"How Much Wall is There in Wallpaper . . . "

Photo: Thayer Allyson Gowdy; Courtesy of Scot Meacham Wood (headshot)

Greetings,

I thought I'd share a few of my posts from my long-running advice column at House Beautiful . . . . this time casting my eye upwards . . . .
 

Q: "Wallpaper — in or out? 
And what are some great ways to decorate with it?"—Mary P.

A: Mary, that's a great question with a simple answer. It's in, totally and completely. While I'm shopping for my own clients, I'm seeing that the selection seems to be moving to the far ends of the design spectrum — either very bold or very minimal. For boldness, I'm loving proudly-patterned papers, such as oversized geometrics and metallics, as well as more classic patterns that are updated with bright, saturated colors. On the other end of the design spectrum, grasscloth is something I use in many of my designs. There is a large variety of color in today's grasscloths, so you can use them in one hue to add depth and interest, instead of just a plain painted wall.

As far as applications go, I wouldn't put too much significance on the word "wall" in "wallpaper." Cover a ceiling or line bookcases with it to liven up a room. In my own house pictured above, I used a classic grasscloth from Phillip Jeffries as the backdrop to the art collection in my entryway. The textured surface gives the space a subtle design note, but it also allows the artwork to take center stage.

Finally, I also always order a bit of extra paper for all of my projects and save an unopened roll just in case we need to do any repair work in the future — that way I know we have the exact color match. And you should hang onto those partially-used rolls because they can make an excellent wrapping paper!

For a complete archive of my HB.com advice columns - click here.  

Cheers,

Scot