Wallpapers are back. How to transform your home.

There was a time a few decades ago when wallpaper ruled the roost. Think floral prints, perhaps a damask pattern. “You couldn’t walk into a little girl’s room in the late ’90s without seeing a Laura Ashley ribbon wallpaper,” recalls interior designer Tracy Morris of McLean. At some point, however, the wallpaper became less important. In fact, it never disappeared: you could still find it in a powder room or a private corner. But it was more of an afterthought than avant-garde.

No longer. Wallpapers are the back and can play a leading role in designing a room with their bold patterns, rich textures and vibrant scenes. “It is a valuable tool when it comes to creating atmosphere in a home. “You can add texture and a different depth of color in addition to adding a pattern,” says Maria Crosby Pollard of Crosby Designs in Alexandria. “It’s an instant upgrade to a room.”

Why the resurgence? Theories abound. Perhaps homeowners staring at their gray walls during the pandemic were inspired to give rooms a vibrant refresh. Perhaps the plethora of wallpaper designs shared on Instagram convinced newbies to take the plunge. Perhaps technological advances have helped create better options. “Digital printing has really improved the quality of the images,” says Pollard.

At its peak, wallpaper can be an art form. Hand-painted papers that can be customized by color or design can replace an expensive art collection. In some cases, Pollard hires a decorative painter to add elements or colors to a hand-painted scene, a landscape of trees or mountains, creating a nearly immersive experience. Or, in the case of a memorable mantel, a Schumacher wall covering made from real peacock feathers could refocus the eye, as DC interior designer Annie Elliott recently discovered. (For Elliott, a self-proclaimed “wallpaper pusher,” wallpaper never went out of style.)

The choice doesn’t have to involve bold colors or scenes to be transformative. Morris often uses papers with texture: jute or grasscloth, perhaps, or quilted velvet, like the peacock blue paper she used in a bedroom in her own home. You can run your fingers over it and feel the pattern. “When you go from just having this flat color on the walls to suddenly, boom, this incredible texture,” Morris says, “it just seems like a different house.”

Sometimes using wallpaper as a focal point can be a matter of kismet. During an initial consultation, a client working with Lisa Shaffer of DC interior design firm Lisa & Leroy stumbled upon a Schumacher wallpaper called “Little Tuscany” while browsing through samples. The client hadn’t considered using wallpaper in his Cleveland Park home, but he loved the Tuscan-inspired landscape so much that he designed his dining room around it. “It’s just amazing,” Shaffer says of the possibilities of wallpaper. “It’s just as amazing as hanging a painting on the wall.”

How to transform your walls

Hire a professional

DIYers may be tempted to do it alone. But as DC interior designer Zoë Feldman notes, “improper installation can lead to problems like blistering and peeling”—a costly consequence when expensive paper is used. Virginia interior designers Tracy Morris and Maria Crosby Pollard recommend visiting a Benjamin Moore or Monarch Paint store and getting advice from experienced installers. Also, make sure this person has experience with the type of paper you choose.

First things first

Some homeowners purchase wallpaper and then hire an installer. But that’s a mistake, says DC interior designer Annie Elliott. After you choose a paper, have your installer inspect the room. They can give a more accurate estimate than an online calculator of how many rolls you need, which may also depend on the type and pattern of paper.

Go big. . .

Newbies might be tempted to choose something safe and reserved for fear of making a mistake with the room size. But being too subtle can itself lead to failure. “Start with something fabulous,” says Elliott. “You’re much more likely to not get tired of it than something greige.”

. . . But not too big

“Choosing patterns that dominate the room or using designs that don’t fit the overall color scheme of the room” can also be a misstep, says Feldman. She will balance scenic and bold papers with neutral furniture or simple accessories. And remember to consider your home’s flow. “You can’t be too intrusive in every room,” says Pollard. “You have to think about different scales, textures and colors and how they all relate.”

Where to use it

In areas that lack visual interest or detail, wallpaper can be an effective solution—for example, in a “construction-ready” bedroom devoid of architectural details where “the only exciting thing is the electrical outlet,” says Lisa Shaffer of Lisa & Leroy in DC. Wallpaper can add visual interest even if it doesn’t make a bold statement. Dining rooms with their sharp-edged furniture – chairs, tables, sideboards – are also good candidates.

Go custom

We live in a golden age of wallpaper with an excess of options. But in some cases, a homeowner wants something more personal. Maybe an artist friend has created a cool motif, or the family has a print or pattern they discovered on their travels. An interior designer can help transform this inspiration into a custom paper that can add an additional layer of meaning to a room.

On a budget?

Peel and stick wallpaper can be a temporary or easy-to-remove option. And vinyl versions are not only kid-friendly and easy to clean, but they can also keep costs down. (Some may not even look like vinyl.) Another cost-cutting tip: To minimize waste, Pollard recommends choosing a paper that comes in larger 11-yard rolls.

Top wallpaper tips

Finding the perfect wallpaper can be daunting and many times more difficult than choosing a color. To narrow down the choices, the local interior designers we spoke to recommended some of their favorite manufacturers.

Reliable starting points: Schumacher, Pierre Frey, Phillip Jeffries (pictured)

Leather, suede and other textured covers: Arte

Historical patterns, searchable by time period: Adelphi

For a Mid-Atlantic manufacturer: JP Horton

Hand-painted luxury: de Gournay (pictured), Gracie

An upscale British flair: Hackney House

Wide range of options and prices: Harlequin (pictured), Thibaut

Other favorites: Katie Ridder, Zak + Fox, Flavor Paper, Little Greene (pictured), Aesthetics Wallcoverings, Carlisle & Co.

This article appears in the October 2024 Washingtonian edition.