Wall finishes & coverings

Wall Finishes & Coverings

Wallpaper and paint colour is the canvas, not the main event, providing a background for pictures and furniture. If you are constrained by budget, roller a wall and do the finishing coat with a paintbrush. Don't be afraid of large print in a small room or to use florals in rooms other than bedrooms.

Pattern can make space feel larger - your eye is drawn through it rather than stopping as it does with block colour. I recommend using small print in corridors. Tongue-and-groove adds warmth and is durable and is ideal in a boot room as it is very hard-wearing. Try tone-on-tone wallpaper to give texture and interest. A 6-8 inch board is recommended for tongue-and-groove.

Love wallpaper but nervous about covering an entire room in a big, splashy print? Use it somewhere fleetingly - a hall, a powder room, a guest bedroom. It's a good way to find your wallpaper legs.

Wallpaper Tips

You may think this is obvious, but make sure your paper is hanging the right way. To avoid any ambiguity, you should talk to your wallpaper hanger first. In small rooms or on the backs of bookcases, I would suggest using small prints.

I love Pheasant by Twigs, a wallpaper that's designed to mimic hand-marbled bookends. Florals aren't just suited to bedrooms - try them in other spaces, too.

Discover More

I recommend:

• Blithfield & Co
• Sister Parish
• Donghia, Hinson
• George Spencer
• Michael S. Smith
• Marthe Armitage
• Morris & Co
• Pierre Frey
• Simon Playle
• Tissus d'Helene
• Turnell & Gigon
• Waterhouse Wallhangings