Trick your eyes with wallpaper

Do you have a room at home that feels small and narrow? Or does a space appear too big and impersonal? Wallpaper can help you camouflage these problems. Here's how:

Narrow room: A horizontally striped wallpaper will visually broaden the room. The horizontal line will also "bring down" a high ceiling.

Low ceiling: Pick a wallpaper with vertical lines to make the ceiling seem higher.

Oddly-shaped room: A patterned wallpaper, like a floral, will remove attention from strange angles and odd shapes in a room. It will also hide imperfect walls.

Small room: Classic design theories call for small patterns in small rooms. However, many designers today claim that big design motifs visually expand a room.

Make a narrow room seem 

wider with horizontal stripes.

Colours: A light-coloured wallpaper will make a small room seem bigger, and a darker wallpaper will make it seem smaller. If you like a dark shade but want to prevent the room from looking to sombre, pick a wallpaper with a nice sheen. It will reflect some light into the room.

Big, impersonal room: Try a wallpaper with a big pattern in a darker, warm colour and with a rough texture. This will visually make the walls "come closer" and create a more cozy feeling.

The sheen and vertical pattern of 

this wallpaper make it a good 

candidate for a smaller space

with a low ceiling.

A floral or any other patterned wallpaper

will camouflage imperfect and oddly-shaped

walls.

Hello spring, hello wallpaper!

Speak about drama! This large damask pattern 

from Graham & Brown looks amazing coupled 

with coloured glass. 

Welcome spring into your home with cheery wallpaper! I've said it before and I'll say it again: one papered wall is all you need for a dramatic effect.

If you are still unsure if wallpaper is for you, try it in a small space or in a room that you don't use so often, like a hallway or your dining room. Don't go bold if you don't want to. Subtle is also fine. Believe me, there are papers out there for all tastes!

Next week I'll tell you how you can visually change the dimensions of a room with wallpaper. In the meantime, I hope these fresh, clean designs, as seen at Stradwick's and Stewart's in North Bay, will inspire you to take the leap!

This blue-and-white interior with a slightly cottagy feel 

just screams spring! Clarke & Clarke Viva Collection.

And here is the same paper in

warm citrus and grey.

Who says wallpapers are old fashioned? 

Big patterns, especially, have a decidedly 

modern vibe, like this black-and-beige 

floral from Clarke & Clarke's Showstoppers 

collection. 

The same paper in lovely, spring-like colours.

Another blue-and-white paper with a pale 

summer look. Clarke & Clarke's Showstopper

collection.

And here's the same paper in a more contrasting

colour combination. 

For all lovers of pink...

This is a completely different kind of paper,

very graphic and stark. Clarke & Clarke 

Viva collection.

If you prefer a more subtle paper, this

beige on beige with lots of sheen is an

elegant alternative. The paper will be

more or less apparent depending on the

lighting conditions. Graham & Brown.

The same paper in a beautiful turquoise 

and beige combination.

Creating happy rooms for kids

Make your kids' room a happy place, one they will want to spend a lot of time in. Focus on soft, light wall colours, lots of baskets and storage for all their projects and toys, and a desk for school work. Try wallpaper or a mural on one accent wall for a splash of colour. These cheery motifs are from the company 4walls' kids' portfolio, carried by Stewart's in North Bay. They are sure to trigger the imagination and up the fun factor for young family members!

A little “wow” goes a long way

In this display, the mirror and the 

downlights enhance the main piece 

of the room, the couch, which acts

as the focal point.

.

Every room needs a highlight that the eye is drawn to, a focal point. Some rooms have one naturally. It can be an impressive fireplace, a beautiful view, or an architectural detail. 

Other rooms lack a natural focus and need help. They need something that attracts attention. It doesn’t have to be complex or expensive, just something that creates interest.

Adding a spectacular plant, a gallery of photos or an oversized mirror over the main piece of furniture, are examples of relatively simple ways to "up" the “wow" factor. More ambitious plans include covering the walls in wainscotting or wallpaper (check out previous postings), improving the illumination through downlights, or painting one wall a different colour. 

If you are lucky enough to have a room with a natural focus-of-attention, make sure that it sets the tone for the rest of the room. Accentuate it! Choose colours, furniture and accessories that mix well, and don’t compete, with this special feature. Arrange your furniture in such a way that it enhances the attraction. 

In a future blog, I’ll talk about how you can create focal points in different rooms. In the meantime, I'd love to hear your "focal-point stories". How are you enhancing the beauty of your rooms?

Papers with punch

My heart skipped a beat and I felt completely exhilarated when I stumbled upon Amy Butler’s inspiring wallpapers at Stewart’s Decorating. How contemporary, lighthearted and fun! Yes, they are bold (too bold some of you might say). But sometimes bold is exactly what a room needs. Put it in the front hallway for a cheery welcome to visiting friends. Or use it to add drama in an otherwise neutral space. Since the patterns are big and colourful, one wall with any of these papers is often enough. Keep the rest of the décor simple and clean, without any competing patterns. Match the papers with white or any of the colours represented in the patterns. I feel happy just thinking about it. How about you?

Look for this wallpaper book at Stewart's Decorating. It contains a happy treasure. Read more about Amy Butler at http://www.amybutlerdesign.com and see her complete wallpaper collection at http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/products/wallpaper_detail.php.

Cottage-style wallpapers

If you want to change the look of a room but don’t know exactly how, take a look at wallpaper. Wallpaper provides texture, depth and adds interest. It also helps you determine the colour scheme of the room.

Wallpaper comes in many colours, patterns and styles. The following samples, for example, are excellent choices for a cottage-style home. The price range is $30 to $70 per single roll. I found them at Stradwick's.

This wallpaper would look good with beadboard or wainscotting in a soft grey. Add red accents and you have a winner! Crown Wallpaper + Fabrics.

Blue and white is a classic colour combination for cottage style. Complement the paper with blues in any shade, bright blue if you want a bit of a modern twist. White furniture will bring crispness to the room. Or throw in the odd chair in a cheery yellow for some fun! Crown Wallpaper + Fabrics.

This dramatic Arts and Crafts-inspired wallpaper would also work in a contemporary environment. You might choose to cover only one wall with the paper and make it into a feature wall. The pattern has a lot of black in it, so choose lighter colours for furniture and accessories. Red wooden chairs would look fantastic in a room with this wallpaper. Crown Wallpaper + Fabrics.

I envision both of the wallpapers above in a powder room or in a feminine bedroom. Checked upholstery would add to the cottage feel. Crown Wallpaper + Fabrics.

Yellow, orange, pink, green or white - take your pick! Any of these colours will work with this delicate small print. Pelican Small Prints.