Decades ago, walls were sheet rock, paneling or wallpaper.  Today, there are so many more options when it comes to decorating your walls, which are essentially the backdrop of your entire decorating scheme.  Modern wall coverings run the gamut from hand-painted wallpaper to those that are richly embossed or even embellished with crystal details.

When it comes to walls, anything goes!  Here are a few of the current trends that will help get you up-to-date walls, and the know-how to make yours capture the attention of all who enter your home.

Solid walls equal boring

While off-white or cream colored walls used to be all the rage, it’s not so much the case today.  If you do decide to paint, give walls texture by applying one of the textured wallpaper products that are made for painting.  You might also want to try some of the texturing techniques such as sponging or rag rolling.

Plain, flat walls which sport hues of white or cream lack personality and depth.  Perhaps this look will come back around again in a few decades, but for now it’s a bit blasé.

Remember the old duck and bonnet wallpaper from two decades ago, where patterns for the walls were matched in an exacting science with coordinating borders?  Today, this is a decorating fashion faux pas.  Never try to match a border precisely to the paper; contrast patterns and colors for a striking, trendy look.

Think of today’s wall coverings as “fashion for the walls”

No longer are all wall coverings made of paper.  Many designers use fabric, grass cloth and even cork in designing wall coverings that are unique, richly textured and elegant.

If you were to go in search of up scale wall coverings, what you find will surprise you.  Hand embroidered and painted papers are the most popular trend; you may even find something for the walls bedazzled with glass beads.  Be aware that some of these wall coverings are a bit pricey, so you may want to think of imaginative ways to use them that won’t require covering 400 square feet of wall space; that could get expensive.

Use wall coverings in creative ways

It isn’t necessary to cover all four walls of a room from top to bottom with a matching wall paper.  In fact, it isn’t even recommended.  In the living room, consider using an exquisite pattern on a single wall.  You can find something for every decorating theme, even patterns which invoke silk scarves, vines and orchids.

In the bedroom, create your own unique headboard by cutting the right size of a wall covering and placing it on the wall directly where a headboard would normally go.  This not only looks distinctive, but adds a splash of color and pattern to the room.

Wallpaper isn’t necessarily just for the walls; think of covering your lamp shades, even placing an abstract or dramatic pattern on the wall as “wall art”.  Paper the wall behind a staircase to achieve a stunning look; the possibilities are endless!

Remember to prepare the walls first

Placing any wall covering on a damaged or uneven wall will not make it look better; in fact, it will likely make the problem even more pronounced.  Before installing any type of wall covering, make sure the wall is as flat and smooth as possible for the best results.

If you’re tired of those boring white walls, let your imagination run wild.  Today’s wall coverings are not for the faint of heart.  If you love bold, dramatic and daring, the most beautiful wall coverings ever are readily available.

Are you thinking about decorating your home in patterns?  This can be fun, but at the same time, too many patterns can be overwhelming.  There are several things to keep in mind when using different types of patterns in your decorating, whether you want to make a small room look bigger or taller, or want to liven up a bathroom with a great decorating theme.

There are many great tips and several different types of patterns that you can use to make the areas of your home look appealing!  Just keep these things in mind when deciding what you are going to do in various areas of your home.

Patterns can visually transform the size of a room

There are several different types of patterns, and some can even be used to make a room appear larger.  Geometric patterns are the best to use for accomplishing this; for example, use vertical patterns to make a room appear taller.  Are you decorating a girl’s room, and looking for a feminine touch? If so, then use floral patterns, they are great if used within the same color scheme.  If they aren’t used with the same color scheme, or used too much, then the look can be confused and overwhelming.  Another great one is the motif pattern, where a picture is used over and over again; this can be abstract or even have a theme, like nature or whatever you like to use.  For example, having frogs on the bathroom wall is a motif pattern.

Incorporating color with patterns

Now, to make sure you don’t just go crazy while using a certain pattern, there are three important tips to keep in mind.  While using coordinating patterns, try to keep the background colors the same.  For example, if gray is your background color, keep it as the background in various pieces.  Also, only use pattern in a small portion of the room.

If you have a black couch and the pillows are black and white zebra print, then make sure the pillows are the only item using a zebra print so it isn’t too much.  Or, use pattern for the wall, like wallpaper, while keeping the rest of the colors in the room subtle.  It is also a good idea to consider using both textured and plain fabric in the same room for a more unique, personal look.

Just keep in mind you don’t want to use too many large patterns in one room or it will overwhelm everything else.  Also, small patterns are effective when used in small rooms, because they work really well in rooms with a variety of surface angles.

Now we all can agree that patterns can be a very important part of a room, but it is up to you how you use it.   Just keep in mind that too many large patterns look not only confusing but unorganized; too few patterns can leave a room looking a bit on the drab side.  Keep these different ideas in mind while shopping around.

Do you want your small room to look more spacious?  If so, go with geometric patterns, like horizontal or vertical stripes to make your room look taller or wider.  Just don’t overdo it and the room will turn out great.  Have a great time, get creative and let your imagination run wild.

People often prefer painted walls over wallpaper. But those people may be missing out on some of wallpaper’s advantages. In terms of design trends, wallpaper tends to go in and out of style. But no matter its popularity, here are 5 reasons to choose wallpaper for your walls.

1. Wallpaper Offers a Variety of Styles
When you use paint, all you can choose is the color of the walls. And if you are not handy with a paintbrush, you can usually choose only one color. On the other hand, wallpaper gives you much more variety to choose from. Wallpaper not only varies in color, but also in terms of patterns and textures as well. With paint you are quite limited, whereas with wallpaper you have thousands of options to pick from. In terms of wallpaper, the options are endless in terms of what you can choose for your home. You’ll be surprised at all the different types of wallpaper they make nowadays.

2. Wallpaper Can Help Disguise Imperfections
Wallpaper provides a great way to hide any imperfections or uneven surfaces on your walls. Since wallpaper covers the wall, a crack or dent won’t be visible anymore. Compared to paint, wallpaper does a much better job at disguising and imperfections.

3. Wallpaper Displays Your Real Personality and Interests
No matter what you happen to love, be it trees or boats, you can easily express that interest in your life with wallpaper. Wallpaper truly allows you to express your personality and showcase what interests you. No matter what hobby you want to show off, you will most likely be able to find wallpaper to go with it.

4. Wallpaper Can Improve the Appearance of the Room
Wallpaper can make a room look much better than it did before. Wallpaper can work wonders at bringing together different elements of the room into a more cohesive style. Or you can use wallpaper to remedy other circumstances, such as making a small room look larger. Putting wallpaper on the walls is one of the biggest things you can do to change the style of a room. When wallpaper is pleasing to the eye and fits well with the style of the décor, it can actually look much more appealing than just paint on the walls.

5. Wallpaper Borders Are a Great Option for Extra Style
If you can’t decide whether to paint or wallpaper a room, try painting and adding a wallpaper border to the walls. This way, you can have the personalized style and added character wallpaper brings to the room without the big commitment wallpapering the whole wall entails. With a wallpaper border in the middle or at the top of the wall, you can incorporate more of your sense of style into the room.

As a home decorating tool, wallpaper is not going anywhere. Although according to décor trends it may come and go, there are permanent benefits to having wallpaper on your walls at all times.