Types Of Wallpaper

There are six main types of wallpaper, and the right one really does depend on the room. The lineup: non-woven paste-the-wall paper, vinyl, peel and stick, traditional paper, grasscloth, and metallic. Demand is high right now, the 2026 US wallpaper market is the largest by revenue since the late 1980s, and on the residential side non-woven leads by a wide margin.

Below we cover the main material categories and the pros and cons of each, which type fits which room, how durable and washable each format is, whether wallpaper sticks to stucco or melamine, how to choose for your room, whether you can hang it yourself, and a quick tour of the specialty types worth knowing.

How many types of wallpaper are there?

The wallpaper category breaks into six clear types. Non-woven paste-the-wall wallpaper is the dominant format in residential interiors and the standard for heritage collections like William Morris. Vinyl wallpaper covers high-moisture rooms and rental settings. Peel and stick wallpaper suits renters and accent walls. Traditional paper wallpaper still sells in small quantities for specialty and hand-printed applications. Grasscloth wallpaper is the leading natural-fiber category. Metallic wallpaper covers all of the above with a metal-pigment ink finish.

Within those six categories, you will find dozens of subtypes. Embossed vinyl, expanded vinyl, paper-backed vinyl, fabric-backed vinyl, and vinyl-on-non-woven are all variations of the basic vinyl format. Pre-pasted, unpasted, and paste-the-wall describe how the paper attaches to the wall. Some retailers also list flock, foil, and digital-print as separate categories, though those are really print or finish variations on the six main material types.

What are the main types of wallpaper materials?

Non-woven wallpaper is the modern residential standard. The substrate is a blend of synthetic and natural fibers, designed to lie flat without expanding when wet. You paste the wall, hang the dry wallpaper into the paste, and the seams stay tight. The What Is Non-Woven Wallpaper guide covers the format in detail.

Vinyl wallpaper bonds a layer of plastic film to a paper or non-woven backing. The vinyl face resists moisture and gentle scrubbing, which makes it the standard for kitchens, bathrooms, and family rooms with kids. It comes in three main grades: Type I (light residential), Type II (medium residential and light commercial), and Type III (commercial and hospitality).

Peel and stick wallpaper has a self-adhesive back. You peel off the release liner and press the wallpaper onto the wall. The format suits renters, short-term decor, and DIY accent walls. Print quality has improved sharply since 2020, but the format still does not match traditional paste-the-wall non-woven on print fidelity or long-term performance.

Traditional paper wallpaper is what the category looked like for two centuries. The wallpaper is pure paper, the paste activates with water, and the paper expands as it absorbs the paste. Today this format is mostly used for hand-printed specialty wallpaper and conservation work. Most residential paper has shifted to non-woven, which is easier to hang.

Grasscloth wallpaper bonds woven natural fibers (jute, sisal, sea grass, or paper string) to a paper or non-woven backing. The surface has visible texture and natural color variation. It suits living rooms, libraries, and bedrooms where you want a tactile wall rather than a printed pattern. Grasscloth costs more than printed wallpaper and does not clean well, so it is not the choice for kitchens or bathrooms.

Metallic wallpaper uses metal-pigment inks (gold, silver, copper, or bronze) on a non-woven or paper backing. The metal pigment reflects light, so the pattern shifts as you move through the room. Metallic wallpaper is the formal-luxury end of the category and fits dining rooms, entry halls, and powder rooms.

What are the pros and cons of different wallpaper types?

Non-woven wallpaper is the easiest paste-the-wall format to install, the most stable in size, and the simplest to strip when you redecorate. The trade-off is that it costs slightly more per roll than traditional paper, and most non-woven is rated for dry rooms only. For most residential rooms outside the bathroom and kitchen, the pros clearly outweigh the cons.

