How to Pick the Perfect Wallpaper - Gardenista
As a girl, I was obsessed with wallpaper. The Flanagans down the street had flocked wallpaper in a powder room, and when I babysat, I would stroke its plush surface—”très chic,” to borrow a phrase from the Harlequin Romances to which I was addicted. Photograph by Michelle Slatalla. Farrow & Ball’s Wisteria BP2213; $295 a roll. Then we asked a photo retoucher to Photoshop five different wallpaper patterns onto the wall (see below). It turns out that wallpaper experts know important secrets to choosing the right pattern for a bathroom; I phoned Cindy Weil, owner of SF-based Wallpaper Collective, for the inside scoop. Vote for Farrow & Ball Wisteria below if you like this one best. “Let’s say the average American-size roll is 27 inches wide and on a small wall, you’re using two panels side by side,” says Weil. 2: If you like this pattern best, vote for Jocelyn Warner Wisteria Turquoise; $142 a roll from Wallpaper Collective. The Secret to Using a Pattern With a Big Repeat: You can get away with it if the design is very compact horizontally. 3: If you like this pattern best, vote for Sandberg’s Edgar Light Blue. When to Wallpaper the Ceiling Too: “It works best if you have molding to separate the wall and the ceiling,” says Weil. If you like this pattern best, vote for La Cage Midnight on White Mylar; $255 a roll from Wallpaper Collective. Most people don’t have the guts for it, but it can be just great with the right fixtures.” If you like this pattern best, vote for Farrow & Ball Rosslyn BP 1908; it’s $255 a roll. A reflective paper will pick up light. Have I overlooked anything? If you’re reading this, I just want to say you were right: the red-and-white flocked paper would have looked like a bordello. Photograph by Michelle Slatalla.