Wallpaper can dramatically change the mood of a room and there are so many choices that sometimes it can be daunting to know where to start. So let’s begin by asking a few simple questions
What will the room be used for ?
How do you want to feel in the space ?
How often is the room used / How long will you spend in there ?
What direction does the room face, North, South, East or West ?
How much light does the room get ?
What kind of person are you ?
The flow from room to room.
What else is in the room ?
The use of the room is important, bathroom, nursery, zoned area for working, eating, breakfast nook etc.
A study area probably requires a quiet wallpaper, something which won’t distract you from your thoughts. Whereas a kitchen could be more of a talking point, perhaps a sunny yellow feature wall or breakfast nook.
Consider whether the pattern compliments the use of the room. This could also be influenced by what the room looks out onto, a bedroom overlooking the garden would look stunning with a floral or leafy wallpaper. Or perhaps you fancy lying back in a bath soaking up memories of the seaside with our Harbour or Rockpools wallpapers
Whether you want to feel invigorated or calm is an important decision. Will it be a dark and moody hallway or a sweet and pretty nursery ?
Think about how you want the ambience of the room to be, relaxing, energising, moody, sexy, peaceful, fun, groovy. The atmosphere can be changed as much with colour and lighting as pattern.
In a downstairs loo you can huge fun creating something bonkers as the time spent in there is far less than most areas of the house. However if you’re choosing a design for bedroom you would probably choose something pretty and soothing.
It’s worth considering what you can see through the open doorway and whether you want each room to have a completely different vibe, or to create flow which will feel more harmonious as you move from room to room. For example, a bedroom wallpapered in Birdsong /Linen leading through to a bathroom wallpapered in Henley / Buttercup, continuing the warm yellow and neutral theme, compatible colours without being too coordinating, thus creating an easy transition.
Natural light can have a huge affect on the mood of a room, and it’s really worth considering this as you make colour choices. It is also important to consider when you will be using the room. For example if you are going to be in an East facing room mostly in the morning, it would most likely benefit from light bright colours. However if you are going to be cozying down in a West facing room in the evening then a darker, warm, rich colour might be more suitable.
A North facing room receives no direct sun so warm colours are very important to prevent it feeling cool or sad. Choose pinks, reds, or yellows.
East facing catches the morning sunshine, a warm, bright, light colour will reflects this and lift your mood first thing in the morning.
West facing rooms can take a cooler perhaps darker colour echoed by the rich warmer tones of evening and the setting sun.
Whereas a South facing room, bathed in sunshine can take almost any colour. Have fun and experiment with this room.
A room with no natural light is completely dependent on artificial light, spotlights, table lamps and discreet lighting ( for example under shelves or hidden alcoves ). However ensure that you also consider whether you are choosing warm white or cool white bulbs or LEDs for these spaces.
As every room is different, the most important thing is to send for samples and try them out in the room, checking at every time of day, morning, midday and evening to see how the light affects them.
Is the room overlooked by trees or shaded by other buildings ? In which case you would need to consider strategic lighting. A dark room doesn’t necessarily need a pale wallpaper. A dark wallpaper in a dark hallway with spotlights on pictures or pretty table lamps on a console, can be truly stunning.
Are you an extrovert who loves bright colours or an introvert who loves to curl up in a quiet corner with a book. Often the colours we like to wear are an indication of how we like to decorate our spaces. If you are someone who feels most comfortable in pale grey cashmere then you’re probably not going to choose a Barbie pink for your décor, so take a look at our Neutrals page.
Unless you are starting completely from scratch, you might have furniture, pictures and curtains etc which live in the room. Consider which of these you love and then perhaps take inspiration from a painting or a cushion. Plan your décor. Pull pages out of magazines, create a moodboard, look for ideas on Pinterest and remember no choice is the wrong choice. This is your space, forget trends and fashions, you are going to live with this, so choose something which makes you happy. Often our gut tells us immediately what we love.
