Understanding the Wallpaper Calculator
A wallpaper calculator estimates how many rolls you need to cover your walls, factoring in the room dimensions and the wallpaper’s pattern repeat. Pattern matching wastes material, so this is one project where buying by area alone falls short.
Pattern repeat increases waste
Patterned wallpaper must be aligned strip to strip, so part of each roll is trimmed away to make the design match. The larger the pattern repeat, the more waste. The calculator accounts for this, which is why patterned paper requires more rolls than a plain covering of the same wall area.
Buy from one batch
Wallpaper is printed in batches (“dye lots”) that can differ subtly in color, and a mismatch is glaringly obvious on a finished wall. Buy all your rolls at once from the same batch, and add an extra roll for mistakes and future repairs — finding a matching batch later is often impossible.
Tips & things to know
- •Large pattern repeats waste more, requiring extra rolls.
- •Buy all rolls from the same batch to match color.
- •Keep a spare roll for future repairs.