Wallpaper Points And Tips

( Originally Published 1930's )

1. The character of a wallpaper should be that of the character of the room, which depends on the architecture of the house, the size of the room, and its use, as well as the furniture in the room.

2. A Colonial house should have wallpaper based on Colonial designs. A Georgian interior should have the more formal Colonial papers.

3. With Chippendale furniture a wallpaper with an Oriental motif is good.

4. To be used with Adam furniture, papers have been designed with the characteristic urn, ram's head, and Wedgewood plaque.

5. With Hepplewhite and Sheraton, use the light landscape scenics and colorful chintz designs.

6. For French interiors use papers with the formal feeling of French furniture, or the graceful lines of the later periods.

7. Labor is expensive, so buy a good paper and let it remain on the walls for several years, thus saving additional labor costs.

8. The repetition of the design should not form objectionable zigzag lines.

9. Be careful of color. In a gay floral paper, a red rose must be balanced by another flower of equal intensity to prevent spottiness.

10. To notice these points two or more repeats of the paper must be seen. A sample book is not adequate. Visit a show room.

11. Plain unpatterned pagers come in lovely colors.

12. To waterproof paper give it a coat of glue size and then apply waterproof varnish.

13. To antique-use a prepared antique mixture which can be purchased at a wallpaper store.

14. To make ceilings look higher, use a paper that has vertical lines, such as one with an upward motion, as a vine or a tall slim conventional design. To make a ceiling seem lower, use a paper with a drooping design.

15. A paper with back shadings, as a scenic, makes a room look larger. Horizontal lines on a paper make a wall look wider.