How to choose a wallpaper
Story 7
An Interior Designer’s guide to using wallpaper in your home
Wallpaper is one of my favorite ways to bring personality into a home. It can add color, texture, pattern, warmth, and character in a way that paint sometimes cannot. But choosing wallpaper is about more than finding a pattern you love. The scale, color, placement, architecture, and even the amount of natural light in a room all play a role in whether a wallpaper feels like it truly belongs.
At Guest House Studio, we design custom homes and thoughtful renovations in Charleston and throughout the East Coast, and wallpaper is something we often use to give a room its own identity while still making sure it feels connected to the rest of the home.
Loft Bedroom from our “Charleston Manor” project with a striking woods themed mural
How Do You Choose the Right Wallpaper for a Room?
Answer: it depends on the room ;)
What is the purpose of the space? How much natural light does it receive? What architectural details are already there? What do we want the room to feel like?
A wallpaper that works beautifully in a bright bedroom might feel completely different in a small powder room. A bold pattern can make a tiny room feel intentional and special, while a quieter pattern or textured wallcovering can add just enough interest to a larger space without competing with everything else in the room.
The goal is not simply to choose a beautiful wallpaper. It is to choose one that makes sense for the space and one that you will love for a long time. Sometimes I start a design with a wallpaper because I simply just love it and know I have to use it somewhere for our clients. Other times it comes as almost an afterthought. A way to upscale a space, add texture, or sophistication.
If you are planning a renovation or custom home and want help making these kinds of decisions, Contact us here.
Where Should You Use Wallpaper?
Wallpaper can work in almost any room when it is chosen thoughtfully.
Powder rooms are one of the most popular places to use wallpaper because they give you an opportunity to do something unexpected in a smaller space. A powder room does not need to match every other room in the house perfectly. It can have its own personality.
I also love wallpaper in bedrooms, children’s rooms, entryways, dining rooms, hallways, and other spaces that could use another layer of interest.
Sometimes wallpaper becomes the focal point of a room. Other times, it quietly sits in the background and makes everything around it feel more finished.
There is no single room where wallpaper belongs. The better question is what you want the room to feel like and whether wallpaper can help create that feeling.
Does Wallpaper Work in Small Spaces?
Absolutely.
In fact, small spaces can be some of the best places to use wallpaper.
There is sometimes an instinct to make a small room as simple as possible because we are afraid that pattern will make it feel smaller. I do not necessarily agree.
A beautiful pattern can give a small room an identity. Instead of trying to make the room disappear, you are allowing it to become memorable.
The scale of the wallpaper matters, though. A very large pattern creates a different effect than a small repeating print. This is where looking at samples in the actual room becomes especially important.
A great example of wallpapering in a small space. This powder room from our “Kiawah Homestead” resides under the stairs! I chose the paper first and let the rest follow. Because it is a busier wallpaper I let the rest of the finishes be simple and understated yet elegant.
Should Wallpaper Match the Rest of Your Home?
It should relate to the rest of your home, but it does not need to match it.
There is a difference.
One of the things I think about when designing a home is how you move from one room to another. Each space should be able to have its own personality, but there should also be something connecting the rooms.
That connection might be color, material, architectural style, or simply the overall feeling of the home.
This is especially important in renovations. We want new design decisions to feel intentional within the architecture rather than making one room feel completely disconnected from everything around it.
Think About More Than the Wallpaper. Wallpaper is only one piece of a room.
Lighting, trim color, cabinetry, flooring, furniture, art, window treatments, and hardware all affect how the final space feels.
That is why I prefer to make these decisions as part of the larger design process rather than choosing finishes individually. This is also why I will not do a design for just a single room without having a rough game plan for the rest of the home.
If you are renovating a home in Charleston or elsewhere along the East Coast and would like help creating a home that feels cohesive from room to room, lets have a conversation.
Choose Something You Will Love Living With
Trends can be helpful for inspiration, but I never want a client to choose wallpaper simply because it is popular at the moment. Or anything for that matter and if you are looking for a “we follow the trends designer” you have come to the wrong place. Your home should feel personal and intentional.
Make sure the accent color on the trim coordinates with the paper. This small detail can make or break a selection. Hallway going from Primary Bath to Bedroom at our “Charleston Manor” project.
Do’s and Don’ts of Wallpaper
DO find something you love & pay for the quality
DON’T do peel & stick unless in a kids room.
DO make sure you get a professional installer to do a take off measurement for you so you order the correct amount of paper.
DON’T install in a bathroom with an open shower if you can commit to leaving the exhaust on for at least 30 minutes after you shower. It will mold.
DO look up the specs, call the company, etc. and make sure it can be applied in the intended location. Some wallpapers are not recommended for certain areas, exterior walls, etc. Do your homework.