Painting vs. Wallpapering: Which Is Quicker, Easier, and Worth Your Time?

Comparing wallpaper to paint is a bit like comparing apples to oranges, but if your decision between the two mainly comes down to time, you might assume that painting is the clear winner. We thought so too, until we spoke with three design and wallpaper experts. Here’s what they had to say about whether painting or wallpapering a space is faster, in terms of not just installation time, but also preparation, cleanup, and maintenance.

Is Painting or Wallpapering Faster?

In the short term, painting requires less hands-on time than applying traditional wallpaper; however, both projects take approximately two days on average from start to finish in an average-sized room.

Heidi Lapka, executive director of the Wallcoverings Association, raises a valid point about the time requirements—she notes that while you could paint an entire room in a matter of hours, waiting for the coats to dry is what really sucks up time. In her experience, traditional wallpaper takes one to two days to install neatly and with precision, and you'll spend most of that time actively completing the project.

Read on to learn about all the factors that can impact the time spent on either painting or wallpapering to discover which one would be more time-consuming for you.

Prep Time Matters

Designer Ariel Roberts loves making statements with both wallpaper and paint in her work, so she’s seen firsthand the process each entails. When it comes to prep work, she’s noticed a clear winner.

“If you’re aiming for a polished, finished result, wallpaper requires much less prep work than painting,” she says. “With wallpaper, there’s no need for painter’s tape, plastic sheeting, or extensive masking.”

Cleanup Time

The time it takes to clean up a paint job versus a wallpaper job depends on how big a mess you make, and both are easy to get messy with. Bottom line: the messiness is less about the material and more about your execution.

“There is no clear winner here. The mess is up to you and completely depends on how well you prepped and how chaotic you were,” Roberts says. “If you went in with a plan and taped off for paint or applied wallpaper paste with care, then cleanup should be no more than 10 to 20 minutes. However, if you skipped prep or got a little wild with your tools, both paint and wallpaper can leave behind a mess.”

Touch-Up and Maintenance Time

There really is no such thing as a maintenance-free wall treatment. To keep your walls looking their best, plan to set aside time in the future for touch-ups and repairs on both painted and wallpapered walls. Which option requires more frequent touch-ups? It depends on humidity.

“Climate plays a huge role,” Roberts says. “In dry environments, wallpaper can last for many years, even in spaces like bathrooms, as long as it’s properly installed. But in humid climates, wallpaper is more prone to peeling or bubbling over time.”

Roberts also warns that both wallpaper and paint fade over time, so both options have a limit to their longevity in this regard. If you need to paint over a scuff or patch in new wallpaper to repair a tear, you’ll eventually find that the colors won’t match.

Consider Removal Time

Before deciding between wallpaper and paint, consider how long you realistically want to keep the wallpaper, as removing it is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process. James Mellan-Matulewicz, founder and interior designer at the wallpaper company Bobbi Beck, encourages his clients to thoroughly consider their choices before selecting a wallpaper to install.

“Unlike paint, which can be simply covered with a new coat, removing wallpaper often involves soaking or steaming to loosen the adhesive,” Mellan-Matulewicz says. “It’s not always the most practical solution for those who like to change their interiors frequently.” It’s one thing to install neutral wallpaper you’ve fallen in love with in your forever home, but it’s another to install a bold design in a home you plan to sell in a few years.

A good middle ground option for those who like to change up their space often is peel-and-stick wallpaper. “Peel-and-stick wallpapers have become a popular alternative, especially for renters,” he says. “Easy to apply and remove, they provide a damage-free solution that can transform a space without long-term commitment. At most, you might need a light paint touch-up after removal, far less effort than repainting an entire wall," says Mellan-Matulewicz.