Words by Becca Who, Artist & Designer
A Statement Wallpaper Is More Than A Wall Covering
A statement wallpaper is so much more to a space than simply a wall covering. When working with a bold, highly patterned design, the way the pattern sits within the architecture of a room can make all the difference to a scheme.
Rather than simply asking “Where do I start wallpapering?”, take a designer's approach: consider the room as a whole, think about where the eye will travel, and be intentional about how the pattern interacts with the architecture, furniture and light.
Here are some expert considerations for making the most of a statement designer wallpaper;
Before You Hang The Wallpaper
View samples of wallpapers in the room at different times
Colour and scale can behave quite differently in morning sunlight, artificial light and evening lamplight.
A wallpaper sample is far more useful when moved around the room and viewed in different positions. The same applies to wall paint that you are considering for the scheme.
Think about when you will use the space most. Is it somewhere for quiet morning coffee, or a room that comes alive during candlelit evening gatherings? Position your samples accordingly and see how the colours and pattern respond as the light changes throughout the day and night.
Measure twice - and then look at the pattern
Calculating how much wallpaper you need is about more than simply measuring the walls. With statement designer wallpapers, it is particularly important to consider the pattern repeat.
For wallpapers with a large or elaborate repeat, allow plenty of room for matching the pattern and for trimming. You may need more wallpaper than you initially expect.
Let the architecture tell you where to start
This is crucial.
Before putting up the first drop, look at the room as a whole. Is there a chimney breast, fireplace, bed, alcove, window or other architectural feature that naturally draws the eye?
With a strongly patterned wallpaper, this is usually where you want to make your most deliberate design decision.
Centre the pattern on the focal point
If you're wallpapering a chimney breast, for example, consider centring the pattern; Mark the centre of the chimney breast and position the first drop centred here - then work outwards from that piece so that the design feels balanced on either side.
This is particularly effective with large florals, symmetrical motifs and designs with a strong central element.
Do the same with an archway or other architectural feature
An archway creates a natural frame, so you might use it as such with your wallpaper.
Consider positioning the pattern so that the most interesting part of the design sits at the centre of the arch - whether inside the archway or above it - rather than allowing a random section of the repeat to land there.
Think about what you will see first
Stand in the doorway before you start. Which wall does your eye land on first? Where does your gaze naturally travel around the room?
This can be more important than simply choosing the easiest place from which to begin. Think about the composition of the room as you enter it, not just the practicalities of hanging the first drop.
Don't automatically start in the corner
Corners aren't necessarily the best place to begin with a large-scale design.
Choose your starting point according to the room's focal points and, importantly, the motifs within the wallpaper itself. With a statement design, the position of the pattern can be more important than following a conventional starting point.
Understand your pattern repeat before cutting anything
This is particularly important with a maximalist wallpaper design.
Look at two lengths side by side and identify exactly where the pattern repeats. A beautiful design can become surprisingly intricate once you introduce corners, windows, chimney breasts and other architectural details.
Be intentional about which part of the design you want where
With large or bold motifs, don't only consider what you see at the top of the roll. Unroll the wallpaper and consider what will actually appear at eye level and around important architectural features.
You may be able to position a particularly beautiful flower, bird or motif somewhere beautifully unexpected.
Think of the wallpaper as an artwork - and choose a composition and positioning that will be pleasing for years to come.
Allow Your Statement Wallpaper to Truly be a Design Feature
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Approach wallpaper as a significant part of the interior design
Particularly with a highly patterned paper, think about what you want the wallpaper to do in the room;
Does it frame the fireplace?
Create a dramatic backdrop to the bed?
Lead your eye down a hallway?
Make a tiny powder room feel like a jewel-box?
Thinking in these terms helps you move beyond simply choosing a wall to wallpaper and towards creating a considered interior scheme.
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Choose the feature wall for its visual importance
A good feature wall usually has a reason for being the feature.
It might frame a fireplace, form the backdrop to a dining table or create a dramatic setting behind a bed. A statement wallpaper can be particularly effective when it reinforces the room's natural focal point.
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Embrace wallpaper being the biggest pattern in the room
A large-scale design can be fabulous in a small space.
Because you're seeing less of the overall repeat, the pattern can feel immersive and theatrical rather than overwhelming. A downstairs cloakroom, for instance, can be the perfect place to be gloriously extravagant.
Don't automatically assume that a smaller room calls for a smaller pattern.
