Interiors
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By Katherine Sorrell
Adorn your Walls Transform bland and boring into bold and beautiful with gorgeous wallpaper While painted walls are undoubtedly quick, cheap and easy to achieve, there are times when only something more elaborate will properly enhance your home’s interior scheme. Wallpaper is fashionable, fun and creates a fabulously individual effect, whether in a boldly coloured, modern, abstract design or a pretty, chintzy, traditional style. A World of Choice There is a huge amount of wallpaper choice out there, including not only conventional, machineprinted designs, but also natural woven fibres, light-reflecting metallics and waterproof vinyls. For something a little out of the ordinary, you could look for hand-finished papers that feature cutwork, stitching or appliqué, interactive papers that you can colour in or add stickers to, traditionally hand-blocked papers (pricey but stunning), threedimensional designs incorporating crystals, beading, sequins or tiny LED lights, digitally printed papers made to your own design and even magnetic wallpapers that work as a noticeboard.
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Choosing Pattern and Style The usual advice is to pick a wallpaper pattern that suits the size of the room. On the other hand, it’s possible to play with scale and create a dramatic effect by using an oversized pattern in a small space. When choosing a small pattern, try standing back and looking at it from a distance – you may find that it blends into one overall colour. Textured wallpapers – such as flock or natural fibres – add a lovely, tactile element, while metallic papers are sophisticated and great for reflecting light, but are best used only where the wall beneath is very smooth and flat. For bathrooms and kitchens, choose a moisture-resistant, wipe-clean wallpaper, and avoid using papers directly around the bath, shower or sink – though it may be possible to use wallpaper as a splashback, protected with a wellsealed sheet of acrylic or glass. If you’re worried about wallpaper becoming overwhelming, just cover one wall (this saves money, too) as a ‘feature wall’ – usually this is the wall that
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