Wallpaper: A Tradition of Well-Dressed Rooms

Beautiful walls have long been a part of the decorative history of the home. Whether it's the ancient artist painting hieroglyphics on cave walls, the pioneer stenciling patterns inside a cabin or a contemporary home adding the beauty and texture of wallpaper, we all share the universal urge to surround ourselves with beauty, color and style.

Beautiful walls are decorated - never bare - and wallpaper is the perfect choice for the best-dressed walls. Plain, painted and plastered walls are no matches for the beauty, durability and personality wallpaper conveys. Whatever you want to convey, there is wallpaper to express it.

From restoring a vintage house to its original grandeur to making a stark, contemporary dwelling more comfortable, today's wallpapers offer traditional elegance, country charm, or contemporary sophistication - whatever look you desire. And thanks to modern technology, today's wallpapers are durable, inexpensive and easy to install.

Color Basics

A new color scheme can dramatically enhance the beauty and livability of a room. Without changing furniture, carpet or lighting, a fresh breath of color can transform an ordinary living space into a most extraordinary home.

Color is a personal choice, so always base the colors in your home on the colors you enjoy and that make you feel good. Don't worry if the colors you choose aren't "in," — choose the colors that fit your personal style.

If you aren't sure of which colors you like best or are looking for ways to use color expressively, fashion and home magazines, wallpaper retailers, decorating centers or the home of a favorite friend can all spark new ideas.

The most important fact to remember when decorating with color is that color makes a profound impact on the mood of a room and also on the people in it. Choose colors that create the feeling you want to create.

The Color Wheel

The color wheel is a common tool used in home decorating as it shows how colors are related. Using the color wheel, we can define the basic terms of color, which include:

• Accent Color - A contrasting hue used to add visual interest to a color scheme.

• Color Scheme - A group of colors used to create a mood or effect.

• Complementary Colors - Colors located opposite each other on the color wheel.

• Contrasting Colors - Colors that have at least three colors between them on a color wheel.

• Cool Colors - Blues, greens, purples and grays.

• Desaturated Colors - Color made less brilliant by adding white.

• Hue - A color.

• Neutral Colors - Subtle variations of black, white and gray.

• Primary Colors - Red, blue and yellow.

• Related Colors - Two colors next to one another on the color wheel.

• Saturated Colors - Bright hues; color that is not mixed with black, white or gray.

• Secondary Colors - Colors formed by mixing two primary colors together. These colors include orange, green and purple.

• Shade - A darker hue variation created by adding black or gray.

• Tint - A lighter hue variation created by adding white.

• Warm Colors - Reds, oranges, browns and yellows.

Using Color

Light colors create bright, airy looking rooms and can trick the eye into making small spaces look bigger and ceilings appear higher. Since light colors reflect the most light, they can brighten north-facing rooms, dark hallways or rooms with little natural light. To further enhance the power of light reflection, use wallpapers with a smooth texture or a light sheen. To minimize the effect of light on walls, use textured papers that hold more shadow.

Light colors are also a good choice for rooms that have dramatic carpet treatments or furnishings as the walls won't compete with furnishings.

Dark Colors

Dark colors create intimate spaces. Because dark colors absorb light, walls appear closer and make rooms look smaller and more intimate. Dark colors are great for "quiet" rooms, like studies, home offices and formal dining areas.

Dark colors also provide excellent camouflage. Too high walls, uneven walls and heavy traffic areas all benefit from the hiding power of darker wallpaper. As with light wallpaper, textured papers absorb even more light.

Dark walls tend to dominate a room, so they make fine companions to light and bright colored carpets, furniture and accents.

Warm Colors

Reds, browns, oranges and peaches are all defined as "warm" colors. Intense shades create drama and excitement, while subdued hues create warm, friendly spaces. Warm colors are often used in eating areas like breakfast nooks and eat-in kitchens.

Why do we call these colors warm? Because research has shown that warm colors in rooms actually make people feel warmer! As you might guess, warm colors are popular in colder climates.

Cool Colors

Blues, greens, purples and grays are "cool" colors. Intense cool colors lend a fresh, dramatic appeal to a room, while softer cool shades make rooms feel less confining - a perfect choice for bathrooms.

Use cool colors in west-facing rooms and other areas where heat is a problem. Just as warm colors make us feel warm, cool colors make us feel cooler. In very warm climates, entire homes dressed in cool colors make the home more inviting.

Bright Colors

Highly saturated with pigment, brights are not diluted with black or white. Bright colors work best in active places - children's rooms and recreation areas.

Because bright colors attract so much attention, they are often used as an accent color against a light or dark background.

Subdued Colors

With less saturated pigment than bright colors, subdued colors contain a mix of pigment with white, gray or black. Relaxing and restful, these hues are frequently found in bedrooms and studies, and to create a soft background for bathrooms and dressing areas.

Increase visual interest in a room with subdued wallpaper by adding bright colored accents.

Building a Color Scheme

Most rooms design use one of the three basic color schemes:

Single color - uses one color in varying shades. This color scheme is easy to develop and creates a restful feeling in a room.

Related color - uses colors that are next to each other on the color wheel, for example, green and blue. This color scheme creates a quiet effect; light related colors are relaxing while dark related colors are elegant and formal.

Complementary color - a mix of two or three colors located across the color wheel from each other, like blue and yellow. The most dramatic effects can be achieved using this color scheme.

Creating Moods with Color

• Vivid - For a look that surprises the eye, opt for a mix of bright colors and patterns.

• Bold - High contrast, like a deep colored wallpaper and light carpet, creates a bold impact. Big geometric designs and striped wallpaper also heighten drama.

