The wallpaper house rules in home decorating: He Said/She Said

The House Rules contestants Adam and Lisa wanted wallpaper.

But they got more than they bargained for, especially with the controversial choice of bottle top wallpaper in the dining room which seriously clashed the rest of the house.

Today, our property contrarians Jonathan Chancellor and Margie Blok discuss wallpaper - and while they don’t mind the odd layer, they certainly don’t favour wallpapering the whole house. 

HE SAID:

I’m okay with wallpaper making a statement, but only if used sparingly or as a feature on one wall.  

Generally, wallpaper works best in rooms needing a lift, perhaps a poky second bedroom or a plain bathroom - such as the delightful Vivienne Westwood wallpaper in a bathroom of the Castlecrag mid-century home (pictured below). The property was sold by interior designer Tina De Salis and her husband Edward for $3.01 million in 2012 through Mark O'Brien of Richardson & Wrench Castlecrag & Northbridge. 

Wallpaper took off in a big way during the 1920s. In this 'Golden Age of Wallpaper', more than 400 million rolls were sold as an affordable and mass-produced alternative to expensive silk and tapestry wall coverings.  

These days, snazzy wallpapers can be an inexpensive solution for jazzing up an original Art Deco bathroom – my preference is the Florence Broadhurst Cockatoos design in black and white (pictured below).

The Sydney designer Greg Natale is a strong advocate for Florence Broadhurst wallpapers which initially shot to prominence during the 1960s and 1970s when used by leading decorators of the day, including the late design doyen, Leslie Walford.  

Featuring rich colours, metallic finishes and vigorous designs, the hand screen-printed wallpaper collection was revived during 1990s by David and Helen Lennie, owners of Signature Prints, who drove the business exponentially while establishing the Florence Broadhurst name internationally. 

While Natale’s Hollywood-style interiors have been splashed across the pages of interiors magazines including Belle, his distinctive decorating style also featured in Inner West Courier real estate pages during late 2012 when Laing + Simmons Drummoyne agent Frank Colacicco was marketing a Five Dock house that subsequently sold for $1.34 million. Love the art deco tiles (above) in the bathroom, but the wallpaper is a little over the top. Ditto the wallpapered bedroom (below) doesn't appeal to me, cushions, bedhead and side tables included.

For Margie Blok's opinion click through to the next page below.

SHE SAID:

In my book, the old adage of “less is more” should be heeded when using wallpaper – and in one or two rooms only.

If House Rules contestants, Lisa and Adam, had mentioned “subtle and calm” instead of “wow statement in every room”, then the renovation of their home could have ended up without that nightmare reveal of clashing wallpapers in the open-plan living and dining areas. 

Photo courtesy of Channel 7.

When it comes to choosing wallpaper, DIY renovators should exercise restraint and err on the side of caution, rather than express gaudy evidence of their personal taste in every room. 

Wallpaper should be used as part of a fundamental framework of an overall decorative scheme. It should form the background of a room, not the foreground. For subtle sophistication and a visually rich effect, opt for classic wallpapers with a strié or grasscloth finish.

Given the extraordinary range of wallpapers on the market, it can be confusing to pick the right style and shade for a particular room. While you might lust after a Florence Broadhurst wallpaper spotted in a magazine or admire the wallpaper in a Kit Kemp-designed Firmdale hotel in London, or, it doesn’t mean these will work well in your home.

If you’re uncertain about the type of wallpaper to use, peruse the Houzz website - it’s a terrific visual springboard for decorative and architectural ideas.

Or engage an interior designer to sort it out for you – especially if you don’t have the time and energy to do the choosing, measuring and ordering associated with wallpapering and redecorating.

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