Architecture & Design

wallpaper trends

Paper Mates

TEXT BY SARAH STEBBINS
PHOTOGRAPH BY ERIN LITTLE

Wallpaper made a big comeback last year, prompting the forecasters at Pinterest — who saw searches for “bold print wallpaper” increase 401 percent — to proclaim it one of their top trends for 2019. Ready to wake up your walls? Start with these picks from local pros.

ZEBRAS IN SERENGETI GREEN
SCALAMANDRÉ

$185/5-yard roll (2-roll minimum); decoratorsbest.com

“For the entry in a historic Bath home [featured in the opening photo], I wanted a wallpaper that was classic, but also glamorous. What immediately sprang to mind was Scalamandré’s Zebras. After we selected the gray-and-blue palette for the rest of the house, this color made sense here, as it was unexpected — the only green moment in the place. I love that it stands on its own.” — Tyler Karu, Tyler Karu Design + Interiors, Portland

SPATTER DASH IN SONIC BLUE
PETER FASANO

$270/5-yard roll; margomoore.com

“On a swatch, this pattern reads busy, but on a wall, the scale and design even out and read smooth. This wallpaper is great for a powder room, an accent wall, or to pair with wainscoting. Bonus: it’s a fabulous contemporary backdrop for artwork.” — Megan van der Kieft, Margo Moore Interiors, Camden

BARN OWLS AND HOLLYHOCKS IN GOLD ON CHARCOAL
CARSON ELLIS FOR JUJU PAPERS

$200/5-yard roll; jujupapers.com

“Wallpaper is an opportunity to make a statement and have fun, so go big! Bold and modern, yet still classic, this wallpaper would look beautiful in a powder room, perhaps above wainscoting. In a contemporary setting, we’d match it with matte black plumbing fixtures, while in an older home we’d use oil-rubbed bronze. Make sure you order a swatch before committing to a whole roll!” — Sara Simpson and Ann-Marie Waterhouse, Alice + Bird Interiors, Kittery

HAIKU SISAL IN CHARCOAL
SCHUMACHER

$109.25/4-yard roll; (2-roll minimum); decoratorsbest.com

“We have used this grass cloth in dining rooms, master bedrooms, and powder rooms. In larger spaces, it brings warmth and depth and in small spaces it provides beautiful texture and a custom feel. We love that it translates more as texture, versus pattern, to keep rooms feeling timeless, not trendy. There also tends to be less waste with grass cloth than traditional wallcoverings because you don’t have the added complication of lining up the repeat!” — Heidi Lachapelle, Heidi Lachapelle Interiors, Portland

BELLFLOWER IN FLAME
GALBRAITH & PAUL

$377/5-yard roll; huffardhouse.com

“This block-printed wallpaper is just the thing to energize a plain hallway. The color palette is current, sophisticated, and timeless and the pattern pairs easily with most styles. It would also look great as a backdrop behind shelving or on one wall in a room — say, behind a sofa or headboard. Pull a color from the paper, such as beige or rust, for the other walls.” — Bronwyn Huffard, Huffard House, South Portland