Wallpaper is the accessory of a room. Paint changes the color of a wall. Wallpaper adds pattern, texture and depth, and it says something about the people who live there. After 20 years in fashion, I still choose it the way I would choose a scarf or a necklace for an outfit.
Why wallpaper instead of paint
Wallpaper has had a bad reputation, mostly from the hard-to-remove papers of decades ago. Today's non-woven papers come off cleanly, and there are good peel-and-stick options for rentals. A well-chosen paper also wears better than paint: it hides small imperfections and holds up to scuffs.
The real reason to use it is what it does to a room. It can make a small room feel cozy, give a large room better proportion and make a plain room interesting.
Do you have to paper the whole room
No. I often use wallpaper on one wall, chosen from the floor plan, the fabrics already in the room and where the eye should land. On a recent dining room, I put a paper with a subtle metallic sheen above the wainscoting. It catches the light from the crystal chandelier in a way a flat paint color never could.
Some places I reach for wallpaper first:
- A powder room, in a dark, rich pattern, so it feels like a jewel box.
- A ceiling, in a textured paper, to draw the eye up.
- A dining room, above a chair rail or wainscoting.
- A home office or a guest room with a theme, like a map in a study or a subtle shell pattern in a beach house bedroom.
How I choose a paper
I start with what is already in the room: a color from the rug, a motif from a piece of art, the fabric on a favorite chair. Then I look at four things.
- Texture. Grasscloth, silk and embossed papers add depth you can feel.
- Pattern. A small geometric and a large floral do very different jobs.
- Color. A paper can bring in a pop of color or keep a room tonal.
- Scale. Large patterns make a statement; small ones read almost like texture from across the room.
I also want every room to have a little playfulness in it. Wallpaper is often where that comes from: a pattern that reveals a detail when you get close, or a print that makes you smile when you walk in.
If you are thinking about wallpaper for a room, book a discovery call and send me a photo. It is one of my favorite parts of the job.
