Wallpaper Thoughts

Staging To Sell
Patterned and colored wallpaper, and wallpaper borders, are as deeply personal as family photos, ages a house as quickly as accent colors change, and present visual clutter that pulls a potential home buyer's attention away from the room. Of course, there are a few buyers who will find your colors and patterns charming. But, most buyers will just find it is hard to judge the shape and size of the room because the patterns and colors get in their way. When you live in the home, it should be decorated any way you like it. If you like wallpaper - go for it! But, when it is time to sell your house, it is also time to take the wallpaper down, sand and prime the walls, then paint the walls a neutral, current color that will both focus buyer's attention on the room and will make most buyers feel comfortable (not distracted) in the room.

So, is there any time I leave existing or install new wallpaper in a house? Of course there is. Sometimes my client's budget cannot cover the cost of removing wallpaper, patching the walls, priming, and painting. In that case, I examine the existing wallpaper very closely. If it is secure to the wall, and the seams are tight, I will prime and paint directly on the wallpaper. If the original installation was done properly, the coverage will last for many years.

If the wallpaper is loose or peeling, or if the seams are gapped, then I do recommend taking it down.

And, occasionally, when the walls are wavy, I have used grasscloth to apply a very simple pattern that minimizes the uneven walls. Or, I match the wall paint color to a neutral grasscloth color, then use the grasscloth on the focal, or accent, wall. Using the same color on differing textures creates a subtle, elegant effect.

Finally, if the house has a definite and defined style, like a Victorian Painted Lady, and the existing wallpaper is both in very good shape AND appropriate to the style, then clean it and leave it.

Staging To Live
When I Stage a home to live, my clients and I explore wallpaper as a good way to make the house feel more like their home. If my clients expect to live in the home for a long time, and if they really like a wallpaper pattern, I encourage them to have it installed. Staging To Live uses the principles of Staging to accomplish the opposite of Staging To Sell: Staging To Live personalizes the home. So, please do not think I don't like wallpaper. Wallpaper serves a very good purpose. It obscures uneven walls. It dresses up a room. It adds motion and accents to the room. It makes the individual who chose it very happy, very comfortable. It reduces the chances a house will sell, but it enhances the pleasure of living in the home.