The trend for using wallpaper in the home has been growing for some time now and sales show no sign of slowing.

Wallpaper has many advantages over paint. Depending on the colour or pattern you choose, wallpaper can create a subtle or dramatic look to a room as well as being capable of covering those imperfections on the wall that would otherwise prove too costly to repair with replastering.

But when it comes to choosing wallpaper for your home, how do you go about getting it right? In this article we’ll give some tips, advice and ideas for wallpapering the home.

Why choose wallpaper?

Simple, wallpaper is the best way to add colour, texture and pattern to a wall in one go. In many homes, one roll of wallpaper will cover a single wall providing a cost-effective and great design statement to any room in the house.

Choosing the right style of wallpaper

A common question is “which style should I choose?”. Well, you can be as adventurous or conservative with your design choice as you like because the range of styles on the market right now should cover every taste. Popular choices include: floral wallpaper, shades of pink and purple wallpaper and styles from interior designers such as Linda Barker and Barbara Hulnicki.

When thinking about the style of wallpaper for your room, try making a ‘mood board’ or ‘design board’. Look through magazines for any photos or pictures that inspire you and will work in the room you’re decorating. Look at the colours you’ll want to include and the texture and finish of your furniture. Once you’ve established the mood, choosing the right style of wallpaper is a lot easier.

Wallpaper ideas

If you think of wallpaper as a way to add visual interest to a room then you can start to make some choices about colour, texture and pattern.

Popular palettes and shades at the moment include black/silver, purple and green:

Picking bold patterned floral print wallpaper will give a room a more contemporary look but for a more traditional country theme go for a smaller floral design print.

Smaller prints will provide a subtle backdrop to a room while adding pattern and background colour. Larger patterns provide more impact and visual interest and when combined with a plain neutral coloured ceiling can give a room a real sense of height.

If your room has lower ceilings you can add height by using vertical lines and stripes wallpaper.

Textured wallpaper gives a room added dimension and an interesting surface look and feel. Textures provide shadow, light effects and colour differences for a stunning wall surface.

Remember, you don’t have to cover every wall of a room. Decorating just one wall with patterned or textured wallpaper makes a real design statement.

Wallpaper samples: Try before you buy

Once you’ve ordered your wallpaper online it unfortunately can’t be returned if you suddenly change your mind. This is due to colour matching of batch numbers for each roll you order. So how do you avoid getting it wrong? Use a sample service that allows you to try the different patterns and styles before making a final decision.

By getting samples of wallpaper and placing them on the walls of the rooms you plan to decorate you can live with the style for a few days and get a feel for the final result. Samples can be as small as A4 size or you can try a 2m roll which will give you a bigger effect.

Samples cost anywhere from 50p to ¬£4.00 plus a little for postage and packaging but given that one roll of wallpaper can cost over ¬£20 it’s a small outlay to ensure you make the right choice.

Be bold and have fun ‚Äì wallpaper isn’t forever

Wallpapering your home should be about giving a room an individual style. It’s not just about the pattern or design you choose, but how and where you use it. The beauty of today’s wallpaper is that it’s easily applied and removed so you can always give a room a new fresh look whenever you feel like a change.

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