When it comes to beautifying home interiors, there’s nothing like a fresh color of paint or the application of new wallpaper to get such a job done. Interior decorative paints come in a variety of hues and finishes that they can make your walls look like wood or precious stone, mainly when you use coatings that contain Swarovski crystals.
However, there’s no denying that wallpapers edge these out with their endless selection of colors, finishes, textures, and patterns, and prints. It can be rather tricky choosing wallpapers to use around your home, however. So, to make this job easier, here are the principles for wallpapering to follow.
1. To create a bigger impact, cover the ceilings with wallpaper as well
If you want your walls to stand out even more, use wallpaper for the ceilings as well. And, more importantly, choose a different pattern or design to play up the visual contrast effectively. For instance, if you have a floral wallpaper on the walls of your grand room, why not use a striped design for your ceiling? Place it between coffers or beams, and give the room a feeling of richness.
2. Wall panels present the perfect opportunity for wallpaper creativity
If your home interior has a lot of walls with paneling, take a more playful approach with wallpaper. You have the option to mix and match wallpapers from the same color palette or design theme. Or, display a bolder and more eclectic selection that reflects your unique style preferences.
3. Use wallpaper in all the rooms of your home
Quite often, homeowners do not bother to beautify their task rooms such as the laundry room and mudroom. But, for a more stylish interior, start decorating home walls all around. Cover your laundry room and your mudroom walls with pretty wallpaper to make these look more fun, interesting and a nicer place to be.
4. Use stripes to make small rooms appear taller
To make low-ceiling rooms look higher, use wallpaper with vertical stripes. The long lines visually elongate the room, creating the illusion of higher ceilings.
And according to decorating experts, it’s better to opt for thinner stripes instead of chunky ones; the more stripes, the taller the room would look.
5. Highlight built-in features with the right wallpaper
If your home has antique sconces and extravagant chandeliers, you can further play off their elegance by using the right wallpaper. You can’t go wrong with Tudor designs or wallpapers that have the look of stone.
Such wall covering choices will not compete with your built-in decorative features but instead will provide them with a subtle background to direct focus on their unique beauty.
6. Mix and match
Combining patterns is not always a breeze, so, follow this formula shared by decorating expert, Phoebe Howard:
Pick a large scale pattern first
Your large scale pattern is usually the wallpaper in colors and prints that you want to use in profusion. At the same time, it’s the pattern that goes particularly well with most of your furniture and other decorative elements such as curtains and carpets.
Establish your coordinating solid
If you wish to break patterns to bring attention to wall and ceiling details such as coffers, examine the color palette of your patterned wallpaper. This will allow you to pick out solid hues that harmoniously go with the color scheme, or identify a complementing contrast color to make the room pop.
Stripes and small-scale patterns always go well together
For a fool-proof way of combining two designs of wallpaper, use stripes and small-scale patterns. Professional interior decorators call these their “go-withs.”
Lovely small-scale patterns to use are paisley, floral, and geometric ones. When it comes to stripes, you can go for pin and cabana stripes, or subtle strié, which looks like natural fiber
7. Create an accent wall
If you are a little wary about mixing and matching different designs and materials of wallpaper, how about just using it on an accent wall? Even if you have only one for your grand room, you can be sure that it will create a massive difference in the look of your home.
Also, for an accent wall, you’ll somehow still feel safer choosing a bold design, after all, accent walls are supposed to stand out. Choose a bright color that has an unexpected print. It will be a great conversation starter because, for sure, people who’ll visit your home will take an interest in it.
The right wallpaper will not only enhance the look of your home interior, but it can also bring unity to your interior design. It can serve as a cohesive factor, especially if you have a lot of pieces in different styles and materials from different periods. And, the best thing about it is it accomplishes such tasks without taking up valuable square footage in your home.
AUTHOR BIO
James Prathap is the General Manager at NGC Nafees, one of the leading distributors of wallpapers, floorings, and fabrics in the Middle East and South Asia. Formed three decades ago, the business also offers high-quality panoramics, coordinated fabrics, and creative stickers for residential and commercial projects.