Purpose and Feeling

As with any aspect of interior design, when it comes to wall coverings, my team and I always begin by getting to know our client’s lifestyle. We approach 100% of our projects by asking: How would you like to use this space, and when you use it, how would you like to feel? Do you want to feel calm and peaceful? Or do you want to feel energized and happy? Are we looking for a spark in the room that makes it feel upbeat? What are we doing in this room? Is this a space of retreat, or are we entertaining in this room?

Once we know the answers to these questions, we can begin to make choices. Often, we get an idea of the overall environment first, and then we place the items in the room. Sometimes, we want to use a particular wall covering, so we can go ahead and select furniture to complement it.

For certain rooms in our clients’ homes—especially bedrooms—we almost always use a wall covering rather than paint. I feel it adds warmth and interest to the walls, which is very different from a coat of paint.

I tend to divide my wall-covering choices into two categories: neutral and patterned. Each brings something unique to a room. 

Neutral

If you’re looking for some texture to give a little visual interest to a room—to make it more atmospheric—then lean toward neutral wall coverings. Be it grass cloth or some other fabric or natural fiber, these choices add a distinct depth, color, and variation that contrast with how bold patterns infuse energy into a space.

The effect natural light has on a neutral wall covering varies depending on the angle at which the sun hits the paper. Textured wallpaper brings more warmth to a room than paint of the same color. It’s an aesthetic statement that goes a long way.

Patterned

When you want to bring energy into a space, I suggest opting for a vibrant pattern or bold shade of lacquer.

For example, we might recommend a traditional chinoiserie paper for a dining room or something elaborate or heavy on detail for a powder room or children’s playroom. It is ideal to try patterns in a room that invites creative freedom because you don’t live in it all the time.

But patterns don’t always equal high energy. Sometimes, we might be looking for a neutral pattern that supports an overall textured theme. Take nurseries, for example. These rooms are meant to be quiet and nurturing, so it’s essential to mute any contrast. We might put tan, taupe, or beige on a cream background. Then we layer in the textures and the whites, which also lend pattern to the room. The element of contrast is still there, but it is subtle and soothing.

This is similar to our approach with Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson East and her husband, Andrew East, a former NFL player, when we decorated the nursery for their baby number three. Shawn and Andrew each had an outdoorsy upbringing with countryside elements like apple orchards and honeybees. To recreate this ambiance in the baby’s room, we first found an adorable wallpaper and had it custom-colored. Then, Shawn’s dad pitched in and built the wainscoting, which we also painted in a custom color. It was a wonderful surprise reveal for the whole family, and we were honored that they completely trusted us to design this special room.

Kitchens

It's more common to see wall coverings in European kitchens than their American counterparts. Instead, I might look for an opportunity to use a slab of marble or stone or a wall of uniform tile. My goal is to bring in layers and textures that are only achieved by putting material on the walls. Whether it's a Roman clay paint treatment, a paper, or a stone, the feeling of polish, finish, and interest is what I’m after.

I always come back to how my client wants to feel in a room and how they use it. As for me, cooking is my hobby, and I adore being in the kitchen. I love to have guests seated at the island, chatting with me while I'm busy with meal prep. So, I wanted that kind of warmth, that relaxed-gathering feeling. The end result is a rich, layered feeling that comes from every choice we made for the kitchen—the walls, the finishes, and the countertops.

No matter your design project, the first step should always be defining the room's purpose and how you want to live in it. If you know where you want to end up, you can address each design question as it arises along the way. Follow this advice, and your reward will be a beautiful home that expresses your unique personality in every detail.