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Rollerwall: Paint your wall to look like wallpaper — 146 patterns

Pam Kueber - April 24, 2017, Updated: November 9, 2020

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

Do you love the look of wallpaper but prefer paint? You can have both with Rollerwall — an embossed paint roller that rolls a design onto your wall. It comes in 146 different patterns, per my count, including lots that look very retro. In fact, this product had a 1950s precursor. It’s shown below, in an ad that we featured as part of an Anne Taintor contest specially for Retro Renovation — I believe the original advertisement was for a “Sherwin-Williams Kem-Tone Applikay” roller.

A 1950s precursor — Kem-Tone Applikay roller. This is contestant Richard S.’s entry in special Anne Taintor contest. And hey, see a 1954 TV commercial for the Applikay system here.

Thanks to Natasha for this tip. She wrote:

Hi there,
I’m redoing my kitchen and stumbled upon this flashback product that I can’t believe is still on the market! It’s called rollerwall and it’s a paint roller (kinda like the old kem-tone rollers) that makes a pattern as you go. And the patterns…. so many classic retro patterns to choose from it makes me giddy 🙂

There are two videos on YouTube that show this project in action:

and

I might just try this in my husband’s bathroom!

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18 comments

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  1. Lewis C Naylor says

    How do you cover up if new owner does not like it? Painted over and you still see the pattern.

  3. Patricia says

    THIS SITE TELLS YOU HOW TO DO THINGS BUT DOESN’T TELL YOU WHERE TO BUY THE PRODUCTS LIKE THE PAINT ROLLER THAT LOOKS LIKE WALLPAPER. WHERE CAN I BUY ONE OF THOSE ROLLERS?