How Many Rolls of Wallpaper Do I Need?

How can you work out how many rolls of wallpaper do I need? 

Thinking about freshening up a room with some wallpaper? Whether you’re going for bold patterns, calming textures, or a statement feature wall, one of the most common questions people ask is:

“How many rolls of wallpaper do I need?”

Buying the right amount is crucial, as ordering too little can mean struggling to find the same batch again, and ordering too much can mean you’ve overspent unnecessarily (with loads left that you don’t want to throw away, but also don’t want to store at home).

The thing is, there’s no exact science to working out the answer to how many rolls of wallpaper do I need, but there are guidelines and advice that can help you work out the best approximation for your project and the type of wallpaper you are choosing.

Let’s take a look at how you can do it?

1: Measure Your Walls

You will need to:

• Measure the height of your wall from floor to ceiling (in metres).
• Measure the width of each wall (also in metres).
• Multiply the height by the width of each wall to get the area in square metres (m²).
• Add up the area of all the walls you’re wallpapering.
• For example:
  Wall 1 is 2.4m high and 4m wide → 2.4 x 4 = 9.6m²
  Wall 2 is 2.4m high and 3m wide → 2.4 x 3 = 7.2m²
  Total area = 9.6 + 7.2 = 16.8m²

We always recommend adding a bit extra (around 10%) to account for waste and mistakes, and don’t deduct the space taken up by doors and windows, as this extra paper is helpful for matching patterns and avoiding shortages. 

2: Check the Roll Coverage

All of our wallpaper rolls come in a standard size:

• Width: 70cm (0.7m)

• Length: 10m

• So the total coverage per roll is around 7m²

Take your total wall area (the final figure you worked out in step 1) and divide it by the coverage of one roll:

Total area ÷ Roll coverage = Number of rolls needed

Using our earlier example:
16.8m² ÷ 7m² ≈ 2.4 rolls

Always round up. You can’t buy 0.4 of a roll. In this case, the answer to the question; How many rolls of wallpaper do I need? ” would be 3.

4: Allow for Pattern Repeat & Wastage

If your wallpaper has a pattern repeat, especially a large one, you’ll likely need more rolls to match the design across the strips as different patterns result in different wastage.

• Small pattern repeat (less than 30cm): Add around 10% extra for wastage.

• Large pattern repeat (30cm+): Add 15–20% extra for wastage.

“Small print” and “large print” refer to the scale of the design or pattern on the wallpaper, and this has a big impact on how many rolls of wallpaper you need.

As a guide:

• Small print is a small, tight pattern that repeats frequently and is easier to line up, so you waste less when matching strips. Examples would be polka dots, delicate florals, fine geometric shapes, small leaves and the pattern repeat is usually under 30 cm.
• Large Print is a bold, oversized pattern that repeats less often, so to match the large design properly, more of the paper ends up being trimmed off, resulting in more waste.Examples would be big florals, tropical leaves, large murals, wide stripes, abstract or statement designs and the pattern repeat is often 30 cm or more, sometimes 50–70 cm or even higher.

It’s also wise to allow for a little wastage, awkward corners, or miscuts too, especially if you’re doing it yourself!

What about if you are papering a feature wall or half wall?

To do this, simply measure the one wall you want to paper. If you are only looking to paper half of the wall height, halve this measurement.

What about sloped ceilings?

For sloped ceilings, you can try to subtract the approximate triangle, but it is usually safer to include the full height, especially with large print papers.

How complicated is it to know how many rolls of wallpaper do I need?

Working out how many rolls of wallpaper you need isn’t too tricky once you break it down, and we have a wallpaper calculator on each of our products to give you an idea.

Measure carefully, account for repeats and wastage, and always order a bit extra just in case. It’s definitely better to have too much rather than too little!

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Happy papering!

With over 20 years of experience in the global fashion industry, artists at Curate Space infuse their unique expertise into home decor.  Each design begins as a sketch, a brushstroke, a moment of imagination in our London studio where ideas take form and craftsmanship begins. Whether you are looking for sustainable, handcrafted wallpaper, fabric or both for your home, project or commercial premises, Curate Space will help you elevate every space. Contact us to find out more.