DIY Powder Room Makeover: How I Installed a Wallpaper Accent Wall (Without Losing My Mind)
Sometimes the smallest room in your house is the one that bugs you the most.
Our powder room already had fresh navy paint, a new vanity, new faucet, and a wall cabinet that I loved...but every time I walked by it I kept thinking, "It still needs something."
The answer? … Wallpaper.
Now, I had never wallpapered anything before. My grandma actually owned a wallpaper and paint store when my mom was growing up, but apparently wallpaper skills are not hereditary. 😂
After a few bubbles, a couple of accidental tears, and one minor panic attack involving a utility knife, I figured it out—and I'm sharing everything I learned so your project goes even smoother than mine.
Before
The room already had beautiful dark blue walls and crisp white trim, but the back wall felt plain.
Wallpaper seemed like the perfect way to add personality without overwhelming the small space.
Why I Chose an Accent Wall
I debated wallpapering the side wall because it would have been much easier.
Instead, I chose the wall behind the vanity and toilet because it's the first thing you see when walking into the room.
It also creates a beautiful backdrop for the mirror and reflects nicely in the glass, making the room feel larger.
It definitely required more patience—but I would make the same choice again.
The Finished Reveal
Supplies I Used
Wallpaper smoother (kit comes with blades and tape measure!)
Sharp utility knife (lots of extra blades!)
Tape measure
Soft sponge
Microfiber cloth
Step stool
Before You Start
✅ Measure the wall
✅ Choose pre-pasted wallpaper
✅ Patch nail holes
✅ Clean the wall
✅ Remove everything you can
✅ Protect the floor
A few notes on choosing your wallpaper... there are so many out there so take your time and find the right look for you! I ended up with this one:
If you're struggling with design options, think about:
Lighting -- do you have a dark space? Then choose something lighter. For light spaces, then maybe add something more colorful.
Decorations -- will you have things on the wall? Then maybe you don't want it too busy.
Function -- think about which wall you want your accent wall to be based on function and focal point. I recommend it being one that won't be touched a lot or messed with.
📏 Step 1: Measure Everything (Twice!)
If there's one place where a little extra planning will save you a LOT of frustration, it's here.
I know...measuring isn't the exciting part. I was ready to jump straight into hanging wallpaper too! But trust me, spending 15 minutes measuring and laying everything out first made the rest of the project so much smoother.
Unlike paint, wallpaper isn't very forgiving if you run out halfway across the wall or accidentally cut a strip too short. (Ask me how I know...okay, thankfully I didn't learn that lesson the hard way!)
Measure Your Wall
Start by measuring both the height and width of the wall you're wallpapering. Don't rely on the square footage listed on the wallpaper roll. Since wallpaper is installed in vertical strips, what really matters is:
the height of your wall
the width of each wallpaper strip
and the pattern repeat
For my powder room:
Wall height: Just under 8 feet
Wall width: About 60 inches
Wallpaper roll: 20.5 inches wide × 33 feet long
That meant I needed three full strips to cover the wall, with enough extra left over for mistakes (which gave me tremendous peace of mind!).
Pro Tip: Always buy one extra roll if your budget allows. I'd much rather have leftover wallpaper than discover the manufacturer changed the dye lot six months later!
Cut Each Strip a Little Longer
Once you've measured your wall, cut your first strip about 4 inches longer than your wall height. Those extra inches are your insurance policy. Walls, ceilings, and floors are almost never perfectly straight, so the extra length gives you room to line everything up before trimming for a perfectly clean finish.
Match the Pattern Before You Cut
This was one of the biggest things I learned.
Don't just keep cutting three identical lengths from the roll. Instead, after cutting the first strip, unroll the wallpaper until the pattern lines up perfectly with the first piece. Then cut the second strip. Repeat the process for every strip you'll need.
Taking a few extra minutes here means your pattern will flow seamlessly across the wall.
