We firmly believe life is too short to not wallpaper. Wallpaper allows you to tailor a space to your style and personality, adding a layer of authenticity to your home. And it is fun!

One of my favorite parts of being an interior designer is creating one of a kind spaces for my clients. Throughout the design process, I work with my team to curate and select unique, custom, UNCOMMON pieces allowing my client’s vision to become a reality, often using wallpaper to achieve this!

So where do you begin with wallpaper? Well, let’s take a look at a room that I completely transformed with wallpaper {and some other unique items} below. Our client’s original space appeared small, dated, and dark. The color on the walls were not right for a tiny room and the whole space needed a facelift. When I first walked into this room, though, I instantly saw the potential this space had using the some basic design principles and tricks of the trade.

Before waving the Fiore Home magic wand. And by magic wand I mean 6 months of renovating…

Step one in transforming this room from dated guest room to magazine cover-worthy was removing all of the old! We painted three out of the four walls a BRIGHT white- chantilly lace by Ben Moore which opened the space up allowing for natural light to reflect off the walls. Next up, we selected a wallpaper (that was rare at the time) and chose a unique blue, pale beige, and white pattern that is fun but still conveys a peaceful, coastal zen!

But wait... why not wallpaper the whole room? The design for this space, like many others, was all about adding a focal point to the room making it seem larger without being too overwhelming. Because the room was already small, wallpapering all four walls would make the space seem smaller. But wallpapering just one wall added charisma and visual interest leaving the space light and airy! We also chose a platform bed (no footboard) in this design eliminating any distractions from the focal wall and creating the illusion of a larger room.

Designer Tip - Make sure you are keeping quality and material in mind when shopping for the perfect wallpaper. If you are doing a kitchen, will the material stain? If the wallpaper is in front of a large window, will it fade with the constant sunlight exposure?

After selecting your gorgeous, seemingly perfect wallpaper the hunt for the perfect installer beings! Although well worth it, wallpaper is an added expense, so make sure you take the time to find an installer who knows what they are doing. Nearly every designer has an installer that they love and trust, so if you are working with a designer you are good to go! If you are not working with a designer, you should ask for pictures of an installer’s work. Make sure you can't see any seams, the pattern matches up perfectly and that there are no unfinished edges. Another thing you might not know about wallpaper-there is a lot of “wasted” wallpaper. There will aways be large cuts off one end of the roll in order to ensure pattern match. This is not the fault of your installer or interior designer-it is what is necessary when working with wallpaper. Always has been.

Our lovely, talented wallpaper installer measuring everything out before making that first cut!

While this transformation was for a bedroom, adding wallpaper in other areas of your home is a great way to make any room dazzle. “But, Vanessa how do I know I will still like it in five years?” This is why you hire a designer! At Fiore Home, we make timeless decisions to ensure you love your home year after year, season after season. It is important to select something that can easily complement your tastes for years to come: for children’s rooms, choose something that matures with them; for bedrooms, choose something that is gender-neutral and can suit a wide age range; for common areas, choose something less bold and more subtle or neutral; for powder rooms and accent walls, however, go BOLD! Who doesn't love a small space with a big impact?

Ok, so you get the point: we love an accent wall. We also love an accent ceiling. Yes, you read that right, we are all about a wallpapered ceiling! Have an open floor plan but want to use a bold wallpaper? Put it on the ceiling so the print, texture, or color is only seen from within the room itself. This looks especially amazing in unexpected places. I also love this option in dining rooms, bedrooms, and lofts.

Your wallpaper should look on trend for 10-15 years, more if you do texture or classic patterns. I’d say the pattern below will stay on that wall for 10ish years before the homeowner changes it out-because it is easy to change out one wall.

See the photo above? That is the SAME ROOM, folks.

The use of wallpaper is often a bold choice, so bringing on a designer who understands the process often safeguards your investment. We love working with clients who are expressive about what they want and let us bring their vision to life. After all, that is our job!

Seeking out wallpaper for the store has been an adventure because I gravitate towards both classic textures and uncommon patterns. We carry a few exclusive lines. So while you are pinning all of your favorite wallpaper looks, just know that Fiore Home has some options that you will not find many places in Maine. Additionally, we have a team behind us dedicated to designing top tier quality spaces based around your selection.

Wallpaper offers you depth and artistry that paint just cannot. While it may seem daunting, shopping for the perfect match should be a fun process. Find confidence in knowing that there is a design for everyone. Bold and colorful or neutral and calm, we will discover your wallpaper soulmate. However if your current soulmate (cough, husband) is afraid of wallpaper, keep reading. All is not lost…

This moody black wall-covering is exclusive to Fiore Home here in Maine

Exclusivity in homes is essential to us at Fiore Home. We don’t want to re-create the same space over and over again, nor do we want to simply copy something you love online. After our Maine Home and Design cover published, another local new decorator ordered the same product and used it. While it is annoying to be knocked off so blatantly, it does show the influence of a good, unique wallpaper. We all crave artistry.

In 14 years there is only ONE pattern we have used twice-and that was because the client really wanted it in her Maine beach house as it didn’t work in her previous home. We envision unique spaces and understand how to modernize them in a way that elevate your personal style. That is the best thing about unique wallpaper, we customize colors, prints, and patterns that take a simple room to the next level.

Rather low resolution photo which doesn’t do justice to David Wade, one of my favorite photographers. He took this at our store opening. Behind me is a removable, vinyl wallpaper mural!

Now for those of you who still cannot wrap your head around the permanency of wallpaper-don’t lose hope. We do have a favorite supplier who can put ANY pattern on removable substrates. You can just peel it off with minimal effort. There are pros and cons to both, which we like to explain when we are going through options in the studio.

I hope these words have empowered you to say YES to that lovely bit of wallpaper you’ve been dreaming about. Life is too short not to wallpaper!

Wallpaper is Always Worth It!

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