Vinyl wallpaper handles moisture and gentle cleaning. The trade-off is that the vinyl face can look plastic in some lighting and the format is heavier and stiffer to hang than non-woven. Peel and stick wallpaper goes up and comes down without effort, but the edges can lift within a year or two and the print quality lags behind paste-the-wall non-woven. Traditional paper wallpaper preserves the look of hand-printed conservation-grade work, but it expands when wet and demands careful installation. Grasscloth brings real texture and natural color variation, but the seams are always visible and the surface marks easily. Metallic wallpaper adds the strongest decorative weight, but it shows seam misalignment more than matte finishes and costs more per roll. Pick the format whose pros match your room and whose cons you can live with.

Which type of wallpaper is best for different rooms or needs?

Living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms suit non-woven paste-the-wall wallpaper. The format is dry-rated, easy to hang, and gives the best print fidelity for heritage and contemporary patterns. Home offices also suit non-woven, especially with patterns that support focus rather than distract.

Kitchens and family bathrooms suit vinyl-on-non-woven. The vinyl surface handles cooking steam, splashes, and the wipe-down cleaning these rooms need. Choose Type II vinyl for medium-traffic family kitchens and Type III for high-traffic spaces.

Powder rooms (small bathrooms with no shower) can use standard non-woven if the room has good ventilation. The lower moisture level is similar to a dry room. For showers and wet bathrooms, choose vinyl-on-non-woven or skip wallpaper entirely. The Can You Wallpaper a Bathroom guide covers bathroom wallpaper in full.

Rental apartments suit peel and stick wallpaper. The format comes off cleanly when you move out and does not damage the wall paint if installed correctly. Country and cottage interiors suit grasscloth in living rooms and libraries, where the texture pairs well with natural wood furniture. Formal dining rooms and entry halls suit metallic wallpaper, where the reflective surface reads under lamp and candle light.

Is wallpaper durable and washable?

Most modern non-woven wallpaper lasts ten to fifteen years if you treat it well. Vinyl wallpaper lasts even longer in wet rooms because the surface resists moisture and cleaning. Peel and stick has the shortest life, typically three to seven years, before the adhesive starts to fail.

Washable depends on the format. Vinyl wallpaper handles a damp cloth and a mild soap solution without damage. Non-woven handles a damp cloth but not soap or scrub sponges. Grasscloth handles only a dry duster. Traditional paper does not handle water at all. Check the manufacturer's care guide before you clean any wallpaper. The How to Clean Wallpaper guide covers the full cleaning routine for each format.

Will wallpaper stick to stucco or melamine?

Stucco surfaces are too textured for direct wallpaper installation. The wallpaper cannot lie flat against the bumpy surface, and bubbles and creases show through the printed face. To wallpaper a stucco wall, you have to skim coat it with joint compound first. Then sand it smooth, prime it, and hang the wallpaper as you would on any flat wall. This adds a full day or two of prep work to the project.

Melamine surfaces (the laminate face on most flat-pack furniture and some kitchen cabinets) are the opposite problem. The surface is too smooth and too non-porous for wallpaper paste to grip. Standard wallpaper paste will not bond, and the wallpaper will peel off within weeks. To wallpaper a melamine surface, first sand the melamine to roughen it. Then prime it with a melamine-specific primer. Use a heavy-duty wallpaper paste rated for non-porous surfaces. Peel and stick wallpaper sometimes bonds to melamine without sanding, but the bond is less reliable than on a primed wall.

How do I choose the right wallpaper for my room?

Start with room function. Match the wallpaper format to the moisture and traffic level of the room. Non-woven for dry rooms, vinyl-on-non-woven for wet rooms, peel and stick for rentals and short-term projects.

Move to pattern style. Heritage and traditional rooms suit heritage patterns like William Morris and chinoiserie. Modern rooms suit geometric, abstract, and watercolor patterns. Cottage and country rooms suit cottagecore florals and woodland patterns. Match the style to the existing furniture and architecture.

Consider pattern scale next. Large-scale patterns need large walls to read well. Small-scale patterns suit small rooms and tight wall sections. Most residential rooms suit medium-scale patterns that look decorative at room distance and detailed up close. Order full-roll samples and tape them to the wall for several days before you commit.

