Go large with wallpaper

Large-scale graphic patterns prove surprisingly versatile in rooms both intimate and grand. Wallpaper let's you take texture, pattern and colour to the next level in one easy step. Armed with a few tips, you yourself can make a difference to how your home looks, feels and appeals to you.

 

If you haven't looked at wallpaper lately, you may be in for a big surprise. Traditional patterns such as geometrics, florals and damasks and scrolls are completely transformed into large graphic scale. This new twist on the classics lends patterns the power to enliven traditional interiors and counterbalance contemporary settings. Similarly, retro-inspired patterns and geometrics in this more exaggerated scale can complement a host of decorating styles beyond tried-and-true modern.

Wallpaper in a large scale adds an element of surprise and drama to any room and many of these bold designs are actually taking the place of artwork to make a statement on their own.

If you've decided on a monochromatic colour scheme in order to make a small room seem larger, a monochromatic scheme will help you to achieve this effect, and adding more lighting will also help your space appear larger. Adding patterns and textures with wallpaper is an easy way to add interest and give your room some depth. Wallpaper, in monochromatic colours - move the eye around the room by breaking up the monotomy, adding character.

The key to keeping the tasteful, understated feel of a monochromatic room while updating with wallpaper, is to make sure the wallpaper harmonises with the existing decor in a room. For example, if your decor is country cottage, look for wallpaper designs that work well with this theme.

Wallpaper in large graphic print and soft palettes are of course the safest - especially in a bedroom - and while the latest oversized prints can look fabulous in both small and large rooms, the secret is to stick to a subtle design or one in soft colours if your room is compact, as this will stop the wallpaper from being overpowering.

Balance a strong floral print with lots of plain fabrics. Nature-inspired design can certainly be soothing, sedate and traditional, but a plethora of new products and techniques is also bringing the bold, bright and fun side of nature indoors. Whether it’s a throw pillow that looks like birch bark or a full wall mural of green bamboo, nature’s brighter side is spicing up modern decor.

Geometrics have come a long way since they were first popular in the 1960s and 1970s. To recreate that look, go for wallpapers in browns, oranges and greens. Yellow can be a great idea for a study, a guest room or a kitchen, but choose your lighting with care.

Use soft yellow lighting in rooms with green or yellow, as white lights may make them look harsh or sickly. Include the colour and type of flooring you already have into your equation, a wallpaper with yellow or green tints would be great with a wooden finish or white marble floor, but with a red mosaic floor it can look ghastly.

Wherever possible, try to mimic the design of a graphic wallpaper in your furniture. For example: If you've got curvaceous lines within your wallpaper design, match it with curvy accessories, but keep the colour scheme simple.

Red walls look awesome with contemporary furnishings. A bold red wall in your living room would do very well to give a vibrant accent to the other pale cream or white walls - or in this case a facebrick wall.

For a contemporary look and feel go with solid blacks, creams and browns in the latest designer furniture and add a few shiny silver accessories or picture frames, or crystal and glass vases to add an extra dash of exotic colour and translucence. The idea is not to have too much of red, use it only to underline your vibrant, postmodern personality.

All wallpapers feature supplied by Decor Wallpapers.