HOW TO CHOOSE WALLPAPER

Look at trends. In the 1980s and 1990s people put pattern everywhere. Then the trend became no pattern, no color. Now we’re back to loving interest, detail, and texture, but the patterns aren’t so busy. Today people are buying papers with softened metallics (not the foil of the 70s), textures that resemble alligator skin, and tone-on-tones, like damask.

Choose your style. Selecting wallpaper is tougher than picking paint, because you’re picking color and pattern. Start by making a design board. Include pictures from magazines that will inspire the room, colors you’ll be using, and any finishes or pictures of furniture. Once you’ev established a mood and direction, picking the right wall covering gets easier.

Get samples. When you find a paper you like in a book, order a sample. If you shop online, ask your wallpaper resources to send you good-sized samples of your top three to five favorites.

Live with them. When the samples arrive, resist the temptation to order twenty rolls right away: First you have to live with them. Tape the samples to your wall for a few days. Walk around your house and see if they feel at home with the other rooms. You want a sense of belonging.

Consider durability. For kitchens and kids’ baths, pick a paper with vinyl. Other rooms can handle paper.

Feeling timid? Choose a classic pattern like damask, a tasteful stripe, or toile. Papers that look like a faux finish are also safe.

Play. Walls don’t have to be completely covered, and borders can go places other than the top of the wall. Try hanging borders a foot from the ceiling, or around a door. Mix patterns. Consider papering the ceiling, too.

Don’t know where to begin? The best rooms to paper are rooms without soft furnishings. Dining rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms are great places to start.

It’s not forever. Gone are the days when it was easier to take out the wall than remove old wallpaper. Today’s wallpaper is easy to apply and remove. If you don’t like what you picked in a few years, no big deal.

 

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