Is Wallpaper Good or Bad?

Wallpaper – good, bad? What are your thoughts on how it adds to or detracts from home value? I’m intrigued by it – but reluctant to take the plunge.

Welcome to the first installment of Anonymous Design Questions! I’ve been looking forward to this. Before I answer your question, though, I think I should warn you: I’ve been traumatized by all the wallpaper in my life.

That last room? Had THREE different wallpapers in it. Check out where they all met at the corner of my bedroom:

On top of that, my last house had wallpaper on top of wallpaper on top of wallpaper, all covered by drywall mud texture and paint. It was horrific.

Having said all of that, there are a ton of gorgeous wallpapers on the market today that have made me rethink my anti-wallpaper stance.

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There are a couple of things you should consider before taking the plunge.

• How long will you be living in your home? If you plan to sell in the next few years, you should go with something fairly simple and neutral. The last thing you want to do is spend money putting the wallpaper up only to turn around and pull it back down so you can sell. (And for Pete’s sake, please, please, please make sure you follow all of the directions carefully and that the paper you select is easily stripped–just in case.)
• Do you regularly change up your decor because you get bored easily? Wallpaper may not be the thing for you. You might want to consider paint and a really cool stencil. That way you won’t have heartburn about painting over it next season.
• Does the thought of covering an entire room with wallpaper overwhelm you? You might want to try just doing an accent wall or the inside of a bookcase.

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