9 Rooms That Will Inspire You to Use Wallpaper in Your Home

Through the decades, powder rooms have served as the ideal spot for big prints, allowing homeowners to explore their bolder side without overpowering a space.

Interior designer Lynne Scalo transformed the small reading nook of a historical Ridgefield, Connecticut, home with statement wallpaper and feminine finishings—a tufted sofa and low-hanging chandelier. With the somewhat wild pattern framed by formal crown moldings and baseboards, the overall mood skews to the glamorous side of traditional.

Interior design by Lynne Scalo

There are no hard-and-fast rules when selecting wallpaper. Case in point: most designers would recommend avoiding small prints in living rooms. But here, a tight chain-link pattern only accentuates the defined lines and modern furniture arrangement.

Interior design by Richard Mishaan

Blue-and-white rooms tend to skew to the traditional; however, this bright den (designed by Gideon Mendelson) manages to flip those expectations on their head with a thorny floral print that tosses off any connotations of convention.

Interior design by Gideon Mendelson

When considering whether to hire a wallpapering professional or attempt the job yourself, take into account the size and complexity of the print. Something like this grass cloth by Phillip Jeffries would be a simple enough first project for the enthusiastic novice.

Interior design by Martyn Lawrence Bullard

Designer Bunny Williams uses bold stripes to accentuate the curving hallway of a Connecticut estate.

Designer Benjami Dhong uses a paper that combines subtle texture with a faded print to create dimension behind a simple, elegant vignette.

Interior design by Benjamin Dhong

One of the most revolutionary inventions in wallpaper manufacturing is the somewhat recent creation of temporary wallpaper. These birch tree silhouettes are printed on peel-and-stick fabric that adheres directly to the wall, no paste required, and pulls off just as easily.

Similar to temporary wallpaper, wall decals are another short-term wallpaper substitution. The silhouettes stick to the wall while allowing the designer freedom to play around with placement.

Interior design by Thom Filicia



Excerpted from The Finer Things: Timeless Furniture, Textiles, and Details by Christiane Lemieux. Copyright © 2016 by Christiane Lemieux. Reprinted by permission of Clarkson Potter, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC.

Want more stories like this delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Oprah.com Home & Decorating Newsletter!