Paper vs Vinyl Wallpaper: What Is the Difference?

Most wallpaper sold today falls into two families: paper and vinyl. They can look similar in a photo, but they behave very differently on your wall.

What they are made of

• Vinyl wallpaper has a plastic (PVC) surface layer. Peel-and-stick wallpaper is usually a self-adhesive vinyl film.
• Paper wallpaper is printed on paper. Ours is real paper printed in Italy with water-based inks.

How they look

Vinyl has a smooth, often slightly shiny surface. Paper has a matte finish: the colours sit in the paper instead of on top of a plastic layer, which gives the print a softer, more natural look, closer to how hand-printed wallpapers looked centuries ago.

How they go up

• Peel and stick: no paste, but the film can stretch, bubble and is hard to reposition once it grabs.
• Paper: hung with paste. Our sheets come pre-cut in 27.5 × 39.4 in (70 × 100 cm) and the kit includes a plant-based paste measured for your order, so you hang one manageable sheet at a time.

How they come off

Paper hung with our plant-based paste comes off with hot water. Peel-and-stick vinyl is designed to peel off, but on some paints it can lift the paint with it.

Which one should you choose?

• Choose vinyl if you need a wipe-clean surface in a very wet area.
• Choose paper if you want a matte, natural finish, fewer plastics in your home and a wallpaper you can remove with hot water.

Curious? See the paper up close with an A3 sample from any design page, or explore our chinoiserie and Asian designs and our tropical wallpapers.