Most mistakes in ordering wallpaper come from treating it as an area problem. It is not. Wallpaper hangs in whole vertical panels, so only two numbers matter: how many panel widths fit across the wall, and which panel length covers the height.
Step 1: measure the wall
- Width: measure along the skirting and again near the ceiling. Use the larger number.
- Height: measure from the top of the skirting to the ceiling or cornice in at least two places. Use the larger number. Walls in older buildings are rarely the same height at both ends.
Step 2: count panels across
Every Carta Noor panel is 76 cm (30 in) wide. Divide the wall width by 76 and round up. There is no such thing as three-quarters of a panel: the last one is trimmed on the wall.
Step 3: choose the panel length
Panels come in four lengths. Take the shortest one that covers your height plus about 5 cm for trimming at top and bottom.
- 244 cm (96 in) for walls up to about 2.35 m
- 274 cm (108 in) for walls up to about 2.65 m
- 305 cm (120 in) for walls up to about 2.95 m
- 366 cm (144 in) for walls up to about 3.55 m
Choosing the right length matters. A 2.6 m wall takes the 274 cm panel rather than the 305 cm one, which is about 10% less paper on every panel.
Worked examples for one wall
- A wall 240 cm wide and 260 cm high. 240 ÷ 76 = 3.2, so four panels. 260 + 5 = 265 cm, so the 274 cm length. Order four panels at 274 cm.
- A wall 400 cm wide and 250 cm high. 400 ÷ 76 = 5.3, so six panels. 250 + 5 = 255 cm, so the 274 cm length. Order six panels at 274 cm.
- A wall 320 cm wide and 230 cm high. 320 ÷ 76 = 4.2, so five panels. 230 + 5 = 235 cm, so the 244 cm length. Order five panels at 244 cm.
- In inches: a wall 10 ft wide and 8 ft high. 120 in ÷ 30 in = 4, so four panels. 96 in + 2 in = 98 in, so the 108 in length. Order four panels at 108 in.
What about the pattern repeat?
With roll wallpaper you add extra length for the pattern repeat, and most wallpaper calculators ask for it. With panels printed for your wall you do not. The panels arrive numbered in hanging order, so the match from one panel to the next is already planned.
Doors, windows and awkward walls
- Doors and windows: count panels across the full width as if the opening were not there. The pattern has to continue above and below it, and the offcuts are rarely reusable.
- Several walls: work out each wall separately. Walls of different heights in the same room can take different panel lengths.
- Sloped ceilings: use the height at the tallest point.
- A spare panel: worth adding for a first installation, a wall with many cut-outs, or a room where future repairs are likely. A reprint ordered later may not match exactly, because every order is printed separately.
Murals need one more decision
A repeating pattern can start anywhere. A mural with a centre, such as an arch, a dome or a garden scene, has to be placed: centred on the wall, or centred on the bed or the table in front of it. That changes which panels carry which part of the image.
Let the configurator do it
You do not have to do this by hand. Every product page has a Customise your wall button next to Add to Cart. Enter the width and height and it picks the panel length, counts the panels, shows where the seams will fall and previews the design on a wall at the right proportions. You can add more than one wall, switch between centimetres and inches, and add spare panels.
The full method is on the wallpaper estimation page. If your wall has returns, a chimney breast or a staircase, send us the dimensions and we will send back a panel schedule: length, count per wall and the order they hang in.
Next step: read how to hang wallpaper, step by step, and order a printed 76 × 51 cm sample in the finish you plan to use.
