Wallpaper has rarely been more popular on the home décor front – and thanks to advanced new materials and print techniques the choice of styles, patterns and colours is practically endless.
One online specialist Wallpaperdirect offers a mind-boggling choice of over 15,000 papers, featuring an A-Z of companies that includes everything from familiar Anaglypta to classic Sanderson and Morris, edgy Jean-Paul Gaultier and designer brands such as Joules, Laura Ashley and Orla Kiely.
On the high street, a similar expansion has happened at most DiY and home decorating stores, where you’ll find stacks of sample books to fire your inspiration with ideas of what you can achieve in your own four walls.
There’s no doubt that a well-chosen wallpaper can transform a room, and one of the easiest ways to venture into the world of wallpaper is to go for a feature wall or two.
For those who might have been living with plain magnolia walls for years, this is by far the least scary approach.
Start extra small with a single alcove or even a panel in wallpaper, or go for the classic chimney breast wall treatment. If your wallpapering skills are a bit rusty or simply not up to scratch, a nice square area such as this should also present less of a challenge. Of course if you are going for a wallpaper design with a repeating pattern, you’ll still need to match up – in which case, be sure to buy a bit more paper than you think you’ll need!
And any paper you happen to have left over needn’t be thrown away. As well as keeping some spare bits for any future repairs, there are also some great creative ways you can use those offcuts and leftovers.
In a bedroom, they can be used to cover a wooden headboard or a plain lampshade, or to create a pretty lining in chests of drawers or wardrobes.
And for craft projects, wallpapers can make the perfect luxury gift wrapping – or can be cut into triangles and strung together with ribbon to make a colourful string of bunting for a celebration event or a child’s bedroom.