Want to Decorate with Wallpaper? Here's the AHG Interiors Wallpaper Guide
While wallpaper may conjure up images of dated interiors, it has made a major comeback in recent years. From accent walls to full rooms there are so many ways you can create a stunning room design with wallpaper. The great thing about wallpaper is that it can also set the tone for a room. No matter your style you can find plenty of wallcovering options to reflect it.
AHG Interiors - Waterfront Home
The tricky thing is that wallpaper can make or break the design of a room. If done well, it’s a stunning focal point, but if done poorly then it’s a huge eyesore. Or there is also the risk that you’ll get tired of it over time.
Interested in decorating with wallpaper but unsure how to make it work or where to get started? Keep reading for our complete guide to decorating with wallpaper.
AHG Interiors - Park Slope Townhouse
Start With a Trail Run
You can always “try before you buy” so to speak and order a sample to hang up and live with for a little while. This way you can see if you like a certain color or pattern and if it works in the space.
Be sure to observe it in different lighting and at different times of the day, because like paint, the appearance of wallpaper can vary based on the type of lighting. You’ll also notice if it’s something you love or instead get sick of after a while.
If you’re considering wallpapering an entire room, you can place a large mirror opposite the test strip. The mirror will reflect the paper and give you a sense of how it will look in a larger space.
The options out there are truly endless when it comes to wallpaper design. They come in a variety of patterns, colors, and textures – so you can achieve almost any type of look. It can be hard to decide on just one, so you can always test out a few different samples to see what works best.
If You Want to Go Small With Wallpaper
If you’re a wallpaper novice then it’s a good idea to start small. This doesn’t mean that it’ll go unnoticed though, you can make plenty of big design statements by using wallpaper in small ways.
If you’re not ready to do a full room with wallpaper then there are plenty of other ways you can introduce wallpaper into your home design.
For a light touch think about wallpapering the backs of shelves in a built-in or decoupage furnishings. This is a great way to turn something otherwise ordinary into a unique design statement.
Pure Salt Interiors
Or for a slightly bolder look, you can wallpaper an alcove or focus on an accent wall. This is another way to create contrast in a space and an interesting focal point.
Otherwise, you can focus on wallpapering a smaller room like a powder room. This is where you can experiment with bold colors or fun patterns since it’s not a highly visible area in your home. It’s also a great way to show off your style and personality when you have guests over.
If you want to introduce wallpaper in a more commonly used room in your home, and want more impact than an accent wall, you could consider wallpapering a portion of all four walls. You can do this with wainscoting and wallpaper the section above. Or you can create artwork with panels of wallpaper. With both these methods, you get a similar effect as wallpapering a full room, but it’s broken up by solid portions of the wall, so it doesn’t feel overwhelming.
AHG Interiors - West Village Loft
Or make a fun design statement by wallpapering an unexpected area in your home, like a ceiling, hallway, closet, or pantry. These are often overlooked spaces, so adding a splash of wallpaper in an uncommon place sparks joy.
AHG Interiors - West Side Flat
For unique, high-quality wallpaper in a wide range of designs, we love Hygge & West.
If You Want to Go Big With Wallpaper
If you’d like to make a major design statement, there are plenty of ways wallpaper can be the main event in your home.
If you want to wallpaper a larger room, like a bedroom, living, or dining room, but don’t want to pick an overwhelming pattern, opt for textural wallpaper in a solid color. Or a small pattern in a single color that almost acts like a solid.
LuLu and Georgia
Otherwise, you can go for a bolder print in a full room, but if you do make sure the rest of the design stays minimal. Your wallpaper is the star of the show, so the other furnishings and finishes should complement it and not detract from it.
Mural wallpaper is a great way to make a beautiful design statement. How is it different from regular wallpaper? It’s characterized by a single image or oversize design, rather than a repeating smaller pattern, to give the appearance of a painted mural. You can use mural wallpaper on a single wall for a lovely focal point. Or wallpaper an entire room for a dramatic look.
AHG Interiors - Tribeca Apartment
For stunning mural wallpaper, Graham & Brown has a great selection.
Wallpaper Types
Before you buy wallpaper you should know the different types out there. Traditional wallpaper is 100% paper but there are more modern types to be aware of. The three most popular are vinyl, grasscloth, and non-woven wallpapers.
Vinyl is made of layered paper with a printed vinyl layer on top. It’s water-resistant and easy to clean which makes it good for bathrooms or rooms that come into contact with moisture or humidity.
AHG Interiors - Park Slope Apartment
Grasscloth has a paper backing with a layer of woven natural fibers on top. It’s very durable and adds nice texture to a space. It usually comes in solid or near solid colors which makes it a great option if you don’t want a patterned wallcovering.
Non-woven wallpaper is made of synthetic and natural fibers. It is breathable, tear-resistant, easy to clean, and incorporates paste to the wall technology making it easier to install and remove than traditional wallpaper.
Jessica Helgerson Interior Design
More Wallpaper Decorating Tips
We’ve covered the different ways you can incorporate wallpaper into your home, and the different types of wallpaper available, but we have a few more pieces of advice to keep in mind.
Beware of too much pattern. To avoid pattern overload, don’t use wallpaper in rooms that already have a lot of pattern in other accents. Or if you decide to go for a bold patterned wallpaper then keep the rest of the furnishings more neutral. This keeps the aesthetic polished and clean. If you are mixing and matching patterns in a room, make sure they're united by a common color scheme.
Kara Mann