Can non-woven wallpaper be used in the bathroom? What works per zone

In this article you'll read per zone what works and what's better avoided, how you can wallpaper even into the shower with a waterproof wallpaper system, and why washable vinyl is the practical choice for many bathrooms. Prefer to browse straight away? In our bathroom wallpaper collection all suitable designs are grouped together.

Which wall needs what? Three zones

One wall is not the other. Anyone wanting to wallpaper the bathroom should divide the space into three zones. How much water and steam a wall has to endure determines which wallpaper can be hung there.

Zone 1: the shower zone

This is the wall that gets directly wet. Standard wallpaper doesn't belong here: paper and regular non-woven wallpaper can't handle direct water contact, no matter how well you ventilate. In the shower zone only one solution works, and that's a wallpaper system specially developed for wet rooms.

Zone 2: the splash zone

The wall around the sink and bath occasionally gets splashes and lots of steam, but no continuous water jet. Here washable vinyl wallpaper works well, provided the edges are neatly finished and you ventilate properly. A mirror or a low tile strip above the sink catches the direct splashes, the wallpaper does the rest of the wall.

Zone 3: the dry zone

The wall by the toilet, behind the door or opposite the shower usually stays dry. Here you have the most freedom and can choose based on design. Still, steam remains a factor: choose a washable or moisture-resistant top layer here too, and the wall will look good for years.

Can wallpaper really go in the shower?

Yes, you can also apply wallpaper in the shower. For this wet zone you do need a wall covering specially developed for direct water contact. Regular non-woven or vinyl wallpaper isn't sufficient here.

Various design brands have developed their own bathroom quality for this purpose. Wall & Decò offers the WET SYSTEM™, Glamora has GlamFusion™ and Tecnografica is available with H2O. Inkiostro Bianco with EQ Dekor Fiber Glass, LondonArt with Blue Glass Finish and Instabilelab with Fibratex also offer solutions for application in wet rooms.

This gives much more design freedom than you might expect from a bathroom. A design can, for example, run from the wall by the sink right into the shower, without a tile border interrupting the design. Especially in a smaller bathroom such a continuous image creates more calm and can make the space feel optically larger.

Which bathroom quality is most suitable depends on the chosen design, the location where it's applied and the manufacturer's system. The construction, substrate and application also differ per brand. Therefore get advice beforehand about the right execution for your bathroom and ensure correct installation of the complete system when applying in the shower.

Each waterproof wallpaper system works differently

Waterproof wallpaper isn't one type of wallpaper. The various brands have each developed their own material and system for use in humid spaces and with direct water contact. One system consists of printed fibreglass that's finished on the wall with a protective finish, while in another system the waterproof protection is already incorporated in the material.

This difference determines not only how the wallpaper feels and is delivered, but also how the wall must be prepared and which adhesive, primer, finish or sealant is needed. That's why it's important to always follow the complete system of the brand concerned.

Wall & Decò — WET SYSTEM
WET SYSTEM is Wall & Decò's waterproof wall covering system for spaces that come intensively into contact with water, including the shower. The design is produced on technical fibreglass material and together with the prescribed preparatory and protective products forms one system.
The wall is first prepared, after which the fibreglass wallpaper is applied with the designated adhesive. Then the surface is finished with a transparent protective layer. This creates a continuous, water-resistant wall surface where a design can run from outside the shower right into the wet zone.

In broad outline: substrate → primer → adhesive → printed fibreglass wallpaper → protective finish.

Glamora — GlamFusion
Glamora chooses a different technique with GlamFusion®. The decorative wall covering is already provided with a protective, waterproof finish. This means that after application a separate transparent finish doesn't need to be applied over the entire design.
During installation the preparation of the substrate and the prescribed adhesive are important. Edges, corners, pipe penetrations and other critical connections are also carefully sealed. Precisely these details ensure that the system functions correctly even in a shower environment.

In broad outline: prepared substrate → special adhesive → pre-finished waterproof wall covering → sealing of critical connections.

Tecnografica — H2O
H2O is Tecnografica's bathroom quality and has been developed to enable the brand's distinctive murals to be applied in wet rooms too. The base is a technical fibreglass material that becomes part of a complete wall construction.
Not only the printed material is decisive for the final result, but also the preparation of the substrate and the prescribed finishing. The material itself should therefore not be seen as a loose roll of waterproof wallpaper: the correct application completes the system.

Inkiostro Bianco — EQ•dekor Fiber Glass
EQ•dekor is a technical fibreglass fabric on which the designs of Inkiostro Bianco are printed. After installation the surface is finished with the prescribed protective finish. This way a decorative design can be applied in places where traditionally tiles or another hard wall finish would often be chosen.
A practical difference from regular wallpaper is that the material is produced as custom work. The required products for adhesion and finishing are matched to the system, so the different layers together form the final wall finish.

