Once upon a time, everyone was painting the walls of their home magnolia. Over the past few years, wallpaper has made a huge comeback. Here are 7 ideas that we’ve come up with for creative ways in which to use vintage and retro wallpaper.
Paper a whole room or feature wall
Papering all four walls vertically from ceiling to floor is the usual method of putting up wallpaper – and that might be the right solution for your decorative transformation. However, you could also consider hanging lengths at unusual angles to each other to devise new designs, shapes and perspectives. Or what about juxtaposing two or more different wallpapers to create interesting and unusual colour combinations, patterns and textures?
If you’ve had your eye on an extravagant wallpaper that you think you could never afford, remember, a little could go a long way. Buy a single roll to use on a feature wall… or ceiling. In addition, completely wallpapering a small room such as a cloakroom or loft room – walls, ceiling and all – can create a stunning impact; you could make it feel like being inside a secret world.
Decorate stair risers
A stair riser is the vertical surface between one step and the next. They’re usually overlooked as an area that you can customise. However, amazing results can be achieved by applying wallpaper to these vertical surfaces. It’s quirky and eye-catching – and can truly transform a hall space or corridor.
Personalise furniture
Fancy giving an old piece of furniture a bit of a boost? There are lots of items around the home that can be improved by a little wallpaper makeover; a wardrobe, chest of drawers, headboard or lampshade. Work carefully to ensure a super neat finish for the most professional and impressive results.
Line kitchenettes & cabinets
And following on from customising the exterior of furniture, don’t forget about the possibilities when it comes to the interior too – think nice lining of a jacket! The inside of cupboard doors – and the base of shelves & drawers are the most usual place to start. Or perhaps you have a cutlery tray, bread bin or storage box that might benefit from a bit of decoration too.
Wall collage
Buy a selection of samples, cut them into various shapes and sizes and adhere them to the wall. Coordinate or clash patterns in your collage. You might go for a seemingly random, abstract design – or perhaps you’d prefer long strips of uniform sized pieces. Whatever your ideas, this decorative idea allows for some real personal creativity.
Cover books and boxes etc
Magazine holders, box files and ring binders can be fairly boring and practical home office storage solutions. Inject some character by wrapping them in pretty wallpaper – perhaps colour coordinating them with the rest of your room’s décor. You could also customise your diary, re-cover hardback books, upcycle shoe boxes and so on.
Put it in a frame
Some wallpapers are like works of art, so elevate them to that position. You can create unique, custom-made artworks simply by framing one or more wallpaper samples – or applying to a wall and constructing an in-situ frame around them. As with the feature wall idea, framing might also be the perfect answer if you really love a wallpaper design, but aren’t sure if you could live with the whole room being papered – or if budget dictates that only a single roll of luxury wallpaper is within reach.
