patterns elsewhere in the room on cushions, rugs or curtains. Use complementary rather than competing colours and styles. Go for what you love rather than what’s in fashion. A wallpaper that looks great in someone else’s home in an interiors magazine may not suit you or your home. Also consider playing up your wallpaper’s features. If it has sparkly detailing or sheen, position a table lamp or use wall lights so that those elements are highlighted in the evening. Always check your lighting. If you are going for a dark wallpaper, you may need to increase the artificial lighting in the room. Or if you are going for a very bright or light wallpaper, you may need to reduce the brightness of your lighting. What room and how much? The use of the room may affect what design and colour you choose. Are you after a dramatic backdrop to a dining area, or a fun feature for a hallway or child’s room? A wallpaper design can make a living room energising or calming – think about the atmosphere you want to create. Remember to check the suitability of wallpapers you want to use in moist areas like bathrooms and kitchens. Bold wallpapers are perfect for feature walls, where they can be seen in all their glory without overpowering a space, and can be used with complementary Resene colours on the other walls. Or you can use a wallpaper to create a picture rail or dado effect, with Resene paint colours above or below. Wallpaper is also good for smaller areas, like behind a glass splashback, or on a chimney breast. Paper the front of a chest of drawers, or the back of some shelves. You may like to mix and match wallpapers. Many collections come with a range of plainer styles and patterns in a variety of colourways that are designed to go together. You might use a plain wallpaper in the hallway, with a pattern from the same collection in the living room. Wallpaper as a remedy Wallpaper can help to overcome existing problems such as low light levels and less-than-perfect walls. In a hallway or dark room, choose a wallpaper that has sheen, so it will reflect light around the space. Also consider metallic or iridescent designs. Steer away from heavily textured wallpapers, which will appear darker. Textured papers and Anaglyptas are perfect, however, for covering imperfect walls. Heavily patterned wallpapers, or those with a layered design like a floral over a mottled background, will distract your eye from a dodgy substrate. Anaglypta (paintable) wallpapers are the perfect marriage of pattern and palette, especially when finding a wallpaper with the right colour and pattern to match your style or interior has proved difficult. You can even use Anaglypta to mimic pressed-tin ceilings to add character to an older home. Small patterns make a room look larger, while large patterns make a space feel smaller and more intimate. Stripes and vertical patterns make walls appear taller, GP5917 4 |