Brace yourself: Wallpaper is making a comeback.

Gone are the muted florals and swirly borders that were popular during your grandmother’s time. Today’s wallpaper is edgy, colorful and bold. Improvements in materials and supplies have opened an incredible new world.

Shoppers are not the typical established customers. Rather, they are 20- and 30-somethings looking for something fun and trendy.

“The European designs are made for a younger crowd and have been a huge hit, since a lot of them are buying their first homes,” says Maggie McCormick at Ketch Design Center, 1000 NW 44. “The colors are absolutely dynamic. You are getting lime greens, crisp white, hot pinks. Not the hunter greens and mauve.”

Business is brisk.

“We are constantly doing wallpaper orders,” she says. “People are doing inside bookshelves or any other places they can give little spots of colors.”

WALLFLOWER NO MORE
No surprise, then, that today’s homeowner has a wide array to choose from when searching for the perfect match. All types are “in,” including textured, grass cloth, embossed paper and patterned wallpapers.

While a patterned paper might not work, textured and embossed offer a terrific way to gain visual attention. Textured means it continues throughout the roll, whether a simple brushstroke on vinyl or a herringbone pattern in a grass cloth paper. Embossed patterns create a subtle, visually interesting space that can be formal or informal.

Bling is also big, with foils, crystals, glass beads and metal ornamentation adorning blue, turquoise, pink, copper, silver, platinum, gold, bronze, neutral and subdued colors.

Fortunately, designers such as Cynthia Swinehart with Design Concepts, 7700 N Hudson, help guide the way. She notes that wallpaper is a powerful decorating tool that can really set a room’s tone.

“Wallpaper allows one to make a personal statement,” Swinehart says. “For example, a hunter of big game (could) use a faux, crocodile-stamped vinyl wall covering on the walls to display trophies or possibly a faux, full-quill ostrich on the walls. A woman could use a hat-and-shoe paper for her closet.”

Long ago, such hidden areas may have escaped the interior decorator. Now, consumers are shifting what they do at home. She has observed a definite rise in the number of projects in less-popular locales such as a utility room, powder bath, entry hall and kitchen.

ROOM TO GROW
The project, whether it’s done throughout the entire space or maybe an accent wall, can immediately alter the room’s mood.

To create the right atmosphere and have it come together correctly, it’s important to evaluate a few things in advance. Take into account what the space is used for, its type of traffic flow, the age of occupants and its lighting.

Experts say it is important to consider the proportion of the room in relation to the patterns under consideration. Dark-colored wallpapers add drama to a space and tend to make it feel cozy, anchoring furniture and accessories. In contrast, lighter wallpapers help open a space, and are great to reflect light for reading, sewing, cooking and other tasks. Consider the room’s existing patterns of drapery, rugs and furniture.

Another way to enhance space is papering the ceiling, often considered the fifth wall. In recent years, designers have noticed that new homes are constructed with taller ceilings, which yields a creative opportunity.

“If you paper a tall ceiling, it draws the eye upward, defines the ceiling and any architectural elements,” says Swinehart. “It definitely would add visual interest, as well as add height to the ceiling.”

To calculate the number of rolls one needs to paper a room is fairly simple. McCormick says to take the room’s total square footage and divide it by 22. Orders are placed in either American or European rolls; American rolls are ordered in pairs.

Finally, consider hiring a professional installer who can ensure the walls are cleaned and prepared properly before hanging. If not, any imperfections most likely will show through. Additionally, the walls should be sealed, so when it comes time to change the wallpaper, it removes effortlessly.

“Do-it-yourselfers should limit the wallpaper hanging to very small jobs,” Swinehart says. “The best way to find a wallpaper professional is to ask an interior designer, friends, neighbors.”

Avoid a paper jam by noting the keys to a successful project:
• Know the room size
• Have a preference in style
• Have an idea about colors

• Develop a budget

Photos/Mark Hancock