Wild for Wallpaper

My Childhood Bedroom

Growing up in a bedroom like this, it seems I was destined to either abhor or adore wallpaper. During my wild youth, it was the former, and I tacked up posters and ironic velvet paintings in an effort to cover the pattern (Ha! Nice try, younger me). But as I have gotten older, it has turned to the latter, and now I am a certified wallpaperphile. I love an all-over floral pattern, a bold stripe, or even a modern trellis. If it wouldn't seriously lower the value of our apartment (and likely give us both chronic headaches), I would plaster it up in every room in the place. As it is, we have wallpaper in the "master" bedroom, and I have been on a nine-month search for the right one for our entry hallway. Wallpapers can be expensive, but a little goes a long way- try papering just one wall in a room, your half bath (don't wallpaper a room with a shower or bath) or the inside of a closet. Make sure you request a sample and tape it to your wall for a while before you buy- you might be surprised (pleasantly or otherwise) by the scale or colors when you seen them in context.
Here is a great wallpaper calculator from Lowe's to help you figure out how much you'll need to buy (make sure you account for the length of the repeat on a big pattern, and be sure to find out from the seller whether they are selling single or double rolls).
You can relatively easily put up a small pattern or stripe yourself, but if your walls are tricky (lots of windows), or you are using a large pattern, you should hire a pro, which isn't too expensive (I found my guy on Craig's List).
Many of the designers of the most beautiful wallpapers only sell to the trade, meaning that if you aren't working with a decorator you are simply out of luck. But I have found some sneaky ways to get around those rules, and some websites that sell gorgeous papers to regular Joes like us. Wallpaper to the people!

Beautiful Wallpaper Sites:
Walnut Wallpaper
Farrow & Ball
Pierre Deux
Cole and Son
Ferm Living

Vintage Wallpapers:
Secondhand Rose
Hannah's Treasures

Designer Wallpapers to the Public:
Eades Wallpaper
Decorator's Best
Discount Decorator
Decorati.com
Designer Fabrics Outlet