Where wallpaper works in a kitchen and where it does not, which paper survives grease and steam, and why scale matters more here than in any other room
Yes, away from the hob and the sink. Use our heavy-grade paper, which is vinyl-coated and can be gently cleaned, and keep it off the immediate splash and heat zones, which want tile, glass or stainless steel. The dining end of a kitchen is where wallpaper does its best work.
Where it works
The dining end of a kitchen-diner, the single best use of wallpaper in a modern kitchen.
A wall with no units on it, or the wall a table sits against.
Above a picture rail or on a chimney breast in an older kitchen.
Inside a pantry or larder cupboard, which is a quiet pleasure every time it is opened.
The ceiling, which stays clear of everything that gets thrown at a kitchen wall.
Where it does not
Behind the hob. Heat and fat. This area needs a proper splashback.
Behind the sink. Constant water.
Between worktop and wall units, where every splash lands.
Immediately beside a hob, even to the side. Keep paper well clear and follow the appliance manufacturer's clearances.
Which paper
Heavy-grade, 300gsm. Vinyl-coated, so airborne grease can be blotted off rather than absorbed, and heavy enough to survive a kitchen wall's general life.
Our traditional paper is usable in the dining end of a large room, though it will show marks sooner. Removable peel and stick is not the right choice for a kitchen: steam from a kettle, hob and dishwasher works between the adhesive and the paint.
Extraction
A working extractor over the hob, used every time you cook, takes most of the grease and steam out of the air before it reaches any wall. It matters more for how a kitchen wall ages than the paper does.
Regular dusting
Kitchen grease settles as a fine film and gradually attracts dust. Dusted every few weeks it never becomes a mark; left for a year it becomes one that will not come off.
Preparing a kitchen wall
Degrease thoroughly with sugar soap, because kitchen walls carry more than any other room, including walls that look perfectly clean.
Rinse and let dry completely.
Fill and sand, then dust off.
Check for condensation staining, particularly on external walls and in corners.
Paste generously, right into the corners and edges.
Let it dry a full 48 hours before heavy cooking, with the extractor on.
A note on scale
Kitchen walls are broken up by units, appliances, shelves and doors, so very little uninterrupted wall is left. A large-scale design in those conditions shows only fragments of itself. Either give it a whole clear wall, such as the dining end or a chimney breast, or choose something smaller in scale for the broken-up walls.
Hold an A3 sample against the actual wall, with the units in shot, before ordering.
Can you put wallpaper in a kitchen?
Yes, away from the hob, the sink and the worktop splash zone. Heavy-grade is the paper to use.
Can wallpaper go behind a cooker?
No. That area needs a proper splashback, and paper should be kept well clear of a heat source.
Will kitchen grease ruin wallpaper?
Not if there is working extraction and the wall is dusted regularly. Grease becomes a problem when it is left to build up.
Is your wallpaper wipeable?
The heavy-grade paper is vinyl-coated and tolerates gentle cleaning. Blot with a slightly damp white cloth, never scrub.
Can I use peel and stick in a kitchen?
We would not. Steam from cooking works between the adhesive and the paint film.
I love how everything turned out and the price point was great. It was a bit challenging to piece together. Being from the USA, it was kind of a challenge to convert all the measurements to figure out how many rolls I needed and then where to cut the rolls to line up the images based on the design repetition. Luckily, I had plenty of wallpaper to work with on the roll.
Absolutely beautiful design and texture. Got the heavy duty wallpaper and put it up without any previous wallpaper experience and it went up very easily and beautifully. Definitely recommend.
Extremely helpful and supportive when I needed advice on measurements, with fast delivery too. The quality of the wallpaper is excellent, and I’m really pleased with the overall service. Highly recommended!
Gorgeous wallpaper, but the measuring option on the website left us short by 1 roll. Had to order another one but when it came the colour match was perfect. Thankfully I wasn’t paying for a decorator, otherwise would have been disappointed in having to pay for them to return. Otherwise great quality wallpaper and design compared to other similar products available.
First purchase from claret and key and truly impressed. Beautiful quality wallpaper. Pretty yet not too fussy. Easy to hang, cut and match. Would work in any room
Good tracking and delivery service too.
Definitely recommend and would reuse for future projects.
Everything went really good. Apart from the quality of the wallpaper which is fantastic, the staff were exemplary in their communications, friendliness and professionalism. They really did go the extra mile to help me.
A great experience all round.
Thank you.
Patrick
Lovely pattern and paper quality.
However, I wish that I had paid more attention to the roll width measurement.
For some strange reason your paper is narrower than a standard roll. This caused me a great deal of problems when papering my lobby, a small area but that made it more difficult because I was left with a narrow space to fill on 3 walls with a very long drop.
Although I love the paper I probably wouldn't use it again just for this reason.
Why you would produce paper not of a standard width is for you to know and me to wonder but it has made my small project very difficult.
Used this paper to make a dark study cosier. Absolutely loved the colour - the background is a perfect match to our existing panelling painted in Farrow and Ball Old White. First time using paste the wall and it was a revelation so easy and much less mess. Quality of the paper is great but noted the rolls are slightly narrower than most wallpapers. Loved the pattern match which meant little waste what we had left we used to recover some old box files which was easy. I thoroughly recommend.
Great quality wallpaper! The print is beautiful, the wallpaper is thick, and fairly easy to install. Our small area took about an hour and a half because we had a lot of of awkward cuts.
Will definitely be using this brand again!
The paper was just hung and we are thrilled.
The quality of the paper, ease of working with it, (per the paper hangers), your customer service, all were exceptional. We will be ordering again. Thank you!!
Fabulous wallpaper and excellent customer service. This Bronte wallpaper has given my kitchen a new lease of life. Will definitely buy from here again.
