A blog from Kathy Alexander, https://www.alexanderinteriors.com/
Kathy Alexander is a leading Interior Designer who focuses on High End Residential Design. With over 30 years of interior design experience, she is known for her collaborative approach to interior design with individual home-owners and builders alike, melding her sophisticated design sense with her clients’ visions, to realize their hopes and desires. Kathy is based in Northern Ohio.
Dear Teresa,
Last month I wrote about wallpaper faux pas. Basically, using the wrong type of patterned wallpaper or installing the wallpaper incorrectly which creates a problem you did not have before. Wallpaper can be transformational — in a good way, if you know what you are doing. There are so many different types of wall coverings that there is something for everyone.
In a quest to see the new wallpapers that were being introduced and also what appears to be popular, I interviewed Jennifer Allen and Betty Scaparotti of Surface Materials in the Ohio Design Center. There is a broad range of wallcoverings and many styles available. It’s like searching for art for your home and it can be very personal. Wallpaper also can be very decorative, functional and practical.
Transform Your Space with Wallpaper
I recently worked on a new home with an open floor plan. The client had chosen a strong green paint color for the dining room located to the left of the foyer. To the right of the foyer was a small entryway leading into the master bedroom. To help balance the color within the space, I recommended that we use a wallpaper for the bedroom entry that contained the same shade of green as on the walls of the dining room on the other side. Doing this accomplishes two things: Having a paper containing the same color green helps to balance the space using color and also highlights the bedroom entry way to make it special. This particular wallpaper is very whimsical and busy. It’s perfect for a small area.
Exotic, Whimsical Wallpaper Helps to Balance the Space Using Color
When planning the interior design of a 15,000 sq. ft. custom home, I specified a linen looking, vinyl-coated wallpaper for the hallways. The washability of this type of wallcovering made it very functional for the homeowner and easy for her to keep up with little and big hand prints from the four children residing in the home. We also did a very bold, dark, floral wallpaper for the formal powder room.
What are you trying to accomplish? I like to surprise people when they go into a powder room, for instance. You may have neutral walls or soft colored walls everywhere and suddenly when the powder room door is opened they are met with a strong color or pattern. Or maybe you are met with a dark, moody space. Either way, create a surprise. Whether you are wallpapering a powder room, hallways, dining room or a bedroom, make sure you keep in mind the surrounding areas by staying within the color scheme. Also, be mindful of the scale of the pattern of the wallpaper. Large patterns look best in large rooms with high ceilings and medium to small patterns look best in average to small rooms.
Think about where you want to make a statement and then choose the wallcovering that will further the statement.
What about your look? Jennifer pointed out different wallcoverings with an ethnic, tribal or Bohemian style. Then consider something like this:
Is your taste more classic and traditional? If so, consider damask, toile, Chinoiserie, a basic stripe, floral, etc.
Murals were wildly popular in the 1990’s and I used them extensively
What I love about murals is that it makes your home unique. No one else will have that exact art which was created special for the homeowner. I used them in very large foyers to warm up the space and make it feel less like a cavern. I’ve used them to decorate special areas such as in a barrel vault, or make a wine cellar feel larger, or to disguise a very low ceiling in a basement.
Murals are making a comeback but in the form of wallpaper. You can do an entire room with a scene or have it on a single wall as a focal point. The entire wall might be used or only a portion of a wall. Betty commented on how murals tell a story. What is your story?
Dreaming of a Fairy Tale? This Scene Would be Perfect in a Little Girl’s Room.
Whatever your goal, whatever your style, there is a wallpaper that would greatly enhance your space and reveal your Spirit in Design.
To Your Spirit,
Kathy Alexander is Principal of Alexander Interiors, LLC, a boutique interior design company that focuses on high-end custom homes & renovations. Her monthly newsletter, The Spirit in Design, helps homeowners, builders and interested individuals discover their spirit within the design. If you’re ready to energize your design projects and yourself, investigate the possibilities at www.alexanderinteriors.com © 2021 Kathy Alexander, All Rights Reserved
