Paper, paper on the wall...

If looking for an instant way to perk up the decor of your home, then wallpapers are the perfect choice. A Varsha Rao tells you how

Would you like to have pretty posies adorning the walls of your home? Or, would you like to have artistic murals enhancing the look of the area? Or, would you prefer contemporary geometric prints to give a sophisticated look to your walls? Well, if you said yes to any of the above questions, then wallpapers are the perfect choice for you.

Wallpapers are sheets of paper with designs etched on them. They are pasted on walls and usually run the entire length of a wall. Wallpapers have a history of their own. 

History of wallpapers

Wallpapers were earlier stencilled and hand-painted by artisans. They used to adorn the houses of the royal and the rich. Since nature was the easiest available muse for artists, it paved its way onto most of the wallpapers. 

Blue skies, green hills, cherry blossoms and even animals were inked on paper. Daily activities of the royals like a walk through their garden, festivities and other events were also highly popular. 

Wallpapers have ever since evolved and have now become an important part of every home decor. We now have geometrical, floral, ethnic and modern designs in the wallpaper arena. Take your pick. 

Wallpapers dominated only certain areas of a home like the living room and the entrances in the olden days. But, thanks to a change in outlook, wallpapers are now in every part of our homes. 

First, zero in on a spot in your home to use the wallpaper. It could be a specific wall or the entire room. Ensure that the wallpaper you choose is complementary to the colour scheme of the room. You wouldn’t want a bright red wallpaper next to three blue-coloured walls, right?

Some of the best areas for your wallpaper fetish are your bedrooms, the area behind your TV and kitchens.

The area behind our television is ignored by most of us. You can perk up the entire wall by using wallpapers in soft colours like peach, crimson, scarlet hues and muted shades of blue. This gives a cozy appeal to the entire room and also makes it appear spacious.

You can go crazy with wallpapers in your bedrooms. Choose from a wild geometric print in dark colours or go in for large patterns in bright shades. You can also choose a theme like jungle, wildlife, nature, buildings, entertainment, books, music, abstract and so on. 

If you feel it is too much at one go, then go in for the wallpaper for just one wall in the bedroom, preferably behind the bed. A co-ordinated light on this wall will radiate beautiful ambience at night.

New look

Want to give your kitchen an instant makeover? Bring in a funky wallpaper. Fruits and vegetables are the usual choices here, but that is so outdated. Wallpapers in gold and grey hues work beautifully, both during the day and night, in the kitchen. 

Geometric prints are your best option here. You can get tiny panels in different shades to uplift the space. You could also take the safer way by choosing floral prints here. 

If you want an ethnic flavour to your home, then go in for ethnic wallpapers. Mughal motifs, Turkish prints and Persian prints are some of your choices. Folk prints also give life to any area you choose. If you are feeling a bit more adventurous, go in for tribal prints in myriad colours. 

Sometimes, you don’t have to go in for predictable patterns. Abstract shapes render a mystic appeal and also bring in a sense of uniqueness to the room. Zig-zag patterns, shapes like hexagonal and spherical make the place look hip and modern.

Something for the kids

Why should rooms for the tiny tots be left out? So, get your child’s favourite cartoon character on the walls of his or her room. Bring alive all the animals of a forest on the walls of your kid’s room. Fairies, warriors, birds, trains and even outer space can find a space on the walls here. 

The biggest advantage of using wallpapers in your kid’s room is that they can be changed as your child grows up. SpongeBob Square Pants for a five year old and spaceships for his tenth birthday.

Modern touch

So, what’s new in colourful pieces of paper? It looks like there has been a complete revolution in this specific area. Wallpapers are no more just shiny and varied designed sheets, but they have evolved into 3-D forms also. 

3-D wallpapers blend into the room and give a consistent appearance. You can use this to your advantage and camouflage lights and shelves within the wallpaper. When the lights are switched on, all you can see is the radiance and not the source! This makes for a very interesting effect.

Now, wallpapers also come in different designs embedded in them. For example, you can get wallpapers with designs of  the tear drop, flowers, leaves, birds, and some interesting motifs. Believe it or not, they stand out as artefacts, but in reality, they are just embedded designs.

A new addition to the wallpaper family is the one that emits light! Yes, this wallpaper has its designs radiate soft light. When switched on, this wallpaper, through a series of electrical conductivity, gives out light through just the pattern. So you could adorn your walls with illuminating branches of a tree or radiant birds flying across the wall. 

If you are concerned about the environment and want to reduce paper consumption, do not fret. You have the option of wallpapers made from recycled paper. This not only reduces your carbon footprint, but also lends a unique texture to the wall.

One can also find customised wallpapers that suit your needs. You can get a caricature done of a particular event from your life. This adds quirkiness to the space. Also, you can find colour-it-yourself wallpapers where various patterns are printed with spaces in them for you to fill your own colours. 

So, forget expensive home decor ideas and walk into a wallpaper store today to get that beautiful and appealing piece of paper for your loving home.