Wallpaper belongs in another design era, in Grandma’s house and charming old cottages. Doesn’t it?
Not anymore! Wallpaper is making a huge comeback in incredible new colors, textures, and patterns and is showing up just about everywhere. So how do you use wallpaper without transforming your house into a bad ’70s throwback? Read on.
Do:
- Pick a paper that you truly love. You can’t just paint over it if you get sick of it soon. There are thousands of patterns, colors, and even textures available – you’re sure to find one that’s perfect for your space.
(Yes… those are really all wallpaper.)
- Start slow (especially good for the faint of heart) – for a visual pop of interest, paper a small part of your home, like the back of a bookshelf, cabinet, or closet:
A door or piece of furniture in need of a facelift:
On stair risers:
Or in panels, silhouettes, or over one specific area:
- If you’re a little more adventurous, paper one feature wall or even the ceiling!
- Today’s wallpaper is incredibly versatile. You can opt for a removable paper or decals if you don’t want to commit to a fully papered wall (or walls). This is perfect for a kid’s room (or for the commitment-phobes among us) – when s/he tires of or outgrows the design, just peel it off!
Don’t:
- Attempt to hang wallpaper yourself unless you are a professional (or you’re hanging a small decal or using very plain paper and know what you’re doing). There’s nothing worse than crooked, seamed, sagging or peeling paper!
- Paper a textured or angled wall. Wallpaper looks best on a flat, smooth wall without tricky turns or corners.
- Paper an entire room in a bold pattern or mix busy patterns on walls, ceiling and/or flooring (unless you’re going for the psychedelic acid trip look). Too much of a good thing makes it a bad thing.
- Paper your entire house. Again, too much of a good thing and all that. A fully wallpapered house is likely to give off that Grandma’s-house vibe.
Tell us about your wallpaper (old and new) in the comments!
I made the mistake to hang my wallpapers by myself and it was a disaster. A week later I hire professionals to do the job so now everything is perfect. I chose the pattern of the wallpapers very carefully and even discuss it with a designer. Some of the pictures you’ve shared are just amazing and give me inspiration to make some changes at home this summer 🙂 For example I like the idea of stair risers. This will be my new project for sure. Thank you for the article, the pictures and the tips.
Thanks, Emily! Glad you enjoyed. Post pictures of your summer updates when you have some!
There is certainly a lot to learn about this topic. I really like all the points you made.