Wallpapering is not for wimps. It takes guts to select a bold pattern, hang it evenly, and then live with it year after year. Wallpaper can’t be easily replaced, since it can be quite costly to remove.

By contrast, most house paint is simple and subdued, quietly accenting any room of the house--but wallpaper is adventurous, possibly because you're always dealing with a pattern and trying to ensure you'll master it before it masters you. The art of papering involves decisions based on pattern, colors, coordination, theme, and design or style.

If you would like to experiment with wallpaper decorating, start with a small project. Check with a home fashion sales assistant to be sure you have all the supplies you need to hang the paper properly. If your walls have old paper on them, you’ll need to remove this first by applying steam or chemicals, neither of which is an easy chore. Then be careful when moistening pre-pasted wallpaper to avoid getting it on the furnishings or walls, and to be sure the strips are hung straight. Clean up promptly to avoid a mess.

Choose a simple design and wallpaper an out-of-the-way place, like a closet. You can pretty much do whatever you wish in the way of selecting a pattern with an array of colors to brand your closet as a unique creation of your own making. Then, if for some reason it doesn't turn out, no one will notice but you.

To go “public” with wallpaper art, pick out a subtle ceiling border to line walls that have been painted. The border should coordinate the paint hues with the wallpaper pattern, especially if you plan to use the same or similar wallpaper in another room.

The next step might be to wallpaper a partial wall or a nook somewhere in the house. For example, you might decide to paper below the wainscoted in your dining room, leaving the top half paneled or painted. Or you could wallpaper the strip of wall above the kitchen cupboards, the pantry, or a storage area in the basement. As you grow more experienced and confident with your decorating style, you will be ready to tackle larger wallpapering projects, like the bedroom or living room.

If you're still apprehensive about papering an entire wall, why not try one wall at first? Choose the one that will provide a colorful backdrop to the rest of the room, not stick out as a sore thumb. Trim the other walls with a decorative ceiling border that links with the wallpaper pattern.

Finally, when you're ready to plaster an entire room with your favorite floral or geometric print, keep in mind that it's going to be there a long time. Don't put up anything too bright or elaborate, as you may regret it later. Go for a cheerful look, not one that is overpowering. Look for colors that blend with the rest of the house and your furnishings. Wallpaper, like facial cosmetics, should whisper, not scream.

Decorating with wall coverings lets you have fun while using your imagination. Just don't get carried away!

Written by Rose Halas - © 2002 Pagewise