This is a collaborative post in partnership with Murals Wallpaper

One of the things I was most excited about when it came to decorating our new house was the boys’ bedrooms. I’ve been using Pinterest to pin ideas for ages and I really wanted to hit the right tone for them. I loved Ben’s old nursery, which was rainbow themed, but wanted something a little more grown up for him this time around, but still with a lot of little boy charm. I’ve always been a big wallpaper fan, and one of my favourite pins on Pinterest was this beautiful Map Wallpaper Mural from Murals Wallpaper.

I must have pinned it over and over again, so I was thrilled when they got in touch to introduce me to their new designs.

Although I’d been set on the mint green animal map mural, I was won over by the Intrepid Blue Graph Paper Wall Mural, which includes charming illustrations of famous landmarks and animals from all over the world. It also used the hot air balloons which were already a theme in Ben’s bedroom, so it really drew me to it! I felt like it would be a design that could grow with Ben as he becomes less of a toddler and more a little boy.

Measuring Up and Ordering

I have to admit that I was slightly nervous about the ordering process. Each mural is made for you, to the dimensions you supply, so obviously the pressure is on for you to get the measurements right! They do give you a little bit extra on all sides, but I was extra concerned as our old Victorian house has some very wonky walls which could easily throw things out.

You can choose from 3 different types of paper - we chose the Medium, which is recommended for use in homes. It has a lovely matte finish, but the biggest seller for me is that it’s wipeable, which is essential when you’re hanging it next to a toddler’s bed!

Once your dimensions are submitted, you receive a proof of the wallpaper, and you are able to make any minor adjustments that you want. I was perfectly happy with the proof we had back, so no adjustments were required, and it went to print.

A Bank Holiday DIY Cliche

My wallpaper arrived in the post really quickly after I confirmed I was happy. I wasn’t quite sure how it would be transported, but I needn’t have worried - it all arrives in one big roll, with the different sections indicated for you to cut, and was safely rolled up in a big sturdy tube. So over the August Bank Holiday weekend I became that Bank Holiday cliche and spent my time decorating Ben’s bedroom, painting first, then tackling the wallpaper.

Now, I’ve wallpapered before, but I’ve always roped in my mum to help and I’ve very much taken the role of ‘helpful assistant’ - passing tools and cutting things, rather than actually taking charge myself. But this time I decided it was time to be a grown up, and I was determined to do it myself.

The wallpaper is “paste the wall” rather than “paste the paper”, which definitely makes life so much easier - no pasting tables required! You need to check the mural before hanging the paper, so you’ll need to unroll it and cut in the places indicated. Each sheet is numbered and I pulled in my husband to help me hang the first one, as that’s always the most important one to get right - once the first one is up, you’re away! We drew a plumb line to make sure we were hanging straight, pasted the wall, and then lined up the paper with the line.

The paper was lovely and thick but really easy to move around, adjust, and slightly stretch if needed, and the edges fit together perfectly, with no noticeable join. For a novice wallpaper hanger, I was really pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to hang! Once your paper is up, you need to smooth out with a soft brush to make sure that any bubbles of paste disappear. The trickiest part of wallpapering is navigating plug sockets and light switches, and unfortunately I encountered a plug socket in my very first drop. A quick google and a Youtube tutorial and I was away though, feeling very much like a DIY queen! Despite my concerns about our wonky walls, the fit of the mural was perfect.

My only issue was with trimming the excess on the edges. My advice would be to make sure you are using the correct tools for the job - which is a pair of decorating scissors with a really sharp blade. I tried using a stanley knife, which unfortunately gave a bit of a rough finish to the bit I used it on (not noticeable in the final finish, but one of those things that will always bug me a little bit!)

I managed to hand the whole mural in one day, which I was thrilled with - I’d expected it to be a multi-day job. But I was nowhere near as thrilled as Ben was, when he walked into his new bedroom. The map choice was such a good one - he was absolutely fascinated by all the different illustrations, and kept climbing up and pointing to his favourites.

I really hope this is a bedroom that will last him for quite a few years, and I love how much charm this beautiful mural brings to the room. It’s pretty, and educational too - what more can you ask for?

Disclosure: We were sent the Mural Wallpaper in return for this blog post