Wallpaper Ideas

Shari Hiller offers tips for using wallpaper in unexpected ways and places.

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Filed under: Wallpaper removal, Wallpaper

Figure A

Mount a treetop wallpaper border along a baseboard to create the illusion of living above the trees. If necessary, hide repetitive or upside down shapes/images with sections of leaves cut from another part of the paper. Hang a section four to eight inches above the baseboard to add height to the trees and overlap sections to make the design more full and interesting.

Figure B

Hide the distinct lines along seams that sometimes show up once the paper dries with a coordinating border to create a striped effect. Augment the look by adding strips of the border within the width of the paper.

Figure C

Try cutting out elements from a patterned wallpaper or border and pasting them creatively on the walls in a room. These goldfish are much happier swimming in such a large pool rather than being confined to a border.

Figure D

Order a couple of different coordinating papers to create interesting combinations that resemble checkerboards, quilts or puzzles. Try something inside a border area trimmed with molding or even as a design in the middle of a wall as if it were a hanging fabric quilt.

If existing wallpaper cannot be removed, paint over it with an oil-based primer before applying another layer of paper.