Dr. Decorator Examines Wonderful Walls
Walls are the largest physical element in a design space, but they are often the most neglected. People expend a lot of time and attention in selecting their furniture and accessories. They obsess about picking just the right sofa and just the right table. Yet most of us will paint our walls white or beige and think that we are finished with our decorative efforts. The furniture will end up looking bland and boring and we wonder what went wrong. A design detective might call this “The Case of the Missing Wall Color.” Dr. Decorator calls this an overlooked design opportunity.
Furniture by Andre Originals
Underestimating the importance of wall colors or design treatments is a huge mistake. Walls are the most dominant element in your home. Colors and treatments should be carefully selected to complement your furnishings, environment, and mood. The options for wall treatments are infinite and can be limited only by lack of imagination.
Furniture by Andre Originals
Brilliant fuscia tones provide a dramatic contrast to the white furnishings.
The high contrast of the furniture and the walls provide a contemporary pop for
classic styled furniture. This is a very popular design trend — white furniture and
strongly colored walls — which will create instant drama for any setting.
Paint colors are more varied and dramatic than ever before. Paint manufacturers like Benjamin Moore offer a vast rainbow of color options. Making color selections can often be a dizzying and distressing task. Fortunately, computer technology has come to the rescue of the indecisive paint buyer. Go to the Benjamin Moore website and you can seethe effect of varying paint choices. The Benjamin Moore personal color user offers the ability to view an infinite number of choices on your own digital photos. Just click on a color and change the look of your room. There is no correct color choice, only the one that is correct for you. The same space will look dramatically different with different choices. “Pretty in Pink” could be the name of the bedroom shown here. The vibrant wall color of a fuchsia tone pink provides a striking contrast to the white furnishings. The room would be just as attractive if the accent color were blue or green or yellow. Paint the walls lavender and it could be called “Pretty in Purple.”
Decorative paint is the title given to a vast array of custom wall treatments. These include sponging, color wash, strie, marbleizing, Venetian Plaster and a number of other decorative treatments. Faux artists can simulate the sky on your ceiling, wood grain on your trim, or create fanciful murals on your walls. There is no limit to what an artist’s craft can accomplish. A simple room can be transformed into a Venetian villa with the application of the painter’s palette. The bathroom shown here becomes a wondrous retreat because of the murals that are painted on the walls. The objective was to create the mood of arched windows overlooking the vista of a tropical resort. The artist measured the space, painted the scene on canvas, and installed the canvas like wall covering. The result is a bathroom which greatly transcends its utilitarian origins.
Wallpaper is a wonderful decorating quick fix. Change the paper and the entire mood of a space is altered. Wall coverings add visual drama, texture and even durability. Textured vinyl papers can simulate any texture and pattern and add to the life of wall surfaces. In a recent project my clients had a very large stairwell and hall area. They requested a stucco type textured wall treatment for these areas. I recommended against the actual stucco treatment for a variety of reasons. Firstly, stucco that is plastered on the walls becomes a permanent installation. If the homeowner changes their décor, they will have to install new sheet rock to eliminate the stucco surfaces. In addition, the stucco can catch on clothing as people walk past it. It is also difficult to clean when soiled. All of these issues were easily resolved when I suggested a commercial quality stucco textured wall covering. The surfaces and texture are uniform across the large wall panels. There is no rough area to snag the clothing of people passing through the halls. It is easily washable and – most important – it is easily changed if and when the homeowner tires of stucco as a decorative element.
Patterned wall covering is an instant means of changing the ambiance of a space. I am particularly fond of wall covering in a powder room or bathroom. Plain tile and wood surfaces get instant drama when enhanced by the pattern of the wall covering. European toile papers create a classical French mood. Paisley and plaid papers impart an English clubby look. Library motif papers create a library look. Florals and trellis patterns will give a garden look. Pick your paper and pick your look.
The mix of wallpaper and moldings is a wonderful visual enhancement. I often use applied moldings to create wall panels into which I then install a wall covering. This creates an elegant classic décor which is suitable for hallways, dining rooms, and bedrooms. Another popular combo of wallpaper and wood moldings is to enhance a room with crown, chair rail molding, and applied wood panels below the chair rail. I then install wall coverings above the chair rail. The wallpaper makes a dramatic design statement which is balanced by the texture of the wood moldings. The dining room photograph illustrates this technique. Classical toile wallpaper is complemented by the wood moldings, classical furniture mix, and elegant window treatments.
Wallpaper patterns may change over the years, but the enhancement to the spaces they adorn is unchanging. Whether dramatic or mellow in tone, paint colors set the mood for your décor. For those who want a custom touch, decorative artists can transform dreams into visual reality. The list of options is endless. The motto is – change your walls and transform your décor.
Photo credit: Mike Dalton Photography