In broad outline: prepared substrate → specific adhesive → printed fibreglass fabric → protective finish.

LondonArt — Blue Glass Finish
For bathroom projects LondonArt has the Blue Glass Finish. Here too it's not just the design that's central, but especially the technical finishing that makes the design suitable for application in a humid environment.
The exact construction and application depend on the chosen application and substrate. Therefore material, preparation and finishing are viewed as one whole. This is particularly important when the wallpaper is applied on a wall that regularly comes into contact with water.

Instabilelab — Fibratex
Fibratex is the technical bathroom quality of Instabilelab. With this the brand's custom designs can also be used on walls where higher demands are placed on moisture resistance and durability.

Just like with the other systems, Fibratex requires correct preparation and application with the prescribed products. The substrate, adhesion, connections and any protective finishing are at least as important as the decorative material itself.

Why these differences are important

On the outside you ultimately see mainly the design. Under and on that design however is the technology that determines whether a wall is suitable for the bathroom. A fibreglass quality that's still finished with a finish after application requires a different installation than a wall covering that's already delivered with a waterproof protective layer.

Therefore always use the primer, adhesive, finish and any sealant that belong to the chosen system and follow the manufacturer's technical specifications.

For application in the shower we recommend having the installation carried out by an experienced wallpaper hanger or applicator who's familiar with this type of wall covering. Especially the preparation of the substrate and the careful finishing of corners, seams, pipe penetrations and connections are decisive for a durable and waterproof result.

At Selected Wallpapers we help you not only with choosing a design, but also with the right quality for the place where you want to apply the wallpaper. This way we determine before ordering whether the wallpaper is intended for a dry bathroom wall, a splash zone or for direct water contact in the shower.

The required materials for the waterproof system are supplied with the wallpaper. Which products exactly varies per brand and quality. Think for example of the prescribed primer, adhesive, finish or sealant. So you don't have to search for these components yourself: they're matched to the system concerned.

Washable vinyl wallpaper: the accessible choice

Not every bathroom requires a fully waterproof system. For the splash zone and the dry zone washable vinyl wallpaper is the accessible route. The vinyl top layer withstands steam and splashes considerably better than paper and can be cleaned with a damp cloth. This way you get a wall that can handle everyday bathroom life.

The basics remain important: a smooth, dry substrate, carefully finished seams and ventilation that quickly removes the steam after showering. With these three in order vinyl wallpaper will last for years.

How does custom work for a wet wall work?

Many of our waterproof bathroom designs are produced to measure for your wall. For this you provide us with the wall width × wall height. With panoramic designs we look not only at the format, but also at the composition: which part of the design looks best on your wall?

Therefore measure the wall in multiple places and share as much measurement information with us as possible. Also think about windows, doors, niches and other interruptions. The position of the sanitary ware is also important. You don't want a special detail in the design to disappear precisely behind a mirror, sink or other fixed element, for example.

Based on the measurements provided we request a visualization of the wallpaper on your wall format from the supplier. This way you can judge beforehand how the design is cropped, how large the various elements become and where they end up on the wall. Is the composition not quite to your liking yet? Then we can see if an adjustment is possible.

Only when you're satisfied with the visualization and give approval do we put the custom wallpaper into production. This way you know before production how the chosen design will look on your bathroom wall.

How do you maintain a wallpapered bathroom wall?

Maintenance is simpler than many people expect. Ventilate after showering, so condensation doesn't remain on the wall. Wipe away splashes with a soft, slightly damp cloth and don't use aggressive cleaning agents or scouring sponges: these damage the top layer. Check the seams and edges occasionally, because that's almost always where a possible moisture problem starts. If you keep up with this, a wallpapered wall requires hardly any more attention than a painted one.

Is wallpapering more expensive than tiling?

That depends on what you're comparing. If you only look at the material, tiles sometimes seem more affordable, but an honest calculation also counts the labour: laying tiles is labour-intensive and with a renovation demolition work is often added. Wallpaper is applied more quickly and later much easier to replace, allowing you to give the bathroom a new look without renovation. A waterproof system for the shower zone is a more serious investment than a roll of vinyl, but then also replaces the complete tile wall there. Have both options calculated for your bathroom, then you're comparing on total costs instead of on material alone.

Style advice: dare to go big in a small space

A small bathroom doesn't automatically call for a small design. Precisely a large pattern can make the boundaries of the wall less emphatic and give the space more depth. A panoramic or botanical design behind the bath or sink becomes part of the architecture this way instead of just decoration.

Keep the rest of the space calm. Combine an expressive wall for example with understated sanitary ware, natural stone and one or two materials that recur in taps or accessories. This way the wallpaper gets all the space and even a compact bathroom feels calm and luxurious.