Finish with color. The wallpaper's main colors should already appear somewhere else in the room: in an upholstered chair, a rug, lamps, or art. The repetition makes the wallpaper feel integrated rather than imposed. Skip this and the wall looks like a sample stuck onto an otherwise unrelated room.

Can I install wallpaper myself?

Most non-woven and peel and stick wallpaper is installable by a careful DIY beginner. Non-woven paste-the-wall is the easier of the two for first-time installers. You paste the wall, not the wallpaper, then hang the dry strip into the paste. The wallpaper does not expand as you work. Peel and stick is even simpler in theory but harder in practice because mistakes cannot be lifted and repositioned easily. The How to Hang Wallpaper guide covers the paste-the-wall procedure in full.

Traditional paper and grasscloth are harder. Paper expands when wet, which means you have to book each strip (fold it onto itself for a few minutes) before hanging. Grasscloth has visible seams and natural color variation that demand careful strip-matching. Vinyl wallpaper is heavier and stiffer than non-woven, which makes long strips harder to handle alone. For these formats, consider hiring a pro unless you have wallpaper experience.

Specialty wallpaper types worth knowing

Mural wallpaper comes as a set of panels that combine into a single large image. The format suits feature walls in dining rooms, entry halls, and bedrooms. Pattern matching is critical at install. Custom digital print wallpaper lets you print any image at wall scale, which suits commercial spaces and personal projects.

Flock wallpaper has raised fiber pattern (originally wool, now usually synthetic). The format gives a velvet-like surface and was a Victorian and 1970s favorite. Foil wallpaper has a reflective metal foil face, distinct from metallic-pigment wallpaper. Anaglypta wallpaper has heavy embossed texture and is meant to be painted after install; it covers wall imperfections in older homes. These specialty formats add character but cost more and demand more careful installation than standard non-woven.

Types of wallpaper questions

Which wallpaper type is best?

Non-woven paste-the-wall wallpaper is the best general-purpose format for residential interiors. It is dry-rated, easy to install, gives excellent print quality, and strips off cleanly when you redecorate. For wet rooms specifically, vinyl-on-non-woven is the best choice. The "best" type depends on the room.

Will wallpaper stick to stucco?

Not directly. Stucco is too textured for wallpaper to bond cleanly. You have to skim coat the wall with joint compound, sand it smooth, and prime it before you can hang wallpaper. The prep work adds one to two days to the project.

Will wallpaper stick to melamine?

Standard wallpaper paste will not bond to melamine because the surface is too smooth and non-porous. To wallpaper melamine, sand the surface, prime it with a melamine-specific primer, and use a heavy-duty wallpaper paste rated for non-porous walls. Peel and stick wallpaper sometimes bonds to melamine without prep, but the result is less reliable.

How many types of wallpaper do we have?

The wallpaper category breaks into six main types: non-woven, vinyl, peel and stick, traditional paper, grasscloth, and metallic. Within those, you will find dozens of subtypes like embossed, expanded, fabric-backed, foil, flock, and anaglypta. All of those are variations on the basic six.

What is the most popular wallpaper type?

Non-woven paste-the-wall wallpaper is the most-installed format in residential interiors as of 2026. The format leads the market because it gives the best balance of print quality, install ease, and long-term performance. The William Morris Wallpaper heritage collection is non-woven.

How long does wallpaper last?

Non-woven wallpaper lasts ten to fifteen years if treated well. Vinyl wallpaper lasts longer (fifteen to twenty years) in wet rooms because of its moisture resistance. Peel and stick lasts three to seven years. Hand-painted murals and grasscloth can last longer if the underlying wall stays sound.

Where can I buy wallpaper online?

The William Morris Wallpaper collection at williammorriswallpaper.co carries the full Morris heritage range and a broad selection of contemporary patterns across botanical, chinoiserie, geometric, watercolor, and metallic categories.