Wallpaper on fireplace wall

[Deccy]

When wallpapering a fireplace wall with a chimney breast where do you start? Do you put the centre of your first piece on the centre of the chimney breast or the edge of your first piece on the centre of the chimney breast?

 

[Robbie uk]

This will depend on the pattern of the paper. You will want to keep the pattern symetrical. Strike a line down the middle of the breats and hold the roll of paper up to it with the line in the middle of the roll. mark where the edge of the paper comes too and move the roll edge across to the line. do this until you go around the corner and into the corner of the alcove. See how much excess there is to cut off or how much of a gap there is. If you start with the center line down the middle of the paper and work outwards as before it may work out better in the fact that you might not need as much paper. One way or the other depending on the width of the breast will save you paper.

 

[Deccy]

Thanks Robbie. I usually start it off with the edge of the paper up to the line in the centre of the breast and have had no problems but I was reading a book the other day that told me to start with the centre of the paper in the centre of the breast and I started to wonder. What would you do if, say, the centre of the paper you were using had to start in the centre of the breast to look symetrical but the breast was only 3 widths of paper wide and the edges fell on the corners?

 

[Robbie uk]

Depends on a few different things. If the corners of the breast are not true and straight then when you turn the corner with the paper it will crease. Sometimes it handy if the paper only goes around an inch or two as the side peice can be overlapped and knifed through, does depend on the patern though. starting either side of the line will allow more paper to go around the corner.

 

[Zampa]

One thing to be aware of though...a lot of papers at the moment seem tofavour patterns that are off centre and not symetrical to the width of the paper itself..when you have this situation hanging either side of the centre line or directly over it wont work

I normally cut a few pieces of the pattern off the roll and tape them together then move them back and fourth along the face of the breast until the effect is balanced.

 

[Deccy]

Thanks both