Question: I am trying to choose a wallpaper for the living room of our 1906 neoclassic row house. I have found wallpaper that I like, but I cannot decide whether it would be too dark. The room is about 12 by 12 feet, and the window bay faces north. I have heard conflicting advice from friends, family and the wallpaper company. Some thought the wallpaper would be too dark, and others thought it would create a cozy effect. My idea was to have a warm, inviting shade in the red family. I would also like to retain an old-fashioned look, in keeping with our turn-of-the-century house.

Erica Cleary
Berkeley

Answer: Wallpaper can make a room look warm and inviting while maintaining period decor. The paper you've chosen is a wonderful example of a period pattern with a contemporary twist. It's a dark color, but that shouldn't stop you from using it if you love it.

Small rooms might seem smaller in such a dark color, but there are ways to make that work in your favor. You want a cozy effect, and this paper will help you achieve it.

There are ways to use wallpaper that won't make it feel as if the walls are moving in toward the center of the room. Consider the following options. You can even mix and match these ideas. .

Wainscoting: Consider installing a chair rail molding that runs horizontally around the entire room at approximately waist height. Above the chair rail, use your wallpaper. Paint the bottom section with a color that complements the paper but is lighter. This will lighten up the room.

Paint the chair rail molding another color that's in the wallpaper's pattern. For a sense of continuity and to visually widen the room, use that same color on the baseboards and crown molding and as an accent color in furniture and accessories.

If the ceiling is high, place the crown molding several inches below where the wall and ceiling meet. Use a light color on the ceiling to open up the room considerably.

To make the room seem larger than it is, consider placing a large, framed mirror over the sofa. This will immediately double the size of the space to the eye. .

Picture-framed panels: Another option is to create what's called picture- framed panels of wallpaper. The walls around these panels are painted a complementary color, often lighter to keep the room open. The picture frames are made from molding applied directly to the walls and are painted a complementary color that's in the paper. Then the wallpaper is placed inside the panels.

It's important to space the panels symmetrically throughout the room. Usually the panels are vertical rectangles and several are placed side by side across the length of the walls. The overall height of the panels should be proportionate to the height of the room.

Sometimes these panels are layered, creating boxes within boxes that use paint colors to feature the panels.

Consider using two panels stacked; the top panels start about a foot above waist height, the bottom ones start just below waist height. This effect creates its own form of wainscoting to the eye.

Again, using complementary colors will make the room feel lighter and more open. .

Mix and match: Taking a bit of the wainscot approach described above and some of the picture frame approach, you can paint below your wainscot molding and use panels of wallpaper above it. It's important to choose paint colors that will keep the room looking integrated.

You can also use wallpaper on the top section and add painted picture frame molding directly over it to draw attention to sections of the wall. Not all the sections of the picture frame panels need to be the same size.

To add interest, you can hang art and a large mirror within these panels.

Window treatments that allow enough light in during the day to keep the room feeling open and airy are an important consideration. Again, use fabrics that complement the colors in the wallpaper.

Remember to use the same colors as accents throughout the room to keep the eye flowing around the space.

No matter which approach you take, make sure your lighting is sufficient to avoid a cavelike feeling at night. Warm, incandescent lights that illuminate individual areas of the room will give this space a glow that makes it even more inviting.

Follow your instincts about the paper you love, and don't feel obligated to use it on every surface of the walls.

 

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