Wallpaper Rolls Calculator

Standard double-roll coverage = 56 ft² (random match) / 50 ft² (straight match) / 38 ft² (drop match). Subtracts doors + windows.

Result

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How to use this calculator

Measure room perimeter and ceiling height in feet.
Count doors and windows — the calc auto-subtracts standard sizes (21 ft²/door, 12 ft²/window).
Pick pattern match type from the wallpaper sample/spec — random / straight / drop.
Pick roll size (US double roll standard; European bolt; single half-rolls rare).

About this calculator

Wallpaper is sold by the "double roll" in the US (≈ 56 ft² coverage on a random match) and by the bolt in Europe (~29 ft²). The published coverage assumes a "random match" — i.e. no alignment between adjacent strips. As soon as the pattern has any repeat, you lose coverage to alignment cuts: "straight match" (pattern repeats at the same height on each strip) loses ~11%; "drop match" (pattern offsets vertically on each strip) loses ~32%. Always subtract doors (≈21 ft² each) and windows (≈12 ft² each) from the gross wall area before dividing. Round UP — buying an extra roll is cheaper than facing a mid-job dye-lot mismatch on a re-order.

Frequently asked

Why are wallpaper rolls sold as "doubles" in the US?+

Historical: pre-1970s wallpaper was sold as single rolls. Manufacturers consolidated to "double rolls" (twice the length) for economy + better pattern continuity, but kept the "roll" terminology — so a "1 roll" purchase is actually a double. European bolts use SI units (~5.5m × 53cm) and are sized differently.

What is "drop match"?+

A pattern whose vertical repeat is shifted between adjacent strips — the print on strip 2 starts at a different vertical position than strip 1. Common on traditional damask + floral wallpapers. Cuts the effective coverage from 56 → 38 ft²/double roll.

Source?+

Wallcoverings Association (WA) installation handbook; National Guild of Professional Paperhangers (NGPP) Technical Guide; Brewster Home Fashions installer specifications.