Wild About Wallpaper

7 ways to decorate your walls like a pro

We’re wild about wallpaper this season! Walls need love and these days wallpaper can be found in every imaginable color, texture, print and design. Use a little or use a lot, but don’t be afraid to try your hand with this savvy tool of the trade. For inspiration, here are seven ways to decorate walls like a pro with examples from some of our favorite rooms.

Photography by Jean Allsopp

CREATE DRAMA
“I love a ‘wow factor’ in each space, so I am drawn to at least one bold fabric or print in the room mixed with solids and neutrals,” says designer Lisa Flake. In this dining room, the designer papered the walls in an oversize Victorian damask and layered on more prints with custom draperies, a diamond patterned rug, and dining chairs covered in a chic python print. See more of this home ​here​.

WALLPAPER AS ART
Hand-painted wallpaper from de Gournay appears as art in this dining room. Framed by wall mouldings, the paper covers paneled doors that open to reveal storage for china and glassware. See the rest of this gorgeous home here.

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GO FOR THE GOLD
This may not be wallpaper, but the free hand design painted on the walls of this foyer have the same effect. “The walls in the foyer are one of my favorite design features in the house—especially at night, ” says homeowner and designer Kate Hartman, owner of Chickadee Interiors. See more of this fabulous home here.

MAKE A STATEMENT
“In a smaller space a larger-print wallpaper is a good choice because it actually makes the room feel bigger,” says designer Rebecca Hawkins of the bold pattern she chose for this powder room renovation. See more of this beautiful home here.

WARM WELCOME
This wallpaper is Thibaut – on the splurge side – but since it was used in a little room, the cost was practical. ​See more of this home designed by Alison Smith here​.

MAKE A SPLASH
“The powder bath is the best place to really make a statement, “ says Annie Bayer Goldberg of AG Interior Design. “It’s a small room that everybody sees.” Annie and her business partner Ginny Monheit Maguire created impact in this powder bath with a playful wall covering. They kept the rest of the selections simple – such as the white cabinet and countertop and the glass ball cabinet pulls – so as not to compete with the pattern.​ Read more about this home ​here​.

Photo by Beth Hontzas

GO BOLD
Highlighting a wall creates just the right amount of drama in this playful girl’s bedroom. See more lively kids’ rooms ​here​.

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