How to Measure Your Walls for a Custom Mural (Step-by-Step Guide)

You have finally found the perfect landscape mural to transform your living room. You’re ready to check out, but then you freeze at the dimension boxes.

What if I measure wrong? What if I order too little? Do I subtract the window?

Take a deep breath! Measuring your walls for a custom mural is actually much simpler than you think. You don’t need to be a math genius or a professional contractor to get it right. At Dewaar, we custom-print our murals to fit your exact space, which means all you need to do is provide the maximum width and maximum height.

Grab a steel tape measure, a notepad, and a step ladder. Here is the foolproof, step-by-step guide to measuring your walls for a perfect fit.

Step 1: Measure the Width

Measure the horizontal distance from the left corner of your wall to the right corner.

• Pro Tip: Houses settle, and walls are rarely perfectly straight. Measure the width at the top of the wall, the middle, and the bottom. Record the largest of the three numbers.

Step 2: Measure the Height

Measure the vertical distance from the floor (or the top of your baseboard) to the ceiling (or the bottom of your crown molding).

• Pro Tip: Just like the width, measure the height in three different spots across the wall (left, center, and right). Record the tallest measurement. ## Step 3: Add Your "Overage" (The Golden Rule of Wallpaper)

  This is the most important step! Never order your exact wall dimensions. Floors and ceilings are almost never perfectly level. If you order the exact size, a slightly crooked ceiling could leave you with a visible gap at the bottom of your mural.

• Always add 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm) to both your total width and total height. * This gives you a safety margin of extra paper to trim away cleanly at the edges during installation for a perfect, custom flush finish.

How to Handle Tricky Wall Features

Standard square walls are easy, but what if your room has some architectural quirks? Here is how to handle the most common obstacles.

Walls with Doors or Windows

Do not subtract the doors or windows from your measurements! Measure the total width and total height of the wall as if the window or door wasn't there. When you install the mural, you will simply wallpaper straight across the opening and use a sharp utility knife to trim away the excess paper around the frame. This ensures the mural’s pattern matches up perfectly on all sides of the window.

Sloped or Pitched Ceilings

If you are wallpapering a loft, an attic, or a room with a vaulted ceiling, always measure the wall at its highest point and its widest point. The mural will be printed as a large rectangle based on those maximum dimensions. During installation, you will simply cut away the excess paper along the sloped ceiling line.

A Quick Recap Checklist Before You Order

Before you hit "Add to Cart" on your new Dewaar mural, double-check this list:

•  Did I use a hard steel tape measure? (Cloth tape measures can stretch and give inaccurate numbers).

•  Did I measure in inches or centimeters? (Make sure your units match the store's input fields).

•  Did I measure the widest and highest points of the wall?

•  Did I add 2-3 inches of overage to both the width and height?

•  Did I ignore the windows/doors in my final number?

Bring Your Walls to Life

Now that you have your measurements locked in, the fun part begins. A custom mural is the boldest, most beautiful way to completely change the atmosphere of your home.

Ready to find your masterpiece? Browse our collection of custom-sized, premium murals and let's get your project started!