If you’ve been looking at a room in your home and thinking it feels tired, outdated, or just a bit “blah”, you’re not alone. The good news is you don’t need a full renovation to make a huge difference. In fact, one of the easiest and most effective ways to transform a room quickly is with DIY wallpaper and paint — and it’s far more achievable than most people think.
Many people put off decorating because they assume it’s going to be stressful, messy, or too difficult without a professional. But modern decorating products have come a long way. Today’s wallpaper is easier to hang, paint is more durable, and with a simple plan you can create a dramatic room makeover in just one day. This guide will show you how to get the best results using wallpaper for a feature wall and paint for the remaining walls, even if you’re a complete beginner.
Why Wallpaper and Paint Are the Fastest Way to Transform a Room
When you want a quick DIY room makeover, wallpaper and paint are the two biggest-impact changes you can make. They instantly change the mood of the space, modernise the look, and make a room feel clean, stylish and finished. Wallpaper adds pattern, texture and depth, while paint brings balance and helps the overall colour scheme feel intentional.
Even if you only wallpaper one wall, it can completely change the look of the room. A wallpaper feature wall is one of the best DIY projects for beginners because it’s manageable, affordable, and gives you a huge transformation without having to decorate every wall.
The Best One-Day DIY Plan: Wallpaper a Feature Wall and Paint the Rest
If your goal is to transform a room in one day, the easiest and most realistic approach is to focus on one feature wall in wallpaper, then paint the other walls in a colour that complements it. Trying to wallpaper a whole room and repaint everything in one day can quickly become overwhelming, especially if you’re new to DIY.
A feature wall keeps the project simple while still delivering a “wow” result. It also gives you the freedom to choose a bolder wallpaper design, because it won’t overpower the entire space.
How to Choose the Right Wall for a Wallpaper Feature Wall
The best feature wall is usually the wall that naturally draws your eye when you walk into the room. In bedrooms, this is often the wall behind the bed. In living rooms, it’s usually behind the sofa or a chimney breast. In dining rooms, it may be the main wall where the table sits. Smaller rooms like downstairs toilets are also perfect for wallpaper, because you can be more adventurous and still keep the space feeling balanced.
If you’re a DIY beginner, it’s best to avoid walls with lots of awkward angles, multiple doors, or too many obstacles. A straightforward wall makes the wallpapering process easier and gives you a cleaner finish.
Is Wallpaper Hard to Hang? (Not as Much as People Think)
Wallpaper has a reputation for being difficult, but in reality, it’s often far easier than people expect. Many modern wallpapers are designed to be DIY-friendly, especially paste-the-wall wallpaper and non-woven wallpaper, which are generally easier to handle and less likely to stretch.
The most important part of wallpapering is getting the first drop straight. Once that first piece is level, the rest of the wall is usually a steady process of matching the pattern, smoothing the wallpaper, and trimming neatly at the top and bottom. Most people find that once they start, the fear disappears quickly — and the results are incredibly satisfying.
How to Choose Paint That Matches Your Wallpaper
Paint is what ties the whole room together. It helps the wallpaper stand out in the right way and gives the room a professional, coordinated look. A simple and effective approach is to pick a colour from the wallpaper design and choose a paint shade that is either slightly lighter or slightly deeper.
For example, if your wallpaper has warm neutrals, choose a soft cream, beige, or warm taupe for the surrounding walls. If your wallpaper includes greens, consider a muted sage or olive tone. If your wallpaper has darker tones like navy or charcoal, you can create a more dramatic look by painting the remaining walls in a deep complementary shade, or you can soften it with a lighter neutral.
Paint is also one of the most forgiving DIY jobs you can do. Even if your first coat looks patchy, a second coat usually makes a huge difference and creates that smooth, even finish.
The Importance of Prep: The Secret to a Professional Finish
If you want your DIY room makeover to look neat and professional, preparation is the step that matters most. This is where many DIY projects go wrong, not because the decorating is difficult, but because the walls weren’t ready.
Before wallpapering, make sure the wall is clean, dry, smooth, and free from bumps. Fill any holes, sand down rough areas, and remove any leftover wallpaper paste if you’ve stripped an old wall. Wallpaper can highlight imperfections, so a smooth wall makes a big difference.
Before painting, fill and sand any marks, wash down greasy areas (especially in kitchens), and use primer if you’re painting over a strong colour. These small steps don’t take long, but they massively improve the final result.
The Best Order for Painting and Wallpapering in One Day
If you’re doing both wallpaper and paint in the same room, the best order is to paint first and wallpaper second. Painting first means you’re less likely to accidentally splash paint onto your new wallpaper, and it’s easier to tidy up edges before the wallpaper goes on.
A realistic one-day decorating plan usually looks like this: start with prep and your first coat of paint in the morning, wallpaper the feature wall around midday, then apply your second coat of paint in the afternoon. By the end of the day, the room will feel completely transformed.
DIY Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect (It Just Has to Be Yours)
One of the biggest reasons people avoid DIY decorating is fear of making mistakes. But the truth is, wallpaper and paint are two of the most forgiving DIY projects you can do. Paint can be touched up, wallpaper can be adjusted while you hang it, and small imperfections are often invisible once the room is furnished and styled.
The aim isn’t perfection — it’s creating a space you love. And most people are genuinely surprised by how good their work looks once they step back and see the finished result.
We’re Here to Help You Get the Result You Deserve
At Nobletts, we’ve been helping customers decorate for generations, and we know that most people are far more capable than they give themselves credit for. You don’t need to be an expert to transform your home — you just need the right advice, the right products, and a bit of confidence.
Whether you need help choosing wallpaper, matching paint colours, working out how many rolls you need, or figuring out what paste or tools to use, we’re always happy to help. Pop into our Belfast shop or get in touch online, and we’ll guide you through the process so you can get a finish you’ll feel proud of.
Ready to Transform a Room in One Day?
If you’ve been putting it off, take this as your sign. Choose a wallpaper you love, pair it with a paint colour that complements it, and give yourself one day. You’ll be amazed at how much you can achieve — and you might even enjoy the process.
And if you need a hand, you know where we are.
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