How to Select the Best Wallpaper for Your Home

Wallpaper can be an essential component to adding your personality and style into your home. It helps create your signature look. How to select the best wallpaper for your home might feel overwhelming when first getting started.

If you were born in or before the 80’s you probably remember the Waverly era. Waverly was a brand of floral wallpapers that were very popular. Almost every home was layered with multiple mini prints and borders in every room. I spent a good portion of my early years as a designer erasing them from my clients homes. Unfortunately, I can’t unsee them, they’re tattooed on my brain. So I understand when clients say, oh, I don’t like wallpaper. OR I don’t want one of those busy little floral prints. Fortunately, there are endless options now to express yourself. Don’t worry….You won’t be stuck looking like everyone else.

Here is what I recommend for achieving the best results for you & your home.

The First Thing to Consider is….

What is your main objective?

There are many reasons for using wallpaper in your home. Decide what your main objective is to achieve. Is it to add a subtle touch of elegance like the damask shown in the foyer pictured? Is it to make a bold statement in a contemporary setting ? Is it the starting point to inspire the design for the space? Will it simply be an accent wall for a pop of color and personality?

The next step for how to select the best wallpaper for your home is determining your style.

What style are you trying to achieve?

If you’re going for a contemporary, consider a bold geometric like this one from Graham & Brown. It’s a a great choice for making a statement behind a sofa in a living room. It would also be great in a small powder room.

If you LOVE color and pattern you can also make a contemporary statement using a large, bold floral like this one from Thiabaut. This would be a great choice behind a wall of open shelving in a kitchen with white cabinets. It would also be a fun statement in a powder room. In either case it says, “hello, I’m bold & I’m beautiful.”

If you’re going for something subtle and romantic consider a soft two color stylized floral like this one from Anthropologie. It would be a beautiful wallpaper to build a bedroom around for a soft serene space.

Another way to create a subtle and romantic look is to use a mural like this on the back wall behind a sofa or a bed. It’s a great way to add depth to the space.

If you’re going for a traditional look a tone on tone damask, like the one pictured is always a good choice. It’s classic and subtle and especially a great choice for a foyer.

A classic grasscloth wallcovering is a great choice for a traditional look. I especially love using grasscloth wallcovering as an accent wall in a living room. Imagine open shelving with some fun accessories and photo frames with the subtle texture of grasscloth in the background. Thiabaut is my go to line for grasscloth. I love the wide variety of colors you can find. Grasscloth can also be used in a contemporary setting as well. It’s so versatile!

Keep in mind that grasscloth is tricky to hang. I recommend that you hire a professional wallpaper hanger who has experience hanging it. One thing they should know is that each strip needs to be flipped upside down from one strip to the next. There isn’t really a pattern match for grasscloth but flipping it helps to create a nice blend of texture.

Depending on the room you are wallpapering, how to select the best wallpaper for your home will vary in the material that is appropriate.

Kitchen, Laundry Room & Bathrooms

Rooms with high traffic, moisture and continual use require a wallpaper that is easy to clean and durable. Look for something that is washable or for high traffic use. It’s good to order a sample and put it through the test. Try wiping it down and see how it holds up. Does it fade or show watermarks? Vinyl wallcovering has come a long way over the years and can give you a beautiful look. It can be very practical and will wear better than paper backed wallpapers.

In the powder room shown below we used a vinyl, grasscloth look. We were able to achieve a sophisticated look with durability to handle the high traffic it receives.

Powder Room

Powder rooms are my favorite room to add wallpaper. However, powder rooms are almost always small so the opportunity to rub up against a wall is likely. For this reason look for a wallpaper that is washable. You don’t necessarily have to go with a vinyl wallcovering, however if you have children or teens that will be using the powder room on a regular basis it’s a good idea.

Living Room & Dining Room

These are the rooms in your home that have less traffic and are more likely to be spaces you admire as you are passing by. For this reason, the decision for how to select the best wallpaper for your home opens up many more opportunities in these areas. This is where you have the opportunity to use more delicate wallpapers like this beaded paper from Scalamandre. Wallpaper like this walks down the same street as Nicole Kidman, Sophisticated and Elegant! Or express yourself with a handpainted wallpaper like this. Think of your wallpaper for these rooms as if it were fine art. It’s an opportunity to let your hair down and show your creative side.

Foyer

This is another area that’s great for expressing yourself with wallpaper. This is your opportunity to make your first impression so it’s best to make a subtle impression. You don’t want your wallpaper screaming “HELLO!” Just a subtle “welcome” is a better choice.

For a smaller foyer with standard 8’-9’ ceilings consider something washable since it will be more likely to have pets and people rub against it. If you have volume ceilings like the one photographed above, the space is more likely larger all around. Larger foyers open up more options for wallpapers that are slightly more delicate.

Installing a wainscoting in the foyer is a great option to give you more flexibility with your wallpaper choice.

How to select the best wallpaper for your home shouldn’t be a rushed decision.

Take your time with the search. Create a Pinterest Board. Find rooms with wallpaper that speak to you. Visit wallpaper stores to find some direction. A good wallpaper store will have someone that can guide you in a direction once you have gone through the preliminary process of narrowing down your options.

Have fun expressing yourself!