An interior designer’s guide to decorating your home with wallpaper
An Interior Designer’s Guide to Decorating Your Home with Wallpaper
Decorating with wallpaper is one of the quickest and easiest ways to create a stunning impact in your home. With a history spanning thousands of years, wallpaper has evolved through various styles, colors, and textures. From the delicate designs on Chinese rice paper dating back to 200 BC to its introduction in Europe during the 16th century, wallpaper has remained a popular choice for adding pattern and color to our living spaces.
Creating a Statement
Using wallpaper to create a feature wall behind a bed is an excellent way to add luxury, elegance, and sophistication to a main bedroom. Since we typically don’t hang much art in our sleeping spaces, an eye-catching wallpaper can serve as your artwork. Opt for patterns, colors, or something soothing. Wallpapering just one wall is not only more economical but also creates a more restful feeling, as a full room of wallpaper can feel overwhelming in a small space. Paint the other walls in a complementary color—pick a tone found in the wallpaper, or use a complementary shade of white to give the eye a rest.
Botanical Wallpaper
Wallpaper can be a great starting point if you’re unsure how to decorate a large wall. If a room is already dark, adding a dramatic botanical wallpaper can instantly lift it. Consider introducing wallpaper in smaller spaces or on one wall in larger areas to create a distinct zone. Create impact by wallpapering the smallest rooms in the house, such as the bathroom or powder room, with vibrant florals.
Our love of houseplants seems to be extending to our walls, with many beautiful botanical wallpapers available that create a forest or tropical garden in our rooms. One favorite is Royal Fernery by Cole & Son.
Toile Wallpaper
Originally, “toile de Jouy” was linen or cotton fabric printed with scenes from travels abroad, farm life, and pastoral hunting scenes. Now modernized as vintage-style wallpapers, toile is a great option for kids’ bedrooms. You can have so much fun with wallpaper in these rooms. From toddlers to teens, there are options to suit every child. Start by considering their interests and favorite things, or the mood you want to create. In teens’ rooms, geometric patterns or textures are often chosen as they grow with the child. However, don’t let this hold you back too much, as wallpaper can be easily updated.
Grasscloth Wallpaper
If you’d like to introduce texture to your home, grasscloth wallpaper is a great option. This highly tactile wallpaper has a pattern that is generally vertical, and there are many products with a similar look and feel. Grasscloth wallpaper is made from a variety of natural materials—including hemp, reeds, arrowroot, and jute—as well as man-made fibers. With a wide range of amazing shades and textures available, depending on what it’s made from, it can be used anywhere you want to introduce more color or depth.
