wallpaper as a feature

[warthog]

what do you think of using wallpaper as a feature? a panel of say this stuff? on just a section of wall, such as above a fireplace, or do you think it will date very quickly?

no, but it does get you off the 'who do we make this a joined-up room' question. is there painted wall above or through the shelves? would that be cream?

lol it reminds me of the paper we stripped out of this house when we moved in

the hall stairs and landing had exotic birds on flowery ground

Message withdrawn

this idea was forever damned for me by the seventies and then linda barker

see my instinct would be to match the back wall to the blue of the paper... i think. not sure. it's tricky if you can't see it. have you thougth about getting a really ornate and enormous overmantel mirror at an auction?

Message withdrawn

my friend has done it really beautifully with timrous beasties wallpaper, but she got the colour of the walls just right, just a tone down from the colour of the paper...

Message withdrawn

gawd zippi. can see that in large blocks it's a bit overwhelming. does that mean you vote against?

aitch, we're renovating so the shelves aren't in yet. hadn't thought about behind the shelves, and i think it depends on what they're made of. i think they'll probably be mdf painted white because wood will cost the earth. (ideas welcome!)

it's an old victorian house that we have to completely gut. so the floors, roof, windows, curtains etc. all have to be replaced. EVERYTHING has to be done. quite overwhelming really.

right - am thinking shutters for the windows because there's a window with a semi-circular top bit, a bay window and a normal window and think that it will look silly with curtains cos each curtain rail will be a different height. we're going to put wooden floors down, quite a rich, warm colour but not too dark.

my idea is to keep structural things true to the era eg. windows, doors etc. but everything else has a modern, clean feel. so modern kitchen and bathroom.

also wondering about mix of styles - will the chinese wallpaper be too much?

hadn't thought of matching back of book case to wallpaper. they can make up paint to exactly the right colour... will unite the whole thing. or perhaps a couple of shades lighter.

if you like it then you should have it

I just find that i have had decorating overkill and am heading for saga land magnolia now..cheap easy and quickly "refreshed"

i have been living in the halcyon world of magnolia for bloody years and yearn for something MORE...

gawd, that's a lot of work. tbh i'd leave decoration til the end, once you've got a good feel for how you use the place. we've got mdf shelves made up around our kitchen door (it's very cool, actually, the door is a cupoboard in the kitchen but slides back ont to the sehlves to be invisible when necessary.) we were too skint for proper wood but wanted the illusion of depth do got the chippy to put a facing of two inches deep on the shelf. so it looks very thick and luxurious but is totally fake. you really can't tell, though.

well, the plaster has to be redone too, so they'll have to paint anyway and we're not living there (can't!) so it would be nice to get as much done before we move in as possible.

this is the first home where i have the opportunity to make my mark. i'd like to have cohesion between the rooms, i'd like things to flow... i suspect my head is so far up my *rse now i think i'd better go and do something useful...

Message withdrawn

i believe it! and what was your conclusion?

Message withdrawn

sigh. it does look better than laminate. my reasoning is that you can sand it in 10 years and it'll look great.

warthog - i am not sure if you will like this, but i think its wonderful and am in the process of doing something similar as a 'feature'.

click on the little pics to see fireplace wall - you can use any type of paper - old wallpaper sample books, handmade papers, old comics, whatever your own personal taste is.

There will always be something new-to-see in a wall like this!