Houm Painting and Wallpapering NYC

Expert Painting & Wallpapering FAQs

Looking for answers about painting, wallpaper installation, limewash painting, wall decoration, flooring, commercial painting, and cabinet refinishing in New York City?

Houm Painting and Wallpapering NYC answers the most common customer questions about pricing, installation, timelines, materials, apartment painting, wallpapering, and decorative wall finishes.

We provide residential and commercial services throughout NYC including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island, Harlem, Hoboken, and Jersey City.

FAQ's

Is wallpaper out of style in 2026?

No. Wallpaper is experiencing a strong resurgence in 2026. Popular styles in NYC homes and apartments include textured wallpapers, botanical prints, geometric patterns, and subtle tone-on-tone designs. Powder rooms, entryways, and bedroom accent walls are the most requested spaces

Timeless wallpaper styles include classic stripes, grasscloth and linen textures, simple geometric patterns, and neutral botanical prints. These work across multiple interior design directions and remain popular decade to decade. In NYC — where apartments are frequently resold and rented — choosing a classic pattern over a trendy one protects your investment and appeals to a wider range of future buyers and renters.

Wallpaper installation in NYC takes 1–3 days for a standard room. A single accent wall takes 3–5 hours. A full room takes 1–2 days. Multiple rooms or complex patterns with large repeats take 2–3 days. Older NYC buildings with plaster walls may add prep time before hanging begins.

A standard room (10×12 ft) needs 6–8 rolls of wallpaper. A larger room (12×15 ft) needs 8–12 rolls. Always order 10–15% extra to account for pattern repeat and trimming waste. Your installer will calculate the exact number once they measure your walls

Paste-the-wall wallpaper: adhesive is applied directly to the wall, not the paper. The paper stays dry and is easier to handle — ideal for beginners and most NYC apartment installations. Paste-the-paper wallpaper: adhesive is applied to the back of each strip, which must soak before hanging. It requires more skill and space to work with, but produces excellent results in professional hands.

Yes, but textured walls must be smoothed first. Texture shows through most wallpaper, causing visible bumps and weak adhesion. Walls need to be skim-coated, sanded, and primed before hanging. This prep work adds $100–$300 per room in NYC. Pre-war and plaster walls common in NYC apartments almost always require this step.

Professionally installed wallpaper lasts 10–15 years on average. High-quality vinyl wallpaper can last 15–20 years. Factors that reduce lifespan include moisture, direct sunlight, poor wall prep, and DIY installation errors. In dry NYC interior spaces, properly installed wallpaper with correct primer and adhesive consistently reaches the higher end of this range.

For bedrooms, non-woven wallpaper or paste-the-wall fabric-backed wallpaper works best. These breathe well, are easy to install and remove, and hold up for years. Grasscloth and linen-textured wallpapers are popular in NYC bedrooms for their warmth. Avoid heavy vinyl in bedrooms — it does not breathe as well in smaller spaces.

Interior painting in NYC takes 1 day for a single room, 2–3 days for a full apartment, and 3–5 days for a large home or multi-room project. Specialty finishes like limewash or roman clay take longer due to multiple application layers. Drying time between coats adds time — professional painters plan their schedule around proper dry times to avoid recoat issues.

Most rooms need 2 coats of paint for full, even coverage. A primer coat is recommended first if the walls are new, stained, or switching from a dark to light color — making it 3 layers total. Going from white to white may only need 1–2 coats. Skipping proper coats leads to uneven sheen and thin coverage that shows through in raking light.

Eggshell or satin finish is best for living room walls. Eggshell has a slight sheen that is easy to clean and hides minor wall imperfections. Satin has slightly more sheen and is more durable. Flat or matte finish is popular for a soft, modern look but shows fingerprints and scuffs more easily. In NYC living rooms with high traffic, eggshell is the most practical choice.

Semi-gloss or gloss finish is best for bathrooms and kitchens. These finishes resist moisture, are easy to wipe clean, and hold up against steam and grease. Satin is an acceptable alternative with slightly less sheen. Avoid flat or eggshell in bathrooms and kitchens — they absorb moisture and cannot be scrubbed clean.

Paint is dry to the touch in 1–2 hours. A second coat can be applied after 4 hours. Full cure — when paint reaches maximum hardness and can be scrubbed — takes 2–4 weeks. In NYC apartments with limited ventilation, open windows and fans speed drying significantly. Do not hang artwork or place furniture directly against freshly painted walls for at least 2 weeks.

For small NYC apartments, light and neutral colors make spaces feel larger and brighter. Off-whites, warm beiges, soft grays, and pale greens reflect light well. Avoid stark white — it can look cold under artificial light. Dark colors on one accent wall can add depth without making the whole room feel smaller. Always test paint samples on the actual wall and view them at different times of day before committing.

The most recommended interior paint brands are Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, and Farrow and Ball. Benjamin Moore Aura and Sherwin-Williams Emerald are top-tier for coverage and durability. Farrow and Ball is popular in NYC for its distinctive pigment-rich colors. Houm works with Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams as primary brands and can recommend specific lines based on your space and finish goals.

Interior walls should be repainted every 5–7 years on average. High-traffic areas like hallways and kitchens may need repainting every 3–5 years. Bedrooms with minimal traffic can go 7–10 years. In NYC rental apartments, many tenants repaint between leases. Signs it is time to repaint include fading, scuffs that cannot be cleaned, peeling, or visible stains.

Both are good options depending on your goals. Paint is faster, less expensive, and easy to change. Wallpaper adds texture, pattern, and a premium feel that paint cannot replicate. In NYC living rooms, a common approach is to paint three walls and wallpaper one accent wall — combining cost efficiency with visual impact. Houm specializes in both and can advise based on your space.

For small rooms, choose smaller-scale patterns or vertical stripes. Large bold patterns can overwhelm a small space and make it feel cluttered. Vertical stripes draw the eye upward and make ceilings feel higher — useful in NYC apartments with standard 8-foot ceilings. Light backgrounds with subtle patterns keep a small room feeling open and airy.

The most popular wall finishes in NYC apartments in 2025 are limewash paint, roman clay, textured wallpaper, and classic eggshell-finish interior paint. Limewash and roman clay are the fastest growing — they give walls a layered, artisan texture that differentiates a space from standard painted apartments. These finishes are especially popular in Manhattan and Brooklyn co-ops and condos.

Paint first, then wallpaper. Painting first allows you to coat the ceiling and adjacent walls fully without worrying about the wallpaper. After painting, the wallpaper is hung last. If you wallpaper first, paint overspray and brushwork can damage the wallpaper edges. Professional installers always follow this sequence.