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Home decoration
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Hall, stairs and landing wallpaper help

41 replies

wowfudge · 18/01/2020 11:37

We're finally getting the hall, stairs and landing redecorated a couple of years after moving in. It is truly hideous at the moment and too outing to post a photo of! But we can't find the right wallpaper.

Arts and crafts house, lots of original dark oak woodwork and very good quality dark red carpet, which we are keeping. It's a beautiful space with a large north facing window.

We need over 20 rolls of wallpaper and it could look stunning with the right paper. A plain, neutral painted colour wouldn't do it justice. Any ideas? I've had samples of light coloured, patterned neutral wallpapers and they are too insipid - would be a waste of money. I love iliv Heathland in linen (the pattern shows up enough), but DP isn't keen - his taste is more conservative/traditional.

Help!

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carrie74 · 18/01/2020 14:28

I love really bold designs, my DH loves beige. I usually manage a little bit of my taste in amongst our decorating, but I also rein my loves in slightly to make sure we don't frighten anyone 😂. So with your brief, would William Morris patterns meet your bold tastes, but his traditional ones?

Here's a link to some red-toned Morris wallpapers: www.wallpaperdirect.com/wallpapers/red?brand%5B%5D=Morris

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wowfudge · 18/01/2020 14:42

Well I love some of the William Morris patterns. He'll say they're too busy unless it's one of the more neutral colours. Also we need over 20 rolls. At over £70 a roll that's going to be very expensive.

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minniemoll · 18/01/2020 14:45

From your description I'd say William Morris would be perfect! Try eBay - you might get some cheaper there. You may have to mix lots, but so long as you keep one lot per wall you should be fine.

PanannyPanoo · 18/01/2020 14:53

20 rolls is a lot of the same pattern. I would be inclined to have a patterened paper on the wall going up the stairs and plain painted walls elsewhere. With some beautiful art work on.

sorryiasked · 18/01/2020 15:04

How about this one

sorryiasked · 18/01/2020 15:06

Or this

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wowfudge · 18/01/2020 16:06

Thanks for the ideas so far. Food for thought. It's a big space, broken up with bookcases, a fireplace, beautiful staircase and has a galleried landing on the first floor. I have thought about using patterned wallpaper on the staircase wall only - my worry is that it would just look as though we have scrimped. The space can take a strong pattern all over, it's more that DP won't go for it.

I love the owls! We have barn owls living nearby.

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RestorationInsanity · 18/01/2020 16:58

If you did the stairs wall in the paper, could you a pull out a strong colour from it to do the other walls? Then I think it will look more that you've made a design choice rather than scrimped on wallpaper, and of it's a grand hall way, the plain but bold wall will be much easier than wallpaper for hanging art etc on.

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wowfudge · 18/01/2020 17:46

Well I never - DP likes the owls and has asked can we get a sample!

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buckeejit · 18/01/2020 19:21

Would you panel the bottom half? Then you could paint it in a coordinating colour. Hard to say without Seeing it but it certainly sounds outing & beautiful!

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wowfudge · 18/01/2020 22:42

There isn't a dado rail for that - the staircase and a big archway towards the window are the main features so I think it would be too much. It's a gorgeous house - we were literally jumping up and down when we viewed it (out of sight of the sellers, obviously!). Anyway this thread has helped me with ideas and DP actually likes some of them - he is terrible at articulating what he does and doesn't like so I have to show him things.

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Nomorewineever · 18/01/2020 22:48

I’ve just been looking for wallpaper for my big landing drop and I came across this and thought how Morris-esque it was....but a bit brighter?

www.photowall.co.uk/birds-nest-white-wallpaper

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wowfudge · 18/01/2020 22:55

I like that and think it could work - DP will say it's too busy. I've told him we should go for something quite striking. We agree there needs to be a light-ish background as the downstairs is quite dark.

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wowfudge · 18/01/2020 22:57

Actually I've just looked at the pictures of that in situ rather than close up and I think the square repeat is too small proportionately, if that makes sense.

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lisag1969 · 18/01/2020 23:37

Laura Ashley, farrow and ball. William Morris. Or you could have wallpaper at the top a Dado rail then paint at the bottom. X

lisag1969 · 18/01/2020 23:39

Or even wood and Dodo rail put at the bottom and paper at the top. X

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wowfudge · 19/01/2020 05:31

I've already decided against F&B at £120 a roll.

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wowfudge · 19/01/2020 09:07

Panelling to match the existing woodwork would also be very costly.

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TiddleTaddleTat · 19/01/2020 09:48

Sounds like an amazing space. My only thought wrt to pricey wallpaper in a hall would be damage and the difficulty and cost of repairing it. For example if you were carrying something upstairs and snagged a small area on the wall. Or handprints (any small children about?)
Personally I'd stick to wallpaper on less accessible areas and tough paint on wall beside staircase.

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wowfudge · 19/01/2020 17:36

We've put up with the hideous decor for so long, we'll take the risk! The whole house was pretty garishly decorated when we bought it.

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wowfudge · 19/01/2020 19:20

Yes - it is. It's also very expensive and we need over 20 rolls. That's before we've paid someone to hang it.

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buckeejit · 19/01/2020 20:02

But you could panel in mdf & paintit rather cheaply.

William Morris golden Lily is lovely & a largeish repeat so should work well ian big space & Isla colourful.