Some tips on decorating with wallpaper

The Associated Press

Designers John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon, who recently hosted an open house at their Brooklyn townhouse with a wallpaper trade association, offer some tips on how to decorate with their favorite wall covering:

Enlarge photo

AP Photo/Ray Kugler This photo taken June 11, 2009 shows the kitchen of designers John Loecke and Jason Oliver Nixon who picked a large-scale, linear vine pattern for the kitchen of their Brooklyn townhouse. The dining room, kitchen and pantry open into each other and are unified by a progression of complementary green and white wallpaper patterns.

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1. Create a "jewel box" in a tiny space like a foyer by covering the walls and ceiling with a single pattern, then jazzing it up with paste-on rhinestones or pearls. An entryway is also a good place for a pricey paper that may be too expensive in a larger room.

2. Use complementary patterns in rooms that open into each other, like a dining room to a kitchen to a pantry. Unify by using different shades of the same color.

3. Pick two separate but complementary patterns for the walls and ceiling in a bedroom, like a curving vine pattern on the wall that draws the eye to a floral pattern above. It will create visual interest, which Loecke and Nixon note promotes contemplation — and perhaps sleep.

4. Tropical designs are hot. Loecke and Nixon papered a pink-tiled bathroom with a banana leaf pattern in contrasting shades of green. The bold design is famously associated with the Beverly Hills Hotel.

5. Consider dramatic wallpapers for halls and passageways.

6. Use a rare, expensive or powerful pattern on a "feature" wall in a room, where it can serve the same function as art.

7. Woven and grasscloth papers are good for unifying wall space along a multi-story staircase and can also serve as a neutral backdrop for a diverse art collection. A tight sisal weave has the added attraction of hiding nail holes.

8. Wallpaper can help divide open spaces into zones, such as in a bathroom where you might want to distinguish between the shower area and the sink.

9. Celebrate an asymmetrical wall with a bold pattern instead of trying to disguise it.

10. Don't forget the closet: A great wallpaper could even inspire you to be a better dresser.