coating resembles Venetian plaster. The iridescent colors created by the light will emphasize the sophistication of the classic design.

Photos in various styles

Classic

Smooth walls without joints and patterns are perfect for the classic design of the room. Walls can be decorated with paintings and wall moldings or combined with another type of wallpaper, framed in a baguette.

Provence

For original finishing in the Provence style, simple white plaster is often used. Liquid wallpaper is an excellent alternative. The coating can be combined with wood, brick or patterned wallpaper.

Modern

The walls will be decorated with a smooth, single-color surface, geometric patterns or drawings, as well as a variety of combinations with other types of finishing.

Finishing non-standard surfaces

Ceiling

The ceiling is also suitable for finishing with liquid wallpaper. With their help, small irregularities will be straightened out, as a result you will get a canvas with an interesting texture and without a single seam. The ceiling with liquid wallpaper can also be decorated with a pattern or decorative inclusions.

Arch

A fairly common question is how to decorate a doorway or arch. Regular wallpaper can quickly peel off from the corners and lose its appearance, and decorative overlays, such as stone or brick, steal space. Liquid wallpaper will neatly decorate the arch, forming a smooth opening.

On the door

The door can also be “updated” with liquid wallpaper. The material is easy to apply, but requires preliminary preparation, the doors need to be primed and cleaned. It is worth remembering that the surface will not be able to come into contact with water, so this is not the best idea for a bathroom or toilet door.

How to apply liquid wallpaper?

As with any coating, liquid wallpaper requires a prepared, cleaned and processed surface. It is better to mix the composition in advance, since its preparation time varies from 6 to 12 hours. It is important to follow the instructions, the volume of the required liquid may differ slightly. It is important to mix the entire package without mixing it with another.

The composition is applied with a trowel 1.5-2 mm thick. It is better to do the work in one go, without taking breaks of several days, otherwise the transitions may be noticeable. To see the result, see and correct possible irregularities in time, you need to use side lighting. In this case, a grater soaked in water will help. After applying the composition to the surface of the walls, it takes time to dry, on average, this is a day or two.

How to paint liquid wallpaper?

What to paint with?

The material does not have a wide variety of colors and in order to get the ideal shade of the walls for yourself, you can use a colorant, it is added to the solution at the mixing stage. It is best to add coloring pigment to the white base of liquid wallpaper, in this case the shade will be exactly what was needed. Adding color to the color composition may distort the shade.

Step-by-step instructions

Coloring the composition does not require special skills and is performed in only a few stages.

1. The coloring pigment dissolves in the water with which the liquid wallpaper will be mixed,
2. The liquid part is mixed with the dry part until a homogeneous mass is formed,
3. Before applying the solution to the walls, it is worth checking the resulting shade. A small part is applied to a clean sheet or wall and adjusted if necessary.

Liquid wallpaper has one feature: after drying, the color becomes a little lighter. The surface can also be used for painting, latex, acrylic and water-based paints are suitable for this. This method of painting can hide the external effects of the coating, such as glitter, but it makes the surface moisture-resistant.

Video

Varnishing

By coating the surface of liquid wallpaper with varnish, you can extend its service life and improve its characteristics, namely, increase resistance to moisture. Not all liquid paints and varnishes are suitable for use; acrylic varnish is the best choice.

Care and cleaning

Can it be washed?

There are no washable liquid wallpapers as such; they are not able to come into contact with water; getting them wet can damage them. To increase moisture resistance, acrylic varnish is added to the composition; in this case, the surface can be wiped with a damp cloth. However, liquid wallpaper has good antistatic properties, which means it will not attract dust. As for dirt, you can deal with it without using water.

How to wash it properly?

Freshly left stains can be removed using a regular stationery eraser, lightly rubbing the dirty area. As for old ingrained dirt, you can get rid of it by carrying out local repairs. To do this, the desired area is moistened with water and removed, after which a fresh solution is applied, there will be no seams on the wall, and after drying, the surface will be like new.

Photo gallery of design solutions

The coating quite harmoniously coexists with completely different types of finishing. For example, by adding brickwork to the “company” of liquid wallpaper, you can get a modern, loft or Provence style, and vinyl wallpaper with a pattern will decorate a classic and neoclassical design.

Liquid wallpaper is a good way to decorate living spaces. The walls will not be disfigured by the seams as from ordinary wallpaper, and the unusual method of application and varieties of compositions can make the interior completely unique.