Wall to Wall - The Incredible Versatility of Wallpaper

Graphic wallpaper dining room from Houz

Wallpaper is back with a vengeance.  No longer do you have to settle for your grandma's flowered wallpaper...which, by the way, is now back in vogue.  However, there is a whole new world of wallpaper that can suit any style, price point, or genre.

I understand why people would shy away from wallpaper.  One of my personal issues was its permanency.  You can say that I have a commitment phobia.  If you ever have taken old wallpaper off walls, you'll understand.  I'm not ashamed to say that removing wallpaper has brought me to tears.

About 10 years ago I was involved in a secret mission to sneak into my girlfriend's home while she was away for a conference and remodel her dated 1970s bedroom.  It was orchestrated by her mother and two sisters and we had five days to get it done.

The bedroom was on the top floor of an old, beautiful Arts and Crafts home and featured gabled ceilings which were quite attractive.  What was not attractive was the massive amounts of harvest green and orange flower wallpaper that covered every inch of every wall.  If that wasn't bad enough, it had matching curtains that ran across a large window.  It took four people three days to get the wallpaper down, patch, and paint.  That old wallpaper was literally glued to plaster walls.  It was a nightmare realized.  When the room was finished, we matted and framed a scraped piece of that wallpaper as proof of our undying love for her.

How is today's wallpaper different? Well, there are three main factors: it goes up and comes down easier, and there is more versatility and options in terms of design.

Today's wallpaper is not just paper glued to walls.  The coatings on today's wallpaper are laminates made of latex or vinyl which make the paper durable and "strippable."  It also has additives that help with the wallpaper's ease of handling, opacity, and "drapeability."  As a result, you get a wallpaper that is easier to apply and take down.  So if you want to wallpaper your ceiling just for fun, go right ahead.  

Duet Design Group, Denver Co.

Wallpaper isn't just for walls. I've lined drawers, china cabinets with it, and even placed it on top of tables.

Wallpapered table top at The Humble Home

You can add wallpaper anywhere you would like to incorporate a little pizzazz.

As for as wallpaper's permanency, that too is a thing of the past.  Popular removable wallpaper is readily available and at very reasonable prices.  Even Target carries several styles with matching paints.  So if you are like me and suffer from wallpaper commitment, there is now a remedy.  

Foret Noire wallpaper designed by Nathalie Le'te'