Making Maximal Use of Inherited Wallpaper

Wallpaper has been trending for a few years now, and one of our clients recently lucked into a house that came with the most wonderful horses-and-hounds wallcovering. Since it can be nearly impossible to patch holes in wallpaper if you make a mistake, they called us in to make sure the job was done right.

I was interested to see what they chose to install here. They continued the horsey theme but used a Western print which nevertheless included many of the same colors. What a story this image tells! It immediately brings to mind those vintage kids' adventure stories, like maybe a Western version of National Velvet.

They also had us hang three little prints in a row below it. Matted pieces like this can be a great choice to hang over wallpaper, because the white mats give the eye a little rest and set the artwork off from the background.

Across the room, the Western theme continued with a view of a wagon train. The homeowners had recently moved back east, making a jump from the Rockies to the Smokies so to speak, and they had a lot of Americana showing the early cowboy era.

The master bedroom also had a wonderful wallcovering which paired well with this print by Albert Bierstadt. It just goes to show that chinoiserie wallpaper doesn't require you to lean into a "grandmillenial" theme. These papers are so classic that they really work with almost any other traditional style.

Apparently this Bierstadt was a vintage print bought by the homeowner's family a long time ago. They had historic ties to the land pictured here, so they were proud to say that the original version of the painting hangs in the White House.

I love hearing stories like this. People sometimes think of prints as cheap throwaway art, but I've seen several examples of them getting reverently passed down in the family because of the history attached to them. And a good-quality print will hold its colors for many years.

The homeowners went with more of a globe-trotting theme in the den, with a grid-style gallery wall of vintage travel posters. These can be difficult to install on your own because they have to line up just right in order to look good. Luckily I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make everything look ship-shape.

Our clients definitely had a flair for working with patterns without tipping over into Maximalism. Notice how their diamond-pattern curtains work with their tufted sofa.

If you like that, you'll love this vignette in their guest bedroom. With a handmade bed and colorful throw pillows like these, who needs art?

But actually, this is an example of how a couple of small pieces of wall art can complete a space. These two little pictures tied in with the pillows and quilt to bring the room together. Plus they help make sense of that funny little closet door that's tucked under the eave.

If you're working with wallpaper and want to leave as few holes as possible, give us a call. We'll make sure each piece is installed correctly.

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