Rethink How You Use Wallpaper For A Renter-Friendly Option

Wallpaper can completely transform a room by adding color, texture, and personality in ways paint often can't. Whether you're into bold and eclectic or minimalist and subtle patterns, wallpaper provides an easy way to make your space feel styled and intentional. But if you're renting, traditional wallpaper might be off the table. Landlords typically frown on anything that can damage walls or be tough to remove, and even peel-and-stick options can lift paint or leave residue behind. Luckily, if you can't hang wallpaper in your home but your heart is set on it, there's a clever workaround: Instead of covering entire walls, you can frame sections of wallpaper and hang them like art.

Framed wallpaper leaves no sticky trace behind, so it's a renter-friendly move that brings in the design punch of wallpaper without risking your security deposit. It's easy to hang on your wall with damage-free picture hooks or removable adhesive strips — just check the weight limit of the hooks to make sure they can handle it. And when you're ready to move out (or change things up), you can just take it down and go. In the meantime, you get all the visual interest of wallpaper — pattern, color, and mood — without ever having to paste or peel.

To try this trick yourself, start by choosing the right wallpaper for your space — any style that speaks to you while fitting in with your other decor is a great option. Order a sample or roll, depending on the size of the frame you pick out for the job. Thrift stores are a great place to find frames of all sizes at affordable prices. Next, cut the wallpaper to fit your chosen frame — anything from a standard poster frame to a custom-cut mat works. Stick the wallpaper to the frame's board or foam core and place it behind the glass like you would any picture. Once you're done, hang it like a regular picture using your chosen wall adhesive.

Want a more artistic, gallery feel? Go for a large-scale print or mural-style wallpaper and crop it into a striking section that won't show any pattern repetition. This helps avoid the this-is-definitely-wallpaper look and makes the piece feel more like intentional art. With this innovative way to use wallpaper in any room, you can quickly give your space some design impact without footing the bill for real artwork or making a single permanent change that will end up costing you your deposit.