Over the past several years, the interior design industry has seen a resurgence in wallpaper popularity. For my clients in Cincinnati and the surrounding neighborhoods, I use wallpaper in a lot of my designs.

Now, you may be thinking, Wallpaper? Really? The last time I saw wallpaper in a home, I was visiting my grandmother.

Well, you’re not entirely wrong. Wallpaper was extremely popular in the 1920’s, even earning the name “The Golden Age of Wallpaper.” This trend continued on for a few decades, which is why you probably think of suffocating florals on yellowing walls when you hear “wallpaper.”

This is why I typically use the term “wall coverings,” as it avoids the negative connotations we link to wallpaper. So, let’s use wall coverings from this point forward. Agreed?

There Are Good and Bad Wall Coverings

Many of us grew up in the 80’s and 90’s, having experienced first-hand the arduous process of putting up and taking down wall coverings. It is no simple task. For this reason, choosing the right wall covering is crucial and should not be taken lightly.

The basic bottom line: You get what you pay for.

The type of wall coverings you order will either make the application process a breeze or seemingly impossible. The technology with which we now create wall coverings and their adhesives is of much higher quality than what your grandmother had access to.

And before I continue, let’s get this out of the way. Please do not use peel-and-stick wall coverings for your forever home. Wall coverings are an investment, and you don’t need to over-complicate the process with a cheap product that you might end up hating a year from now. To my renters: this does not necessarily apply to you. But to my long-term homeowners, please avoid peel-and-stick at all costs.

I will always suggest ordering a sample of the wall coverings you’re interested in to see if the colors and textures are really to your liking. Plus, this gives you a chance to determine the quality of the material itself. When your samples arrive, feel them. Are they thin? Do they feel like paper? Or are they a substantial material that will hold up over time?

Pro Tip:

Thin wall coverings are very difficult to remove once they’ve been pasted to your walls, especially if they are applied poorly. They require quality pasting and extremely precise cutting. Therefore, my greatest advice to you is to enlist the talent of someone who knows what they’re doing!

Hire a Professional. Period.

I do not suggest attempting to DIY your wall covering application. Ever.

Especially when applying patterned wall coverings, you’ll want to trust a professional to repeat the pattern seamlessly. It’s a complicated process that requires a careful, experienced eye to produce quality work.

There are two forms of investment when including wall coverings in your home design:

1. You’ll pay a good amount of money for quality wall coverings that you’ll love for years and years to come.

2. You’ll need to dedicate a few days for a contractor to apply the wall coverings to your space. This is not a task that can be completed in an hour or even a day.

However – believe me – the pay off is very much worth it. You’ll trade two dimensional paint for a wall covering with depth and personality. And trust me, you don’t have to go for bold, bright, and floral like our grandmothers once did. The possibilities are vast and grand when you’re selecting wall coverings.

Wall Coverings are Made for Forever Homes

Even with a solid wall covering rather than a matte paint, you’ll achieve a noticeable difference in your space.

While we normally associate wall coverings (or the dreaded “wallpaper”) with dramatic prints and colors, there are several wall coverings that are solid neutral colors with a slight texture on the service. This truly makes a difference when compared to a neutral paint.

A wall covering will be very personal to you. No one else. Your guests may not entirely “get it,” especially if that zebra print wall covering is calling your name, but your wall coverings are not for them. As the homeowner, and the heart of personality in your home, the wall coverings are for you.

If you plan on selling your house in a few years, you can also join the wall covering party, but choose materials that are neutral and that would also appeal to a buyer. The best use of wall coverings are those that highlight architectural details and are used sparingly.

However, if you’re designing your forever home – the home you plan to stay in for decades to come – then you should absolutely consider wall coverings. There is a wall covering for everyone, even the haters. This resurgence in popularity is not a fad; it is here to stay for quite some time, in my opinion.

Here’s what you should know about trending wall coverings:

• Floral prints and patterns are IN.

• Geometric shapes are OUT.

• Neutral wall coverings of solid color are still versatile and classic.

• Whatever speaks to you and your inner interior designer is the correct wall covering for your home. Period.

Check out these wall covering brands I use for my clients:

• Thibaut

• Cole & Son

• Kravet

• Maxwell

• Lake August

• Hygge & West

• Graham & Brown