If you want to make a unique statement, don't play it safe --go bold. Paint isn't meant to be a permanent fixture and purchasing all new furniture isn't necessary. Punch up your room by reupholstering your existing furniture pieces in rich colors and great patterns. Give old furniture a face-lift with a coat of paint or stain.
Using a dark and bold wallpaper is also a way to make an impact in a room.
If you are nervous about taking the step towards a new dramatic room, a good experimental location is a powder bathroom. In the powder bath below, we used a black and gold geometric print paper. Even though this paper seems dark and a little funky, we kept the traditional style of the home in tact.
When designing a room, don't ignore the ceiling. It's one of the largest surface areas in a room.
Seen here, we used a classic chinoiserie landscape wallpaper in a Beverly Hills pool room.
With such busy walls and so many patterns, it was best to keep things neutral and simple. While painting the ceiling would have been an option here, we opted for a brown grasscloth that compliments the walls and adds both depth and warmth.
Traditional wallpapers can add just as much excitement to a room as modern ones. Sometimes choosing a more traditional wallpaper makes sense based on the overall style of the house. Our Queens Road project has many examples of traditional wallpaper in a refreshing and chic environment. Here are some shots of the living room of that home. We ran the stripes of the wallpaper horizontally to add some interest to the space. The color palette of the wallpaper also compliments the dutch door and the paneling of the wainscoting.
A classic option in wallcoverings are woven collections. There are grasses, silks, and linens of varying textures and patterns. Make sure you get a professional installer to put up the wallpaper, as it's more difficult to hide the seams. These wallcoverings give a room added dimension, texture and warmth that can not be equaled with paint. Here's a sample of a grasscloth wall covering from specialty wallcovering manufacturer Phillip Jeffries Ltd. The minor irregularities add texture and depth to any wall even without artwork!
This hounds tooth wallcovering made out of woven grasscloth contributes to the sophisticated environment of the study in our Queens Road Project. Note that we covered the beams in the fabric also, warming up the space even more.
The natural grasscloth in the living room of the our Nichols Canyon project creats an organic feeling, particularly when combined with the bright white woodwork and the avocado color found on the ceiling and in the rug. The wallpaper works to create a bright and airy space while adding a lot of texture.
For those of you ready to take the next step in design, welcome to the world of wallpaper! There are so many exciting options on the market nowadays that it is hard to know where to begin this conversation. If you want to really dive into wallpaper, don't be afraid of patterns. With so many modern & traditional options, there is definitely something that will look great in your home. If you are afraid of getting tired of the same pattern, think about covering the walls of a powder room or an entry -- small areas that you don't spend a lot of time in, but still give great visual impact. Wallpapering the foyer of a home makes for a dramatic first impression and sets the tone for the rest of the house.
Here are some examples of modern wallpapers that we've used in our projects. They add character that cannot be found in most painted rooms. The bright floral patterned covering was installed in the Beverly Hills home of a young hip couple. It adds depth and is perfect for a homeowner who is looking to seriously spice up the atmosphere of their bathroom!
We installed the geometric patterned wallpaper below in the powder room of our Beverlywood project. It combines rich tones with a distinctive linear theme.
One rule to keep in mind when selecting wallpaper is choosing a material that is appropriate for the space. If there is steam from a shower in a bathroom, do not use typical wallpaper- stick to vinyl variants. There are so many great options in vinyl wallcovering that even the most discriminating buyer won't be disappointed. We used this vinyl wallpaper in the bathroom of a Hollywood Hills project.
We installed this muted but elegant modern wallpaper in the master bathroom of the same project. The material's sheen adds polish and elegance to the sanctuary.
This application really added character to a bathroom in our Beverly Hills project. The pattern's warm golden tones and tight geometric pattern compliment the eclectic decor of the space.
In the guest house dining room of our Hollywood Hills project, we wallpapered only one wall. Since the pattern is very busy, it made sense to not overwhelm the space with four walls of black and white vines.