Home Decorating Wallpaper
A Personal Design Choice

Home decorating wallpaper was originally made to emulate the early designs of tapestries giving it historical relevance, but making a comeback for today's home fashions with the vast array of artistic designs and contemporary color palettes.

Some designs are classics and may be familiar.

• The damask, which was derived from the fabric with the same name, is typically characterized by having the motif, like an acanthus leaf, perfectly balanced and being repeated to form the pattern.
• Oriental patterns imitate the favorite motifs found in art of China and the Far East often using floras and stylized birds.
• Crewel designs reflect English Country with bold embroidery and East Indian renditions of the Tree of Life.
• Documentary designs are based on old paper documents with the best being known as the Toile de Jouy. The toile design is named for the region in France where fabrics of this type were manufactured in the late 18th century and romantically depict pastoral landscapes populated with either animals or people in period dress.
• Paisley designs were inspired by the organic shapes woven into woolen shawls in the 17th century.

Early home decorating wallpaper was made of real materials including grass cloth, burlap, silk, and linen.

The modern and sophisticated printing techniques of today replicate those materials and numerous other textures and patterns on either paper or vinyl for an easier application.

But wallpaper is not really made of paper at all or at least very rarely. The more popular types of paper are made of vinyl, are long lasting and come in three variations.

Fabric-backed vinyl has a vinyl top layer over fiberglass or cloth. It can be scrubbed, but the material is heavy and usually doesn't come pre pasted.

Paper backed vinyl is lighter so it is typically pre pasted and washable.

Vinyl coated paper is inexpensive and not as durable as fabric or paper backed. It tears easily and doesn't hold up to dirt and stains, even natural oils from your hands.

Other types of home decorating wallpaper include:

Foil will make a room appear larger. Using foil paper the walls need to be absolutely smooth, otherwise any surface imperfection will be magnified. First use a liner paper to help avoid this. Also avoid using foil paper in a sunny room because it may result in a glare, but if your room is dark it can be a cheery solution.

Foil paper is delicate and difficult to handle so it really should be installed by a professional.

Flocked paper was popularized in the 18th century. It has a raised "fuzzy" pattern that resembles cut velvet and works well in a traditional room or with period style furniture. It can be used to camouflage wall imperfections but use sparingly since it is so ornate.

Natural coverings include grass cloth, hemp and other natural weaves. They do bring a nice texture to a room but are delicate and could fray. They should also be used with a liner and installed by a professional.

Home decorating wallpaper can add a dimension to a room making it look bigger, smaller, taller or cozy and highlight the room's best features by drawing attention to them or downplay the room's problem areas.

• Add the illusion of height in rooms with low ceilings with vertical stripes by drawing the eye upward.
• The best way to achieve a feeling of spaciousness is with light or neutral colors, and dark colors add drama to a room.
• Give a long room the perception of being more square by using a warm dark color on the short end of the room to visually draw the room closer and a light color on the long side so they will recede and seem farther apart.
• Pastel colors broaden a room and make the expanse of a wall seem larger.
• Remember scale and proportion of patterns in relation to the room but there is no rule that says you can't use a large pattern in a small room.
• Widely spaced patterns with lots of white space in between give an open airy feeling to a room.
• Large scale and all over floras make a definite statement, one of elegance and formality.
• Small prints create a cozy and intimate atmosphere.

Because of the infinite number of colors, patterns and textures to choose from, home decorating wallpaper can be affordable, stylish and durable and have a place in every room of the house.

• Durability should be a factor in areas of the home that get a lot of use like the kitchen dictating washable and wear friendly wall coverings.
• The choice of designs for kitchen wallpaper is usually determined by the style of the cabinetry and should be washable.
• In the bedrooms, powder rooms and a home office you can relax your choices a little because these rooms are exposed to less to wear.
• Small powder rooms can take large scale designs, on the ceiling as well as the walls to create a tremendous impact.
• Relaxing bedroom patterns could be some cool restful floral or simple stripes in the blues, greens, yellows, or pinks.
• In homes with separate dining and living rooms the wall coverings can be totally different to define the rooms but need to tie into the foyer or hallway that connects the two to coordinate visually and flow through the rest of the home.
• The family room wants to be more conservative because this where most of the time is spent.
• Children's rooms are a great place to use wallpaper. Pick a durable paper with visual learning aids combined in the design, and anything that ignites the imagination.

Showcase your individuality by choosing a home decorating wallpaper that is totally suited to you, just be sure to bring home samples of any home decorating wallpaper samples you may be considering before making your final decision. Just like with your home decor fabrics your wall coverings will be affected in your own lighting.

You might want to buy one roll at first and try a few lengths taped to wall to live with for a few days. This will give you a realistic feel for what the room will look like. Check them at different times of the day and night. It is worth the small investment for the price of one roll of paper to be safe in case you don't like it.

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