Lay Everything Out First
Before activating any of the adhesive, I rolled all three strips out on the floor and placed them in order from left to right. This might have been my favorite "future me" decision of the entire project.
Seeing all of the strips together let me:
verify the pattern matched correctly
make sure nothing was upside down
decide which strip would go where
avoid a last-minute panic once the wallpaper was wet
I even lightly labeled the back of each strip ("Left," "Middle," and "Right") with painter's tape so I wouldn't accidentally grab the wrong one.
💙 Learn From My Mistake
Don't spray the wallpaper with water or Wallpaper Helper until everything is measured, cut, and laid out in order. Once the adhesive is activated, the clock starts ticking, and it's much less stressful if all of your prep work is already finished.
📐 Step 2: Draw a Plumb Line (Don't Trust Your Corners!)
Okay...this was the step that made my brain hurt.
I read the wallpaper instructions three different times, and they kept telling me to draw a plumb line about an inch in from the corner. My immediate thought was:
"Wait...won't that leave a one-inch gap on my wall?"
The answer is no—but the instructions definitely aren't very beginner-friendly.
What Is a Plumb Line?
A plumb line is simply a perfectly vertical reference line that keeps your wallpaper straight from the ceiling all the way to the floor. Here's the problem...
Most corners in our homes aren't perfectly straight. They might lean just a little to one side, but if you start your wallpaper by following that crooked corner, every strip after it will slowly drift farther and farther off. By the time you reach the other side of the wall, your pattern might be noticeably crooked.
So instead of trusting the corner, trust your level!
Since This Is an Accent Wall...
The instructions that came with my wallpaper assumed I was wallpapering the entire room and wrapping around the corners. I wasn't.
Because I was only wallpapering one accent wall, I used a slightly different method that worked beautifully.
I measured 20 inches from the left corner of the wall. My wallpaper was 20½ inches wide, so this gave me about ½ inch of extra wallpaper to wrap into the corner and trim off later.
Using a level, I drew a perfectly straight vertical line from the ceiling to the baseboard. That line became my guide. Instead of lining the wallpaper up with the corner, I lined up the right edge of my first strip with the plumb line. The tiny bit of extra wallpaper tucked into the corner was trimmed away later, giving me a perfectly straight starting edge.
If your corner is slightly crooked (and it probably is), that tiny difference gets absorbed in the corner instead of showing up across the entire wall. It's one of those little tricks that makes a DIY project look professionally installed.
📌 Pro Tip
If you're only wallpapering a single accent wall, don't center your first strip. Start on the side with the fewest obstacles (for me, that was the toilet side), then work your way across the wall. It made trimming around the mirror and vanity much easier because I wasn't trying to wrestle with the biggest obstacles on my very first strip.
🧩 Step 3: Hang the Wallpaper (One Strip at a Time)
This is the moment you've been waiting for!
Everything up to this point has been prep work, but now it's finally time to start transforming your wall. I'll admit...I was a little nervous hanging that first strip. It feels like there's no turning back once the wallpaper touches the wall.
The good news? Pre-pasted wallpaper is surprisingly forgiving, especially if you work slowly and don't try to rush.
Start with the Easiest Side
I originally thought about starting in the center of the wall, but I'm so glad I didn't. Instead, I started with the left side, where I only had the toilet to work around. The mirror, vanity, and light fixture were all on the opposite side, so I was able to get comfortable with the wallpaper before tackling the trickier obstacles.
If one side of your wall has fewer things to cut around, start there. You'll build confidence with that first strip before moving on to the more challenging sections.
Activate the Adhesive
Because I chose pre-pasted wallpaper, I skipped the traditional water trough and used Roman E-Z Hang Wallpaper Helper instead. Here's the process that worked best for me:
Lay one wallpaper strip face down on a clean surface.
Lightly mist the entire back of the wallpaper. Think damp—not dripping.
Give the section of wall you're working on a light mist as well.
Immediately take the strip to the wall and begin hanging it.