• Tranquil - Peaceful rooms are created using cool colors with little contrast. Soft, floral patterned wallpaper with matching drapes and slipcovers create great sleeping rooms.

• Cheerful - Light colors with low contrast make rooms cheerful. Use minimal window treatments to make the most of natural light

• Formal - Classically detailed wallpaper patterns mixed with rich colors and dark accent colors create formal settings.

• Subtle - Subdued complementary colors create peaceful, warm rooms. A popular combination for baby's room.

• Natural - Earth tones with white and simple patterns and textures give a room natural warmth.

Pattern Basics

Wallpaper adds visual interest by adding texture, pattern and accent colors to a room. Certain patterns automatically create moods, while other patterns create wonderful, subtle backdrops for carpets, furniture and accessories.

While there are thousands of wallpapers to choose from, all wallpaper patterns fall into one of four basic styles: geometric, large print, small print and overall print.

Geometric patterns include plaids, stripes and grids. Large patterns add excitement and drama while small patterns create a subdued effect. Patterns with strong vertical lines make ceilings look higher.

Large Prints add the most visual interest to a room. They can also make a room seem smaller and feel more intimate.

Overall Print form tight patterns. The eye blends the design together, minimizing pattern and emphasizing color. Overall prints can be used in any room.

Small Prints add a touch of pattern to the overall background color, forming a subtle backdrop. This type of print is often used in kitchens, bathrooms and other small spaces.

Mix Patterns Like a Pro

Even with all the pre-selected coordinates in today's wallpaper sample books, there will be times when you will want to mix and match on your own. To create your own decorating scheme, keep these two simple pattern points in mind 1. Color and 2. Scale. Color should be alike, scale should not.

Special Effects with Wallpaper

Wallpaper not only adds color to a room but it can also create added interest and solve decorating dilemmas. Wallpaper can manipulate spaces, add or eliminate architectural detail, even be applied on objects besides walls! Here are some of our favorite tips, tricks and special wallpaper applications. (Watch this space, we come up with new ideas all the time!)

• A proven method to decorate any room is to build the décor around wallpaper. Chose the wallpaper you like and borrow colors for the rest of the room; the background color could be used for woodwork, a medium range color for carpeting, unique accent colors for throw and pillows. A mix of colors can be incorporated into drapes and upholstery, following the pattern mix guideline earlier in this section.

• Pick a pattern and play it off solid coordinating colors for sure-fire decorating success. This formula works particularly well in traditional homes.

• Look at the whole picture when planning. If you are wallpapering a room that flows into another, make sure that the wallpapers in each room flow together. Borders can also help coordinate adjoining rooms.

• Personalize small spaces with wallpaper. Border a mirror or window to give it visual importance. Extra wallpaper can be used to cover lampshades, pots, wood furniture, screens - the only limit is your imagination!

• Raise a low ceiling. Vertical stripes with an upward thrust will make ceiling look higher. For an even more open look, keep the ceiling light-colored.

• Lower a high ceiling. Dark colored wallpaper can make a room with a high ceiling feel more comfortable. A wide border around the top edge of the wall with horizontal striped wallpaper also is effective.

• Make a small room bigger. To stretch the look of your living space use small and open patterns in light colors.

• Make a small room look even bigger! Match the wallpaper and the fabric coordinate all over the room with one solid color anchor. For instance, wallpaper a bedroom and pick curtains and bedspreads identical to the wallpaper while adding a solid color rug. There is no such thing as too much of a good thing.

• Make a large room more intimate. Rich, dark and large patterned papers will bring large rooms down to size.

• Hide a bumpy wall. All over patterns, extroverted textures and matte wallpaper can minimize bumpy walls and architectural oddities.

• Liven up a boring wall or room. Add architectural interest with wallpapers that look like wood or marble borders, mural wallpaper or add several patterns on one wall.

• Remember the baby. Little ones are big on color and pattern. Wallpaper the room with a neutral pattern and add a "baby" border. When the child grows, change the border to correlate with their age and interests.

• Add zest to a bookshelf. Wallpaper the inside of bookshelves in mini prints to show off collections.

• Be an artist - the easy way. Trompe l'oeil wallpaper can create stunning patterns like creating "paintings", headboards, picture frames, flowered trellis. It's almost like it's really there!

• Create paneling. Who said paneling had to be made of wood? Wallpapers and contrasting borders can create the most decorative wall panels and add architectural interest to flat walls.

• Cover your furniture. Toy chests, cabinets, dressers, tables all get a lift from wallpaper.

Your only limit is your imagination (and your local wallcoverings retailer or designer can help you with that!).

Decorating Dos and Don'ts

Do:

• Decide on a budget at the beginning of you project. If your funds are limited, decorate your rooms one at a time.

• Buy items that will have the most pronounced effect on the room first - like carpet, furniture and wallpaper. Accessories can be added later.

• Keep a scrapbook of decorating ideas, wallpaper samples, colors schemes, etc.

• Be sure to create a personalized room, not an imitation of someone else's. Your personality should shine through, as well as your lifestyle.

• Buy wallpaper, fabric and floor coverings for their practical as well as decorative effect. Keep in mind kids, pets, lifestyle.

• Make a ceiling the fifth wall of the room. Remember walls can be one color or pattern, ceilings another.

• To mix textures in a room, make sure there is a common denominator, like a common color.

Don't:

• Fall for fads in style and design. You'll tire of them quickly.

• Buy products because they are a bargain. Always make your furnishings an investment in the value of your home.

• Fill every inch of space. Leave some breathing room for favorite items to stand out.

• Use too many similar textures in a room. They can cancel each other out.

• Be afraid to experiment with different colors, textures and kinds of wallpapers.

Reprinted with permission, the Wallcoverings Association (WA) copyright 1999.