If These Walls Could Talk

If These Walls Could Talk

Walls

of your home say something about you, don’t you think?

Not only do your walls serve the purposeful function of holding up the roof over your head and defining the rooms of your home, but they also welcome, wow and entertain your family and your guests. They represent who you are. They define the space. They set the mood.

But here’s the thing about moods… they are always changing! And if your walls represent you, does that mean the walls of your home must change too?

Yes and no. Your walls can change as frequently as your mood if that is what your heart desires. A fresh coat of paint works wonders. It also speaks words, but what if your walls could truly talk?

We’re talking about intonation, pitch, accents, rhythm… that’s where an old “favorite” comes into play: wall paper. Don’t freak out. Take a breath. And, keep reading because the ways of wallpaper have certainly changed. They are bigger, bolder, and better than ever.

Gone are the days you would spend countless hours of completing the unfortunate task of scraping the heavy reams of tacky wallpaper from your kid’s nursery.

We are sure that when you last took down wallpaper you had only one thought: never again.

But, modern wallpaper is easier to apply… and remove. Most simply peel off the wall making the wall paper a whole new changing art form, set for any mood of period of your life. From a baby’s nursey to a 5-year-old boy’s imaginative bedroom fortress, the accent wall in his room can change along with him.

Begone are the tacky train borders around his bedroom that he will grow to hate from age 5 to 18. Say hello to fluffy clouds that soon transform to blue and white preppy pinstripes.

There are different types of wallpaper from modern metallic, digital and geometric prints to classic silk and embossed papers. Wallpaper is no longer outdated or labor intensive. It’s a new frontier in the design world. Scale, color, and texture of the wallpaper can and will vary widely depending on the style of the home, but for those of who are intrigued yet a bit hesitant, there are two easy ways you can embrace wall paper:

Accent Walls From your dining to your home office or child’s bedroom, many of the rooms in your home could use one accent wall that adds character and invites interest. Typically this is the wall opposite the room entry. A key to choosing the right wall paper is taking a look at your furniture & decor pieces. If these are neutral in pattern and/or color, choose a colorful, bold pattern for your wallpaper. If your furniture has pattern or bold colors, do the opposite yet again. Maybe try a solid silk or grasscloth wallpaper that concentrates on texture rather than print. Either way, the contrast of wall to furniture pieces and dÊcor will add the wow factor to your space. Since tile is a bigger long-term commitment, wallpaper is a bit easier to change up over the years. This gives a chance to add personality to the space with color and/or texture without overwhelming the space.

Bathrooms & Powder Rooms These typical smaller, ordinary spaces of your home can be small yet costly when it comes to purchasing tile and countertop materials. Rather than using tile throughout the entire space, consider adding one accent wall in your master bathroom with wallpaper, using wallpaper above a portioned part of the wall [lower half tile, upper half wallpaper], or using wallpaper on all walls in your powder room. For the latter, choose a bold print and select excellent light fixtures that create a lot of light and trick the mind into thinking the small power room is larger than it is.