Don't activate all of your strips at once. Work one strip at a time so the adhesive stays at the perfect moisture level.
Start at the Top
Line up the right edge of your wallpaper with the plumb line you drew in Step 2. Leave the small amount of extra wallpaper tucked into the corner. We'll trim that off later. Working from the ceiling down, gently smooth the wallpaper with your wallpaper smoother or a plastic smoothing tool.
Instead of pushing straight down, work from the center outward to push out air and excess moisture. As you move lower, continue peeling and smoothing a little at a time until you reach the floor. Then trim the excess at the ceiling and baseboard using a brand-new utility knife blade.
💙 Pro Tip: Don't Fight the Wallpaper
If something doesn't look right, don't force it.
One of the biggest surprises during this project was realizing that wallpaper is much more forgiving than I expected. If I noticed the strip drifting slightly or the pattern wasn't lining up perfectly, I simply peeled it back, gave it another light mist if needed, and repositioned it. Trying to force dry wallpaper into place usually creates wrinkles or creases. Taking thirty extra seconds to reposition it gave me much better results.
💙 Lesson Learned: Bubbles Happen (Don't Panic!)
About halfway through my first strip, I spotted a fairly large bubble near the ceiling.
Cue the internal panic. I was convinced I'd ruined the entire project before I'd even finished the first panel. Thankfully, that wasn't the case.
If you notice a soft bubble while the wallpaper is still wet:
Gently peel the wallpaper back just above the bubble.
Lightly mist the back (or the wall) if it has started drying.
Lay it back down.
Smooth from the center of the bubble toward the nearest edge, not straight down.
Most bubbles disappear surprisingly easily while the adhesive is still wet.
Even after everything was installed, I noticed a few tiny bubbles that slowly disappeared as the wallpaper dried.
So before assuming disaster, give the wallpaper a little time.
💙 Lesson Learned: Change Your Blade More Than You Think
I probably changed utility knife blades six or seven times during this project.
At first, I thought that seemed excessive. Then I learned the hard way. A blade that feels "pretty sharp" on dry wallpaper suddenly feels dull once the wallpaper is damp. Instead of slicing cleanly, it starts dragging and tearing the paper.
I ended up with two tiny tears while trimming. Fortunately, I was able to patch them so well that no one has noticed...until now. So if you visit my house, let's just pretend they don't exist. 😄
Fresh blades are cheap.
Wallpaper isn't.
Don't be afraid to swap them out often.
Before You Hang the Next Strip...
Resist the urge to immediately keep going.
Instead, step back several feet and admire your work for a minute.
Check that:
the wallpaper is perfectly straight,
the edges are fully adhered,
there aren't any obvious bubbles,
and everything still lines up with your plumb line.
Trust me—it's much easier to make a tiny adjustment now than after you've hung the next two strips.
✂️ Step 4: Conquering the Tricky Stuff (Toilets, Mirrors & Light Fixtures)
Let's be honest... Wallpapering a perfectly empty wall is one thing.
Wallpapering a wall with a toilet, vanity, mirror, hanging cabinet, towel ring, and light fixture attached to it? That's a completely different adventure!
This was the part I was dreading the most before starting the project, but it actually ended up being much easier than I expected once I figured out one important trick.
🚫 Don't Pre-Cut Anything
Seriously. This was probably the biggest lesson of the entire project.
My first instinct was to measure around every obstacle and cut the wallpaper before hanging it. That would have been a disaster. Instead, hang the wallpaper right over the object and smooth it down as far as you can.
Once the wallpaper reaches the obstacle:
Feel where it begins to touch.
Make one tiny cut.
Smooth a little farther.
Make another tiny cut.
Repeat until the wallpaper naturally wraps around the object.
It almost feels like you're sculpting the wallpaper instead of cutting it. Taking your time gives you much cleaner edges than trying to guess every cut ahead of time.
The same method works for almost everything:
Outlets
Light switches
Cabinets
Towel bars
Toilet paper holders
The process never changes.
