Like it or not, it’s back!
The design element that has become the most controversial is wallpaper!
For so many years, people were wallpapering every wall in their homes, and when they got tired of the pattern they would simply wallpaper over the old wallpaper.
Walls were made of plaster and wallpaper seemed to become solid with the wall. Stripping wallpaper off of plaster walls was also tedious and too time consuming.
Then came this new product called drywall, a much more convenient and less expensive way to cover the studs of the walls. Drywall has a paper face. Although people could still paper over old wallpaper it didn’t seem as solid as the paper wouldn’t always adhere 100% and seams would come loose.
So, people began to strip their old wallpaper, and this was the beginning of the end. I am sure there were divorces over couples trying to strip wallpaper from drywall!
As people were stripping wallpaper, they were pulling some of their walls off in chunks, creating a big mess. They didn’t want to paper the walls again, for they didn’t want to find themselves in this same predicament ever again.
Many husbands gave strict orders to their wives, “no more wallpaper…..ever!”
The main problem was that the walls were not sized, or primed, with a sealer before the wallpaper was installed. Some wallpaper was pre-pasted, needing only water to activate the glue. Other wallpaper needed paste.
Pre-pasted paper seemed to not hold well, especially in a room where there was moisture or steam. Using paste could sometimes hold too well and create issues when it was being stripped from the wall.
In the 90s, I was working with a lot of builders, selecting all floor coverings, cabinetry and counter tops, paint colors and….wallpaper. Wallpaper EVERYWHERE!
I would specify wallpaper for dining rooms, usually one pattern below a chair rail and a complimentary wallpaper above. I would also wallpaper the kitchen, sometimes adding a boarder along the top.
Powder rooms were always wallpapered. Many of the popular wallpapers at that time were in jewel tones and were mostly stripes and florals.
Marbleized patterns were also popular if the home design was more modern.
Of course, the patterns and colors could be offensive to the new homeowner and they would want to pull the paper from the walls. And again….issues and anger! The builders would cut corners and not properly prep the walls before the paper was installed causing even more problems for the homeowner.
For the last twenty years, and with most mature homeowners having had bad experiences with wallpaper, the wallpaper industry all but disappeared.
Paint was the main choice for wall covering and, as a designer, I had to get creative with painted accent walls and faux finish techniques. However, in the past few years, wallpaper has made a comeback! Maybe not in as many rooms in the home as we used to, but it’s back, and whenever I post pictures of my work on social media that include wallpaper, the comments are plentiful and all positive!
I love to use wallpaper in my designs. There are so many patterns and color palettes that can add depth, boldness and richness to a home and I like to get creative with wallpaper.
Maybe just an accent wall that will draw your eyer into a room or maybe on a ceiling!
Powder rooms are still a great place to apply wallpaper. It can give the space a nice theme and ambiance. I like to add wallpaper, maybe a heavily textured grass cloth type, on the back walls of a bookcase.
I am currently working on two commercial projects where I am specifying large patterned murals! Talk about an impact!
The next time you are at a home decor store that has wallpaper books, thumb through the samples and see how they might inspire you. Here are a few ideas of how wallpaper could add some nice flavor to your home.
It can add a nice texture, help set the theme or tone in a space, create a layered effect or simply help to add some needed pattern or color. Just make sure the wall under the paper has been prepped!
