How to Choose the Best Wallpaper for Your Home

It’s no secret that wallpaper is making a comeback. Whether you’ve just moved in a new luxury property and are making it feel like home, or are looking to add a contemporary touch before you sell, wallpaper can be a stylish and unique option. Before you begin, make sure you take these into consideration.

Know your dimensions. Take care to measure the height and width of the space you’re covering first. Wallpaper is usually sold in rolls, so make certain you know much a single role covers. For a small space, one might be fine, but if you’re covering a larger space like a feature wall, you may need two or three.

Match your shade to what you have already. If you’re covering a wall in a room that’s already furnished, you’ll want to take care to choose a shade or pattern that accents what’s already there. A good option is to start with a colour that already exists in the room—perhaps an accent colour and look for a print that incorporates that. If your room furnishings are already bold, you might want to try a more neutral pattern.

Choose the scale of your pattern wisely. A bold wallpaper with large flowers will obviously have a very different feel than a lighter colour with a small-scale pattern and plentiful whitespace. Small spaces like powder rooms or entryways can often handle a larger-scale print without seeming overwhelming, but a room with lots of furnishings might do better with a more subtle print.

Walls aren’t the only option. While mostly luxury homeowners think of walls as the best place to cover in wallpaper, those experimenting with it might want to start with something smaller scale. Wallpaper, especially the stick-on type, can also be a great accent on stair treads, as a background on open shelving and on the front of accent cabinets. Another option—if you’re not ready to commit to a whole wall—is to frame an oversized piece and hang it the way you would hang a piece of art.