Hang first. Cut later.
Trying to pre-cut almost always leads to gaps that are impossible to hide.
💙 Pro Tip: Fresh Blades Make All the Difference
I know I've already said it once...
I'm saying it again because it's that important.
Wallpaper becomes surprisingly delicate once it's damp. A sharp blade glides through it. A dull blade drags. Guess which one creates accidental tears? 🙋♀️ (Ask me how I know!)
Changing blades frequently gave me cleaner cuts around the mirror, toilet, vanity, and ceiling—and saved me from a lot of frustration.
✨ Step 5: The Finishing Touches on your Wallpaper Accent Wall (You're Almost There!)
This step is quick, but it makes the difference between a DIY project that looks "pretty good" and one that looks professionally installed.
Wipe Away Any Excess Adhesive
As you finish each strip, keep a clean sponge and a bucket of fresh water nearby. If you notice any shiny spots or adhesive squeezing out from the seams, wipe it away right away.
During my project I ended up with adhesive on:
the mirror frame
the painted walls
the vanity countertop
the trim
even my arms! 😆
Fortunately, it all cleaned up easily because I caught it before it dried. The key is to use a damp sponge—not a soaking wet one—and rinse it often. Don't scrub the wallpaper. A gentle wipe is all it needs.
Check for Bubbles One Last Time
Before calling it finished, take one slow walk around the room.
Look for:
small bubbles
loose edges
corners that need another gentle smoothing
seams that need a light wipe
Remember... Tiny bubbles often disappear as the wallpaper dries, so don't chase every little imperfection. If you still have one larger bubble while everything is damp, simply peel back that small section, give it a light mist if necessary, and smooth it again.
Reinstall Everything
Once you're happy with the wallpaper:
Reinstall your light fixture.
Hang artwork.
Put the towel ring back.
Style the room!
This was honestly my favorite part. Seeing everything come back together made the wallpaper look like it had always belonged there.
Step Back and Admire Your Work
Stand in the doorway. Take a deep breath. Look at what you just accomplished.
This was my very first wallpaper project, and while there were definitely a few moments where I questioned my life choices, the finished room turned out even better than I imagined. Sometimes we spend so much time focusing on the little imperfections that we forget to enjoy the transformation.
And trust me... Nobody walking into your bathroom is going to notice the tiny thing that you've been staring at for the last three hours. They're going to say, "Wow...this room looks amazing!"
Tips If You're Thinking About Trying Wallpaper
Measure your wall before ordering.
Dry-fit the wallpaper before activating the adhesive.
Use a level instead of trusting the corner of the room.
Replace knife blades frequently.
Work slowly around toilets, mirrors, and vanities.
Clean excess adhesive immediately.
Don't panic over bubbles—they often disappear as the wallpaper dries.
Final Thoughts
This powder room went from a room people simply used to one that people actually notice.
It's amazing how one accent wall can completely change the personality of a space.
Was it perfect? Nope.
Did I have bubbles? Yes.
Did I accidentally make two tiny tears? Also yes.
Did I wonder at one point if I should just peel the whole thing off and pretend this project never happened? Absolutely.
But here's the funny thing... Once everything dried and I put the room back together, I honestly couldn't find half the "mistakes" I'd been stressing over. Sometimes we're our own toughest critics.
Roots & Wings Project Rating
Project: Powder Room Wallpaper Accent Wall
Time: 4–5 hours
Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (Beginner to Intermediate)
Cost: Approximately $XX
Room: 5' × 5' powder room
Wallpaper: Pre-pasted removable wallpaper
Would I do it again? Absolutely!
If you've been nervous about trying wallpaper yourself, I'd encourage you to give it a shot. It isn't about perfection—it's about taking your time and trusting the process. 💓
Thinking about adding wallpaper to your bathroom? Save this
for later! These simple steps and pro tips will help give you the confidence to tackle your own accent wall.
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