Why You Should Consider Wallpaper

We love wallpaper here at Marianne Elizabeth Design. But it can be an investment, and has received a bad reputation over the years, so we wanted to share why we love it so much and why we believe it is a worthwhile investment.

Interior design is all about layering. Layering of materials, décor, and furniture is what makes a space interesting, warm, and lively. Wallpaper is one of the ways to bring another layer to a space. It is an opportunity to add additional texture, pattern, and colour. It can achieve a visual impact that adding colour or pattern through a different means just wouldn’t accomplish.  

Not only does wallpaper add additional texture, pattern, and colour, but it also creates a high-end & custom look compared to just a basic painted wall. It can create that “wow” moment that makes a room look amazing, as opposed to something that looks just good. It can create a room that looks much more expensive than it actually is. A phrase you’ll often hear us say is taking a home out of the “builder basic” category and customizing it for you and your family. As designers, it’s our job to create an amazing end result that you couldn’t have come up with on your own, rather than something simply basic!

Wallpaper can also set the mood. Whether you’re going for a calm, elegant space, or a bold and energizing one, wallpaper can play a huge role in achieving that look. Imagine a dining room with a soft grasscloth wallpaper- this would look elegant and serene. Now imagine the same dining room with a bright-coloured jungle-inspired print. That instantly changes the space into a fun and energizing one. So not only does wallpaper help to set the mood, but it sets the tone stylistically as well.

Here are some pictures of a dining room we styled and selected wallpaper for. It added the perfect depth and elegance to this space, and was the best way to add some pattern and colour to this dining room.

In the next photos below is another example of wallpaper setting the tone for the room from our gorgeous Didsbury renovation. The wallpaper perfectly tied together the warm and cool colours of the space. It was the perfect element to bring together the grey cabinetry of the coffee bar with the warm cream linen dining chairs. It also added more elegance to the design, which is exactly what this client was looking for!

Now don’t get me wrong- if wallpaper isn’t in your budget, it doesn’t mean we can’t create a beautiful space for you! There are certainly other ways to add texture, colour, and pattern, as well as other ways to create a “wow” result! We can also consider using wallpaper in a small area such as the nook underneath the stairs, or a wall in the powder room. Even one wall can make a big impact!

Here’s another example from a laundry room and mud room renovation that we did. This wallpaper added a bold colour and tons of texture, without being too busy with the floor tile. Dark navy can act like a neutral colour in many instances, which means it would be easy for these clients to change the colour scheme in here or the decor if they ever wanted to in the future, without having to change the wallpaper. The point I’m trying to make here is that wallpaper can be a timeless element to enjoy for many years; it doesn’t have to be an investment that you may tire of quickly. People often think of wallpaper as something trendy that will soon go out of style, but wallpaper can also be classic, and even subtle!

We typically include wallpaper in most of our designs, and have many more projects on the go that we are excited to share with you in the future! I hope this post provided some insight as to why we think you should always consider wallpaper in your home! To close off this post, I’d like to share one more of our projects featuring wallpaper. Below are a couple images from our Bayview Renovation. The wallpaper is stunning!