Usually when I mention wallpaper to someone, images of borders, “old lady” flowers, and hours turning into days, turning into weekends devoted to removing that hideous “stuff” off the walls of their first home. Many are afraid of the commitment, thinking that they will tire of the pattern quickly. Many are daunted by the task of hanging it properly and are afraid of getting it wrong. Whatever the reason, paint is the common “go-to” and wallpaper isn’t an option in ANY way-shape-or-form!
Can I get you to reconsider all of that?
Wallpaper has come SUCH a long way from the grandma flowers and difficult removals of the past. New formulations have made changing it out a breeze and the new patterns available are truly outstanding! There are even lovely peel and stick options (which in my opinion are harder to hang than the pre-pasted version) but great for a temporary solution—like if you are renting! Wallpaper has undergone a transformation and the “New Look” of Wallpaper is nothing like it’s predecessors!
Now I have to warn you, wallpaper is definitely not for the faint of heart. You must have some level of commitment so you want to choose your pattern and location wisely! You don’t have to cover the whole room with it; sometimes just using it in small doses does the trick. Here are a couple of projects where we used wallpaper to great effect, but not in the whole room.
To see more of this room click here
The client had this HUGE wall of space and when I thought about how to break it up, creating a large panel really hit the mark in the space. I chose a tone on tone paper and matched the wall color to it and then had it trimmed out with molding. As the room was French inspired, this was a great solution…and we didn’t need to spend a ton of money on artwork—the wallpaper filled the space visually and decoratively so little else was required.
To see more of this room click here
Now this dining room in its original state did not have a lot going for it! The homeowner didn’t want to add drapery so we needed something to add drama…and an accent wall of wallpaper was the perfect choice! We pulled out the silver tones in the damask pattern to choose the deep gray color for the other walls and this space looks nothing like its former self! Paint alone would not have created the same level of drama, but this was a cost-effective way to really add pizzaz to this formal space.
Not so bad…right?
You could do that…right? (I have the cheer-leading pom-poms ready to go!!!)
If you are still not convinced, a great place to try out wallpaper is in a powder room. There is little chance of water damage and as it isn’t a place you stay in or even see for long, it makes sense to make it special…so try it out! Here are some images to give you some inspiration:
A foyer is a great place for wallpaper, but sometimes it can be tricky to find the start and stop places with open spaces. Don't be daunted by that though! Your foyer really sets the tone for the rest of your home--what do you want it to say about you?
Now if you are really on-board with this whole wallpaper thing, then maybe you could try wallpapering your dining room or eating area. You see, the trick is when you look at your home overall, walls and walls of just plain paint can get rather boring. You can certainly mix it up with color, and architectural details go a long way to make rooms unique and interesting; but many times with new-build homes or even anything built post 1980’s there is just a lot of BLANK-ness (by that I mean a lack of architctural detail) and wallpaper can really do a LOT to add oomph to your rooms. I’m not saying to go crazy and do it everywhere, but I AM saying that you can pick your room in which you really want to create that wow-factor and put in wallpaper there! A stencil can work too (like in my foyer makeover).
Ok…so you may look at these and think some are “not my style”,
or ” I-could-NEVER-do-that!”
or it’s just plain “too much”!
or you just may be inspired! Fancy that!
And as for getting tired of the pattern…if it is something you LOVE then you won’t tire too quickly—I promise! At the same time, it doesn’t have to be there forever either—most people are ready for a change after a few years anyway.
If you want to start off small, maybe just wallpaper the back of a book case or inside your china cabinet…or even your front closet! Why not get a peek of goodness in an unexpected place!
We as Canadians sometimes have a hard time merging from the realm of “safe” in our interiors. We use the popular neutral paint, with a gray or tan piece of furniture, with a touch of color perhaps in a cushion or piece of artwork…may I encourage you to try something new? Get inspired by checking out Pintrest and see what makes your heart go thumpety thump! With all the patterns and colors out there, finding something in your price point is doable. So break out and give wallpaper a try. It will make your heart happy every time you look at it!
Here are some other websites you can check out if you have been officially “hit” with the wallpaper bug!
