Wallpaper Samples: What You Need To Know

Image above: courtesy of @theburbgirl

Wallpaper sample sizes can differ depending on the company. Milton & King’s samples are available in an 11″ x 8.5″ sample size, also known as A4 samples. You can try multiple designs before committing to a full roll, two-roll-set or even a mural. There are three things to consider when ordering samples: color, scale, and texture.  

Color

Color is one of the biggest contributors to the wallpaper decision making process. However, the way colors appear on a screen just aren’t as true to life as they could be. Different screen types, brightness and contrast, and other factors can influence how a design appears on the screen. As a result, there can be subtle but significant variances between what you see and what you order. However, it doesn’t have to be the end of the world.

With samples, you can compare the color of your chosen wallpaper with whatever features you want to highlight or compliment. Chasing a particular shade of blue to match your new duvet, but can’t decide between Indigo or prussian blue? Order samples of both and compare them directly! 

Samples can be used to color-match paint for adjoining walls, fabric for upholstery, cushions, lighting, pot plants, you name it! If you want to style your space, it’s a fantastic idea to keep a sample handy. This is so you can be certain that what you’re buying will match your new wallpaper. 

Are all samples identical?

Unfortunately, samples aren’t always going to perfectly match the rolls. Most wallpaper and wallpaper samples are printed in batches. This means that a group of samples may be printed all at once, but the wallpaper rolls may not be printed until a few weeks or even months later. During the time between batches, the printers may have undergone color calibration. Color calibrations can sometimes result in slight color variations between samples and wallpaper rolls. 

Here at Milton & King, all our rolls are print-to-order, meaning that we only print the amount that you order. So, there can be color calibrations between the printed sample and the printed wallpaper, hence, slight color variations. This is more noticeable with solid background tones, and less noticeable for more colorful or intricate designs. That said, any color shift will only be subtle, so you can still trust the overall tone of the color, if not the color itself. 

While samples can be handy, if you’re chasing a precise color match, you can always trim the header from your wallpaper roll once it arrives. These colors will be an exact match to the design on your walls. 

But there’s more than just color to consider when it comes to samples – like we said, there’s plenty of reasons. 

SCALE

One of the hardest parts of online shopping is having to blindly trust that what you see online is exactly what you will get in the mail. All Milton & King samples are printed to scale, so you can see exactly how big or small each element will be. This means that if you order samples before you settle on a roll, there won’t be any surprises. 

Our full-scale samples allow you to see exactly how the design will appear on your wall (or ceiling, if you feel like using the fifth wall!) at the same resolution as a full-size roll. This will give you a clear picture (pun intended) of how the design will fit into your chosen space, including relative size next to your existing furnishings. 

Samples can be beneficial for larger and more complex designs, like two-roll-sets and murals. They can provide a better perspective on the more intricate details that you might miss when viewing the design on a computer. 

Of course, an 8.5″ x 11″ sample is only going to feature a segment of the design. This means there is a limitation to getting a wallpaper sample of a larger scale pattern. A wallpaper sample that is the size of a sheet of paper may not show you the bird or the colorful flower that’s a few inches outside that area. However, it should give you a clear picture of the colors you’re working with and the scale of individual elements so you can make the most informed decision. 

Scale-checking is also very important for small spaces, like hallways or study nooks, to make sure you’re not overwhelming the area by choosing a larger-than-life design. 

TEXTURE

The next thing to consider is texture – but in a few more ways than you may be thinking. Milton & King sells three different types of wallpaper: Non-woven, Grasscloth, and Vinyl wallpaper.  

Non-woven wallpaper

Non-wallpaper is printed on flat and smooth wallpaper that is highly durable (and for those of us with messy kids or pets, washable!). It doesn’t have physical texture – any texture you do see on this wallpaper is purely a part of the visual design. This can mean great things when incorporating wallpaper in your design spaces, since texture (or the illusion of it) can add depth to the area, and completely change a room.  

Grass cloth

Grass cloth wallpaper is a versatile option that can bring the beauty of organic texture to any space. Our all-natural grass cloth wallpapers are hand-woven and put together from the highest quality materials, including sisal, raw jute, cork, mica, and other similar elements found in nature. 

Vinyl

Type II grade vinyl is a durable option available to those who have a trade or wholesale account. If you have your heart set on Vinyl but you don’t have a trade or wholesale account with us, feel free to check out our trade directory to see if someone near you has an account. 

It would be no challenge for even the most inexperienced decorator to apply a wallpaper sample to a discreet patch of wall to see exactly how it appears over any given surface. This will help you determine whether your chosen pattern is adversely impacted (or perhaps enhanced!) by the texture of the wall beneath it, and whether you need to undergo further preparations before you get a full roll installed. 

How do I get samples?

There are so many more benefits to ordering wallpaper samples – but we can’t keep you here all day. You’ll just have to get out there and get some samples in your hands!

‘So, how do I order a sample?’ you ask.
The answer is as easy as 1 – 2 – 3!

1. Find a design (or two, or five, or more) that you like on our website – the sky’s the limit when it comes to choices.
2. Select the “SAMPLE” button on the design page where it says SIZE.
3. Click add to cart, follow the steps for checkout, and wait patiently for your sample(s) to be delivered!

From there, it’s only a matter of comparing your chosen designs in your planned space, to see whether the scale, pattern, texture and design suits your needs. Then you can return to our website and order a complete roll, and get wallpapering!

You’re not going to know exactly how the wallpaper looks on your wall until you’ve put it there, but nobody wants to go through the hassle of decorating an entire wall just to decide they don’t like the look of the surface underneath – save yourself a lot of time by testing it out with a sample first! 

P.S. If you’re not sure what to do with your samples once you’ve made your choice, check out our “off the wall” article for creative uses of samples and leftover wallpaper.