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From minimalist pastels to vintage glamour, these ‘peel and stick’ designs are a renter’s dream

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We put these to the test on everything from kitchen cabinets to bathroom walls

“Leave no trace” is the rule when it comes to renting, but that little phrase does cause an issue when you want to really make somewhere feel like a home. So if your stark white surroundings are feeling a little clinical, don’t fret, we have the remedy. In comes self-adhesive wallpapers, the cure to your boring walls.

Most of the self-adhesive wallpapers on the market come in the form of the “peel and stick”, which are essentially a big sticker, although there are some paste options out there. But all come without the dreaded steaming and scraping to remove.

Removable wallpaper doesn’t just have to be for your walls; you can easily update your furniture, floors and even your ceiling. Wallpapering can add some extra character to an otherwise dull set of drawers, and can be removed easily later down the line should you change your mind – no mess, no fuss. And wallpapering the ceiling, while neck cramp inducing, is perfect for those die-hard maximalist fans.

Wherever you decide to put it, we have compiled the best removable wallpapers available online.

From kitchen cabinets to bathroom walls; our tester spent hours hanging these up on various walls and surfaces around the house. We graded the wallpapers on design, quality and, of course, stickability.

The interior design gods have granted us the wonderful Wallpaper Mural, and this one was our favourite by far, largely because of the customisable nature of the paper. This was the only brand we found that offered this kind of personalisation surface, making this a brilliant option for those who have a very specific colour scheme in mind – and you get to play designer too!

The Chloe design is more of a mural than a wallpaper, and was a total showstopper once up. You could input the exact dimensions of your walls too, which meant no part of the design was missed. The quality was fantastic and the overall effect on the wall was worth the steeper price.

This isn’t wallpaper, this is art. The bold geometric shapes of this paper make it the focal point of any room – perfect for those who like to make a statement with their interiors. It’s design feels retro and modern all at once. But it’s not all style and substance, as it’s got the quality to match with incredible sticking power too. This came in useful when trying to line up the patterns, which prevented a heated argument between our tester and their willing DIY partner.

Sophisticated and chic, this wallpaper is full of stylish tone and detail with large scale tropical leaves, in dusty pink, mustard and teal. Oh-so-chic. The muted palette looked lovely in our guest bedroom, and the hand-drawn illustration feel of the paper made it look extra lavish. The stickability of this paper was second to none, and felt weighty and high quality. Overall, the effect of the mural was grown-up and elegant but with a touch of personality.

This design was one of the more quirky ones we tried. It’s kitschy cute design looked super cute in our bathroom, although bubbles did start to appear after a few days of steamy showers once the humidity got a little too much to handle. So our tester would advise that you think carefully about where you are putting this one. Annoyingly, you cannot order by wall size, meaning you will have to work out how many rolls you will need for your project.

As we said, removable wallpaper doesn’t have to be for your walls – don’t be afraid to get creative with it. Renters are well aware of the curse of the eyesore cabinets and fixtures that you have no choice but to stick out for the rest of your tenancy. This is where this vinyl wallpaper comes in. Perfect for kitchens; this wallpaper is waterproof, oil proof and foolproof to put up. We loved the vinyl finish, and the hint of sparkle, which proved to be an easy update to modernise our kitchen cabinets.

Best: For recreating a tropical paradise

Despite being on the lower end of the budget, this feels a lot more expensive than it is. The paper is thick and has a kind of tapestry texture to it that adds some grain and character. As always, you should apply any removable wallpaper to untextured walls, but prints are slightly more forgiving and this one covered up some small dents in our wall nicely. We added this to our office to bring a sense of calm tropical oasis, but it could work anywhere in need of a bit of green.

Best: For a vintage look

This is more of a vintage glamour look, think 1920’s gatsby-esque, ideal for dining rooms or boudoirs. It was a weighty paper that had a lovely “real” wallpaper texture to it. The only issue was that this design was hard to match up perfectly, but thankfully we could peel off and re-stick it a few times to get it right. So a big tick for stickability.

While all were worthy contenders, especially the Redouté dusty pink and teal vintage tropical minimalist wallpaper mural and the improvise bold black and beige abstract geometric wallpaper mural, it was the Chloe abstract paper that won best buy. The customisation was a completely unique service and allowed us to tailor our wallpaper to our every whim. Great quality and staying power to boot. So if you are looking to update your space, without the commitment, look no further.

For the latest discounts on furniture and homeware, try the links below:

For more wall designs, try our edit of the best wallpapers to jazz up your living space

IndyBest product reviews are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and buy the products, but we never allow this to bias our coverage. The reviews are compiled through a mix of expert opinion and real-world testing.

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