Probably too late now for your project, but I was at the Osborne & Little wallpaper showroom a few months ago and was surprised at how many of their wallpapers were rated as washable.

Until recently we had wallpaper behind our pedestal sink for 16 years with no damage whatsoever. (We did not, however, have small children in the house.) I always thought the wallpaper (not vinyl treated) would be a problem, but it wasn't. The problem came last month when we pulled the pedestal sink out and realized there was wallpaper behind it with no sizing underneath. Humongous drywall repair ensued.

I have had a wall-papered backsplash behind above my double vanity for years. It was just a cheapo vinyl coated paper from an outlet store and was easy to wash. Put a small bead of clear silicone between or on top of the edge of the paper where it meets the vanity to protect from water splashes.

Mine is starting to show a little wear and tear but this BR is my next redo project. It has been up at least 15 years.

Edited to say I just noticed you said pedestal...I would still add a thin layer of caulk just along the back of the sink.

This post was edited by tuesday_2008 on Sat, Aug 2, 14 at 15:03