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If the wallpaper is the star, let it be the star!
You don't necessarily need lots of other competing patterns.
Instead, pull one or two colours from the wallpaper into upholstery, paint, curtains or accessories and allow the wallpaper to establish the visual rhythm.
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…But don't assume using a bold wallpaper means everything else has to be plain!
Maximalism is about relationships between patterns rather than avoiding them altogether.
A small-scale stripe, check, spot or quiet floral can sit beautifully alongside a dramatic wallpaper. The key is to create a connection - through colour, scale or mood - so that the patterns feel considered rather than competing.
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Consider wallpapering more than one wall
A statement wallpaper doesn't automatically have to be confined to one 'feature wall'.
In some rooms, taking a design around two or even four walls can actually make the scheme feel more cohesive, enveloping and sophisticated.
Sometimes the most impactful approach is not to create a feature wall, but a fully immersive space.
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Look up! Don’t forget the fifth wall
If your walls are ready to make a statement, consider the ceiling as part of the composition too.
Continuing wallpaper onto a ceiling can create a wonderfully immersive effect, particularly in small rooms, hallways and spaces with interesting architectural details.
And if you don't wallpaper the ceiling, consider how its paint colour will interact with and compliment the wallpaper. The ceiling should feel like part of the scheme, rather than an afterthought.
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Consider the skirting boards and woodwork
The colour of your woodwork can dramatically change how statement wallpaper feels.
Painting skirting boards, architraves and even doors in a colour drawn from the wallpaper can make the whole scheme feel more considered and immersive.
Pattern Placement Tips
Look for the hero motif
Consider your chosen wallpaper and ask yourself: What is the star of this design?
If there's a particularly beautiful flower, bird, butterfly, medallion or other motif, approach placement on the wall with intention.
Where possible, avoid cutting your favourite motif in half at the top of the wall where it meets the coving or ceiling – or awkwardly through a doorway, fireplace or piece of furniture.
Avoid awkward little slivers of pattern where possible
At the edges of a wall, consider how the final strip of wallpaper will look.
A very narrow strip can be visually awkward with a large-scale pattern. Sometimes adjusting the starting point by just a few centimetres can result in a much more balanced and considered finish.
Think about furniture before deciding where the pattern should land
Consider the relationship between the wallpaper and the furniture that will sit in front of it.
If a large wardrobe, headboard or bookcase will cover part of a wall, you don't necessarily want your most beautiful motif hidden behind it.
That said, a partially concealed motif can also create a lovely sense of discovery - particularly when it then appears in full in an adjacent area.
Use symmetry where the architecture gives you symmetry
If you have a symmetrical fireplace, chimney breast or archway, echoing that symmetry through the wallpaper can make the entire room feel beautifully considered.
As mentioned earlier, centring the wallpaper design above such features can work wonderfully to establish balance and reinforce the architecture of the space.
The Practical Hanging Details That Make a Difference
Use a plumb line, not the corner of the room, as your guide.
Your first drop needs to be truly vertical.
Walls and corners are rarely as perfectly straight as we'd like them to be, so establish a reliable vertical line before you begin.
Take extra care around external corners
On a chimney breast, for example, the wallpaper needs to turn around the external corners and continue onto the adjacent walls.
With a bold pattern, check the repeat carefully before making the turn so that the design continues as naturally as possible.
Save the fiddliest area for somewhere forgiving
Whilst we don’t always have a choice, consider whether you can plan for the final join to fall somewhere inconspicuous - perhaps an internal corner, behind a door or beside a tall piece of furniture.
Never rush the matching
With a busy pattern, it can be tempting to assume that because there is so much going on, nobody will notice if the pattern isn't quite right.
However, our eyes are remarkably good at spotting a pattern that suddenly jumps. Take your time matching the design before smoothing the paper into position.
Step back regularly
Don't judge your wallpaper exclusively from six inches away while you're hanging it.
Every few drops, stand back and look at the wall as a whole. Check the balance, the pattern placement and how the design is working with the architecture.
Perhaps the most important Becca Who tip...
Be bold. Be considered. Let the pattern bring something special.
If you want to look more at our practical tips for wallpapering, see:
Our Tips For a Perfect Finish when working with Wallpapers of Rich and Dark Colours
Or How To Get the Best Results with Wallpaper in a Bathroom
Or our General Wallpaper Hanging Instructions
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