Because color alone can’t bring every space in a home to life, interior designers look beyond paint swatches and incorporate elements like texture, pattern and depth when decorating. One of the easiest ways to wrap those design qualities together while creating a focal point and adding character is to use wallpaper. That’s why many designers featured in NJ Home often have wallpaper ideas on their concept boards.
The best part about today’s wallpapers is that it doesn’t resemble the ones our parents used. Thanks to modern materials, wallpaper is easier to clean, maintain—and remove when you ultimately want a change. And there’s no doubt every homeowner can find a design to fit his or her personality. For instance, Sian Zeng, a London-based wallcovering studio, recently unveiled a whimsical line of wallpaper murals called Swan Lake, named after—and inspired by—the Tchaikovsky ballet. The younger set can get into the act too: Carter & Main’s “Color It Yourself” wallpaper, which allows kids to fill in black and white spaces with their favorite colors, is perfect for those decorating a nursery or playroom.
If you’re thinking about wallpaper in your home but aren’t quite sure which patterns or where it will work, take a look at these 10 examples—each featured in NJ Home—for a little inspiration.
In An Entryway
This Morristown home was filled with playful patterns, including zebra stripes for the main stairway runner. Karla Trincanello of Interior Decisions in Florham Park selected wallpaper to match the theme. Photo by Wing Wong Memories.
Inspired by the homeowner’s love for art, Red Bank-based designer James Yarosh went with a bright pop of color and coral design for the entryway of this apartment. Photo by Patricia Burke.
Visitors of this coastal Lavallette home designed by Miriam Silver Verga and Hillary Kaplan of Mimi & Hill in Westfield are greeted by beloved crustaceans on the bright coral-colored wallpaper. Photo by Toni Deis.
In A Living Room
For this living room in Monroe, House of Style & Design’s Yelena Gerts of Holmdel chose wallpaper with pattern and texture to create visual interest. Photo by Marco Ricca.
In A Dining Room
Designer Jill Raskin of New York City-based Flatiron27 used a neutral colored wallpaper in this Tenafly dining room to add subtle texture, ensuring that elements like artwork, ceiling beams and a large light fixture are the main focal points. Photo by Raquel Langworthy.
Noting a Saddle River homeowner’s penchant for wildlife, Silhouette Studio’s Robyn Stevens found this playful yet elegant wallpaper for the formal dining room. The neutral colors and depictions of plant and wildlife adds to the overall sophisticated vibe. Photo by SGM Photography.
In A Powder Room
Karla Trincanello of Interior Decisions added the Midas touch to this Morristown bathroom, using striped wallpaper to complement the gold accents. Photo by Wing Wong Memories.
This Little Falls powder room is a work of art thanks in part to the patterned wallpaper selected by Cooper Interiors’ Pam Cooper in Watchung. Photo by Vic Wahby.
The designers—Rosario Mannino, Zack Dettmore and Jaclyn Isaac—carried the black-and-white motif of this Rutherford home into the bathroom. The dragonflies and flowers add a whimsical touch to the walls. Photo by Chris Veith.
In A Home Office
Designer Pamela Cooper of Cooper Interiors selected a blue-and-white wallcovering to match the color scheme used in a Sparta home office. Photo by Vic Wahby.