Inspiration

Where to start when choosing wallpaper

26 Jan 2018 by 1838 Wallcoverings

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More so than paint, wallpaper can add texture, pattern and a range of colours changing the entire look of a room. Choosing wallpaper may seem like a big commitment and if you’ve been thinking of using wallpaper these helpful tips should help you to choose the right wallpaper.

Clip lots of images, make a mood board…

Start collecting images of rooms you like with wallpaper you love. Use great websites such as Houzz to create an ideabook or Pinterest, creating specific boards. Clip from magazines and newspaper or when you’re out and about take pictures of wallpaper you love in restaurants or bars. From getting lots of images you’ll soon see a common theme emerging. We love this mood board from My House Candy featuring our Prior Park Grey wallpaper, seeing all the elements of a room come together really helps narrow your search.

View Design >> PRIOR PARK GREY £99.00 per roll

Know your end goal

What are you wanting to achieve choosing wallpaper? Are you wanting to add texture, warmth, add shine or make a room more contemporary? Adding wallpaper will make you feel a certain way when you walk into a space. Do you want this to be glamourous and luxurious or calming and subtle? You may have a goal of wanting to give your space a real wow factor!

If you’re unsure of your goal requesting wallpaper samples with different pattern and colours will help guide your decisions. If you’re not confident with wallpaper pattern, busier designs can work well in areas such as hallways or cloakrooms where you spend less time but have the desire to create the wow factor

How do you plan to use the wallpaper in the room?

• Cover all walls?
• Just one feature wall?
• Half a wall?
• Maybe even wallpaper a ceiling?

Choose the right scale…

Here are some basic aesthetic guidelines:

• Vertical stripes or trailing designs that run from floor to ceiling, visually extend walls to make them seem taller, which work well in rooms with lower ceilings
• Horizontal stripes appear to elongate a room making it appear wider and brings ceilings lower.
• Large scale patterns work well in a larger more spacious room, they tend to overpower smaller spaces and make it seem even smaller!
• Opt for a small pattern or small geometric designs for a smaller space
• Dark colours will make a room appear smaller.
• Wallpaper with a light background will make a room look larger.

Request wallpaper samples!

We always advise ordering a wallpaper sample prior to making your final purchase! You can’t always appreciate the colours, textures or metallic on a computer screen and being able to “touch and feel” the wallpaper can make a real difference! It’s great to use samples if you’re creating a mood board or simply tape the sample to your wall where you want to hang it, and live with it for a while.

Remember to take your wallpaper samples with you when you’re shopping for soft furnishings, flooring and accessories to make sure all the colours are complimentary!