Ways to get wallpaper just right
Originally bought by the middle class to mimic expensive wall hangings, tapestries and painted cloth in their homes, wallpaper has come a long way through the years.
The earliest record in Europe dates back to 1481, when individual sheets of paper were pasted together before hand painting. The most common decorative technique during this time was block printing, where a pattern or motif is carved into a wooden block, before being hand stamped onto the paper with water based inks.
If you’re interested in the history of wallpaper the V&A Museum in London is quite a special visit.
Consider all the walls
If you’re opting for a wallpaper, be brave enough to wallpaper all the walls. This will create a unified, timeless space. The design doesn’t have to be highly patterned. Delicate patterns and textures will serve as a beautiful base for the rest of the layers in the design.
Add texture and warmth with textiles
For the ultimate in texture, warmth and drastically improved acoustics, consider upholstered walls or paper backed fabric.
These techniques are wonderful for master bedrooms and living rooms, but we would suggest avoiding in high traffic areas and children’s bedrooms to prevent damage.
Consider the ceilings
In a vaulted or angled room the best solution is usually to wallpaper the ceiling as well as the walls. The chances are, if it's difficult to see where the walls end and the ceilings begin, you should be wallpapering the lot.
This will unify the space and blur any harsh angles that the eye would otherwise be drawn to.
Tone in your woodwork
A simple trick when choosing a colour for woodwork is to select one of the less obvious colours in the wallpaper. This works well to compliment the wallpaper design but also draw even more colour from it.
If going classic with white woodwork, make sure it tones well with the colours in the wallpaper and isn't a brilliant white. These subtle tricks will be easy on the eye with no jarring contrasts.
Try Fermoie for beautiful paper lined linens, Soane for timeless printed wallpaper and Rapture & Wright for by the metre, zero waste designs. Look out for FSC and PEFC logos to make sure the paper has been sustainably sourced. For acrylic and solvent free wallpaper paste, look no further than Earthborn.