The Home Snob

“It was well for the future of house-decoration when medical science declared itself against the use of wall-papers. These hangings have, in fact, little to recommend them. Besides being objectionable on sanitary grounds, they are inferior as a wall-decoration to any form of treatment, however simple, that maintains, instead of effacing, the architectural lines of a room…

Its merits are that it is cheap, easy to put on and easy to remove. On the other hand, it is readily damaged, soon fades, and cannot be cleaned ; while from the decorative point of view there can be no comparison between the flat meanderings of wall-paper pattern and the strong architectural lines of any scheme of panelling, however simple. Sometimes, of course, the use of wall-paper is a matter of convenience, since it saves both time and trouble; but a papered room can never, decoratively or otherwise, be as satisfactory as one in which the walls are treated in some other manner.

– Edith Wharton, The Decoration of Houses

The Home Snob begs to differ with Mrs. Wharton on that last count.  We’ve just finished de-papering a room whose wallpaper had been soiled by tenants, and, well… it looks clean now, but it hasn’t got much charm.  Freshly painted and attractive, sure.  But… lacking in character.  Not everyone can rely on paneling to give a room order, as Mrs. Wharton seemed to assume.  Not everyone *has* panelling or the funds/will/time/patience to install it.

Of course, the wallpaper that Mrs. Wharton detested probably deserved her scorn.  Muddy, ornate patterns were popular in her day, and homeowners used borders to suggest architecture – a tactic that’s rarely successful and usually just clutters up a room’s lines.

The Home Snob knows there are better ways to live.  She used to think wallpaper was for fussy people, but then she moved into her current home, with its pre-existing wallpaper.  To her surprise, she liked it.  The key is to keep it simple.  Wallpaper that calls attention to itself will drain your energy.  Simple, neutral wallpaper will add life and texture to a room without adding to its clutter.

Wondering what counts as simple?  Check out these historic designs from Lim & Handtryck, a Swedish company whose products are available through Belfry Historic Consultants.  Swedish designers throughout history have had a delightful way of restraining excess in color and pattern.  Swedes value lagom, a concept that roughly translates as “just enough;” apply it to wallpaper, and you get results that are easy to live with.  Despite what Mrs. Wharton says.