How to wallpaper a chimney breast

Step-by-step guide to wallpapering a chimney 

Decided to create a stunning accent by adding wallpaper on chimney breast? Don’t be put off if you’ve never done it before, we’ll take you through how you can do it easily and with great results.

1. Gather your tools

Before you begin, the essentials you will need include: 

• Dust sheet
• Plumb line
• Step ladder
• Tape measure
• Wallpaper scissors
• Paper-hanging brush
• Stanley knife
• Clean cloth

2. Prepare the area for wallpapering 

To get started, you’ll need to prepare the walls and area around the chimney breast for decorating. We recommended clearing the area of any furniture and removing any objects from the mantelpiece, as well as covering the floor with a dust sheet. To achieve the best result, fill any cracks or imperfections in the wall and sand and clean for a smooth finish.

3. Measure up

To work out how much paper you’ll need, take the width measurement of your chimney breast with a tape measure. Next, measure half the width of your chosen wallpaper and use a chalk plumb line to mark a vertical line this far from the centre. You’ll then need to measure from the ceiling to the mantelpiece, and also from floor to ceiling. Remember to add an extra 10 cm to each measurement to allow for trimming.

4. Apply paste and hang the wallpaper 

When you are ready to hang your wallpaper, we recommend centralising the paper by measuring a new plumb line half the width of the wallpaper to the left of the centre line and then hanging the wallpaper to the left of this plumb line. When you’re hanging paste-the-wall paper, simply apply paste to the wall with a roller. Smooth down and out with a paper-hanging brush once you’ve got your wallpaper strip in the right position.

5. Trim and finish the wallpaper 

With the back of a pair of wallpaper scissors or a Stanley knife, mark where you need to trim at the top and bottom. Ease the wallpaper away from the wall, trim with wallpaper scissors and smooth back into place. Paper the sides of the chimney breast by starting at the edge of the front corner and take the paper back into the chimney recess. As before, mark, trim and ease back into place.

The best wallpapers for a chimney breast

Adding wallpaper for chimney breast is one of the simplest and cost-effective ways of transforming bland walls. A great way to highlight an interesting feature, there’s a variety of wallpaper options to choose from to suit your home and budget. Pick one of our favourite Graham & Brown designs and try your hand at wallpapering a chimney breast – it's not as difficult as you may think.

Nuit Lush Wallpaper

Our Nuit Lush wallpaper is a fresh and bright choice for a chimney breast. The crisp white backdrop provides great contrast against the birds and twisting trails of blooming flowers in summery shades of red and yellow – it showcases just how effective decorative wall coverings can be.

Allure Wallpaper

The best bit about making a feature out of the chimney breast is that it lets personality shine, and our Allure wallpaper is the perfect way to do it. Combining hand-painted blooming florals, jewel-coloured birds and a captivating black matt backdrop, this design will draw the eye of anyone who enters the room.

Gothic Damask Flock Cobalt Wallpaper

Our Gothic Damask Flock Cobalt wallpaper will add dramatic flair to your home décor. With its dark, moody flock design and opulent textured, shimmery backdrop, this eye-catching style is a really impactful idea if you’re decorating with a navy and cobalt blue colour palette.

Botanical Powder Wallpaper

Why settle for understated walls when you can opt for our stunning Botanical Powder wallpaper? Let the beautiful hand painted flowers and crisp white background take centre stage above and around your fireplace.

Botanique Jungle Day Bespoke Mural

If you want to take your chimney breast to the next level, look to our Botanique Jungle Day Bespoke mural. Guaranteed to become a talking point, this statement jungle-themed mural is bursting with life thanks to its deep green leaves, succulent botanicals and bright hummingbirds that flit between the blooms.