Dancing on the Ceiling

Tray and other high specialty ceilings are an important feature in residential design. Interior designers wisely play up this feature with nubby sisal, dimensional cork, or wallpapers embellished with glass beads and Swarovski crystals that add a subtle shimmer overhead. The trend has also found its way into older homes with lower, flat ceilings. A bold pattern like the medallion (at right) paired with a dramatic floral stripe creates a surprisingly cozy environment conducive to sleep.

For Art’s Sake

Just because art galleries show their works against white walls doesn’t mean you can’t place your collection on a wallpapered wall. A textured or graphic printed wallpaper can unify a collection and lend it more importance. There are no hard and fast rules, but the law of opposites is a great place to start: A contemporary wallpaper can breathe new life into a classical work while an abstract painting can look stunning on a traditional damask with a hint of metallic that plays off the texture of the canvas. Since wallpaper patterns repeat and the look’s essence remains even when punctuated by built-in shelves (at right), you needn’t worry about covering up a design you love. To further highlight the painting above the mantel, an alternate paper could beautifully “frame” the piece.

Play Up Your Assets

Big rooms demand bold gestures. Large scale wallpapers are created with these spaces in mind, but a smaller companion pattern layered into the overall design scheme, such as the soffit’s cane pattern (at right), adds to the grandeur of the room. A second pattern also helps anchor the space, creating intimacy and warmth. Repeating the cane pattern between the double window frames plays up the room’s generous expanse of windows.

Two-Timing

Where there is one design, there’s always another to complement it. Wallpaper designers almost always offer patterns in coordinating scales, colors and textures -- and wallpaper sample books showcase complementary patterns together to eliminate the guesswork. For the daring, featuring the same pattern in two different color families might spice it up even more.

Tropical Surprise

Maybe “staycations” have something to do with it, but tropical wallpapers are some of the hottest designs from coast to coast and all points in between. Fun, kitschy patterns in bright colors abound, but these same patterns in darker, more urban palettes can work seamlessly as a feature wall in a city loft. Tropical patterns are always fabulous in a bath, but what fun to have them pop up where they’re least expected, like this welcoming front hall (right) that could be Anywhere U.S.A.