Using Unique Wallpaper Patterns and Colors to Decorate a Room
With so many patterns and textures available today there is something to appeal to everyone.
Wallpaper comes in bold colors, subtle colors, elegant textures, geometric and floral patterns, as well as vintage looks. Picking a pattern or texture may turn out to be the most difficult part of the job and many things should be considered before you decide on one choice or another.
If the room you plan to paper has carpet you will want to choose a paper that accentuates or matches the carpet. Getting some swatches from the wallpapering store can help you make those decisions. Take your swatches home and lay them out on the existing carpet. This will show you if your choices will look good and if the lighting of the room will enhance your paper.
Colors, patterns and textures affect our mood and set the atmosphere of the room. If we want to create an inviting tone we would use warm colors such as oranges and yellows. Creating a fresh or soothing mood can be achieved by using blues and greens.
We will also want to take the pattern on the paper into consideration. Large patterns add a dramatic and more open affect while smaller, busier patterns can be used to hide imperfections in the underlying wall and give the room a more active feel. Smaller designs make good backdrops for paintings and ornaments.
Stripes can add symmetrical dimensions to a room but are more difficult to hang, as they need to match as perfect as possible.
Large floral patterns should be used in large rooms because they can overpower smaller rooms but give a relaxing atmosphere of luxury or elegance.
Choosing the right trim or woodwork colors is an important decision as well. You will want your colors to match and accentuate the chosen paper.
Lighting is another factor that can set off or hinder your choice of papers. This is another reason to bring home swatches of the papers you like. This allows you to test the colors and papers throughout the day and evening to see if the lighting will go well with your choices. Be sure that you make comparisons for natural and artificial lighting. Use both incandescent and fluorescent lighting to see which one would allow for the best atmosphere when creating the mood of the room.
Creating a certain mood can be achieved by the pattern of your paper and color choice of your trimmings and moldings.
If you would like to create a sitting room with a porch-like country ambiance, you would choose a lattice pattern.
An airy country feeling can be achieved by using dot like patters on white backgrounds in small rooms.
If you wanted to achieve an intimate or elegant effect you would opt for dark, rich colors with large floral pattern wallpaper.
A big part of your decision will also be considering the use of the room. What is this room’s primary function? Do you want to create a cozy intimate bedroom, an elegant sitting room, a formal living room, or a country kitchen? All of these things should be considered as well before you make your final decisions on papers and colors.
With so many choices available it may be difficult to decide if you want to cover your walls with one pattern, a split pattern, or half a wall. If you choose to cover half the wall, the other half will need to be painted to match. Borders can give stunning effects if you divide two different types of wallpapers or use the split effect of paper and paint.
Paper borders and moldings accentuate the lines between the paint and paper. Even if you use one pattern on the whole wall, you may want to find a coordinating border to set it off with.
Another big decision is deciding which type of paper to use. Heavier vinyl papers do better in damp areas like bathrooms and kitchens whereas natural textures can help hide flaws in the wall surface.
Several wallpaper finishes are available. Choosing the right pattern with the right finish can prove difficult if you don’t know which finish would provide the best results for the use of the room. Here we will cover the types of finishes and their purpose or use.
Linings are hung on bare walls to give a smooth base for your chosen wallpaper.
Standard patterns are usually flat and have designs that are screen printed onto the paper.
Natural textures can be made of wool, felt or synthetic fabrics and they enrich rooms with warm texture while hiding less than perfect wall surfaces.
Vinyl wallpapers come in three different types; vinyl, heavy-duty vinyl and expanded vinyl. Plain vinyl is generally mass-produced and has a clear vinyl coating over the pattern. They work well in rooms that require a lot of cleaning like kitchens and bathrooms.
Heavy-duty vinyl works well in rooms that require constant cleaning like busy kitchens and bathrooms. Due to their heavy nature they should be applied with a strong adhesive to avoid peeling from the walls. Expanded vinyl has a texture finish that is created by air being injected into it at the liquid stage of manufacturing. This type of paper is a bit harder to find but is very hardwearing.
Embossed papers are made with a relief pattern printed on the paper. Care should be taken when applying these papers to avoid flattening the relief pattern.
Flocked papers have fibers embedded into the surface. The pattern is mounted onto flat backing paper to give it a rich texture.
If you have low ceilings you may want to choose a vertical pattern, which would give height to the room. Borders or moldings with horizontal lines can add depth to a small room. Be careful in the horizontal lines you choose or you could create an optical illusion that isn’t’ pleasing. Too many horizontal lines or heavy horizontal lines can create the affect that the room is uneven or has a 3-D appearance.
Now that you understand the effects and transformations that simple wallpaper and color can add to a room, it’s time to start that preparation work. Remember that each stage, from choosing the right wallpaper, to preparation and planning, to the actual wallpapering itself is as important as the next step in creating a professional looking room.
