Design Dilemma: Where to Put Wallpaper in Your Home
via Serena & Lily
Welcome to our first Design Dilemmas post! I’m really excited about digging into these because they’re real dilemmas submitted by YOU. I’ve got an “open call” for design dilemmas, and if you’ve got a tricky design problem you want me to take a spin at solving, I’d encourage you to submit it right over here! I’ll choose one to tackle every month inside The Collective.
This month’s dilemma comes from Emily. She asks:
Q. I don’t want to wallpaper my whole house but I’d like to use it in some bedrooms and bathrooms. How do I know if it’s too much? What is the right balance from room to room?
That’s such a great question and one that you’re not alone in asking! Wallpaper has made a major comeback in the past few years and I for one, am here for it. It’s definitely a commitment though, so giving it some thought before diving in headfirst is important.
First of all, Emily, I think your instincts are good on where to put it if you’re just dipping your toe into the wallpaper world for the first time. Bedrooms and bathrooms are perfect spots. I’ll share a few beautiful ones here in this post to give you some inspiration as we go along!
via McGee & Co.
The two rooms I’d start with are:
A half-bath if you have one
One of your bedrooms
Live with those two wallpapered spaces for a bit, and if you’re loving it, pick another bedroom or bathroom to add more of it. Wallpaper has a habit of making a pretty big statement in a space (unless you keep it really light), so my advice is to take it one or two spaces at a time and see how it feels. Trust your gut on that - you’ll have a good sense of whether you’re ready to stop or keep adding.
Unless your style leans maximalist, I’d stick with just a few rooms total. It’s nice to have places in your home that are wallpaper-free to allow your eye to “rest.” Doing it that way also allows the places that do have wallpaper to feel special.
from Mix & Match Design Company’s Guest Room Reveal
Once you decide which spaces you want to wallpaper, the next step is to figure out if you want to do the whole room or just an accent wall. Bathrooms and bedrooms are conducive to both options. Going the accent wall route creates the effect of a drawing your eye to a particular feature wall (e.g. the vanity wall or the wall with the headboard), and will be less expensive than wallpapering a whole room.
If you’re ready to go all-in, paper the whole room! Let that wallpaper be the star of the room if it’s a heavy pattern or create a more subtle backdrop with something that has light colors or is more textural like a grasscloth.
via Murals Wallpaper
Are you a little bit scared of commitment? Try removable wallpaper! I rounded up some good ones over here on the Mix & Match blog if you’d like some ideas.
via Erin Kestenbaum
Ready to wallpaper? Here are a few of my favorite wallpaper sources to get you started on your search*:
via Emily Henderson
Finally, if you’re a first-timer with wallpaper, take a look at this great article from Milton & King, a wallpaper and fabric company, that has all kinds of tips and watch-outs for ordering and installing it. While it’s written with their particular products in mind, it’s almost all applicable to wallpapering in general!
I hope this has been helpful, Emily! I’d love to see what you do in your home. Be sure to come share some photos over in The Community!
*Affiliate links used here, which means Mix & Match Design Company earns a small commission from your purchase at no cost to you.
