With a baby on the way and a pool house addition, we’re shifting some rooms around the Digs. Our guest bedroom is becoming the nursery and the pool house addition will house a new guest bedroom. When I first starting thinkig about the baby’s room, I knew I wanted to wallpaper the room. So, I started the search for a wallpaper that is suitable for a boys room, fits my aestheic and will stand the test of time. A stripe felt right and timeless. After looking over many samples, I fell in love with this lineal stripe wallpaper by Coordone in the color clay.

There was just one problem. The walls in the room are not in the best of shape – we’ve actually already removed wallpaper from the walls and touched up the texture, leaving behind some imperfections. The existing wall texture would interfere with the clean, polished look I wanted. Since the wallpaper I chose has a stripe pattern with dead space between the stripes and a lighter background and is thinner than typical wallpaper, I knew any underlying texture would be visible through the paper. To ensure a smooth application, we decided to have the walls skim coated. Here’s a breakdown of the process, cost, and why you might consider skim coating for your own space.

What is Skim Coating & Why Do It?

Skim coating is the process of applying a thin layer of joint compound (drywall mud) to walls to create a smooth surface. It’s a great option if:

• You’re installing wallpaper with a light background or minimal pattern, where texture may show through.
• You want a flawless paint or wallpaper finish without imperfections.
• Your walls have previous damage, uneven surfaces, or rough textures that need to be concealed.

Here’s what the walls looked like after we removed the trim, prior to the skim coat process.

The Skim Coating Process & Cost

We hired out for the job, and the process took about 2-3 days for our baby’s room (approximately 255 sq ft). We paid $1,800 have the skim coating professionally done.

Here’s how they did it:

1. Sanding the Walls – First, they sanded down the existing wall texture to create a more even starting surface. They sanded by hand first, then they used a drywall sander with a vacuum attachment to minimize dust (thank you!).

1. Applying Two Coats of Drywall Mud – Next, they applied two layers of drywall mud, allowing each coat to dry before applying the next.

1. Priming the Walls – Once the drywall mud dried, they applied a coat of primer to seal the surface.
2. Sizing the Walls – Finally, they applied a thin layer of wallpaper paste (a process called “sizing”) to prepare the walls for wallpaper installation. This helps the wallpaper adhere properly and makes adjustments easier during installation.

Viola! Nice, smooth, and white walls ready for wallpaper.

Do You Have to Skim Coat Before Wallpapering?

If you’re planning to install wallpaper, especially one with a minimal or simple pattern, skim coating can be a game changer. The smooth surface prevents any unwanted texture from showing through and ensures the wallpaper looks crisp and clean once installed. If your walls have a rough texture or imperfections, skim coating may be worth considering to achieve a professional and polished result. However, we have applied wallpaper over walls with orange peel texture in the mudroom and Shiloh’s room. The wallpaper in the mudroom is a busy pattern and the texture is not noticable at all unless you’re up close or rub your hands over it. In Shiloh’s room, the wallpaper pattern is less busy and has more dead space and so the texture is more visible through the paper. It doesn’t bother me becuase you’re not looking specificially at the texture when you enter the room. If you’re installing wallpaper and think you need to skim coat, another option is installing a wallpaper lining prior to the patterned wallpaper. Seek out the advice of a wallpaper installer. A good installer can help guide you.

The baby’s room is ready for wallpaper and our wallpaper order is in! But before we have it installed, I am planning to tongue & groove the ceiling. 🙂 Stay tuned!

For more on the baby’s room design plan check out this blog post: The first Look at our Baby Boy’s Nursery.

Have you ever skim coated your walls before wallpapering? Let me know your experience in the comments!