Unique Uses for Fabric and Wallpaper

Sunshine Drapery sliding glass doors window treatment

Most contemporary home owners are reluctant to use wallpaper in their decorating schemes. There are probably a number of reasons for this:

Wallpaper is considered old school.” Today, a younger generation of home owners has decided that there are a myriad of other options for covering walls – geometric designs with paint, wood, tile, stunning metals, etc. They like the idea of ease of installation and changing wall coverings without water, paste, peeling, etc.
Wallpaper ages, fades, and gets nicked. And, if room décor changes, the existing wallpaper has to go.
It is more difficult to sell a home with lots of wallpaper – a potential buyer may not like the pattern, colors, etc. and can be turned off by an otherwise great home.

Likewise, fabrics have become decorating tools only for furniture and accent pillows, and, occasionally for valances or swags. The days of full heavy drapes in rich fabrics are not something the current generation of home buyers relishes. Rather, they go for great blinds, shutters, shades, etc., in order to have a “sleeker” more contemporary look. If you are someone who has shied away from wallpaper and drapes, you are missing the use of some really fabulous prints and designs that could add stunning touches to your home. No, you may not want an entire wall of a great geometric wallpaper design; and you may not want drapes, or even a valance in a cool fabric. But you can use that fabric for more than just an accent pillow! And, you can use a great wallpaper for many other décor accents!

If you like a particular fabric, wrap it around a canvas of any size and create a piece of wall art.
I have seen great pieces above a fireplace mantel; I have also seen several coordinating fabrics made into smaller framed wall art, to create a stunning combination.
Wastebaskets and the back “walls” of bookcases can be covered in either fabric or wallpaper.
Wallpaper can be used on stair risers for a really dramatic effect!
Cover the face of a clock with either fabric or wallpaper, and glue on numbers in a coordinating or contrasting color.
Cover old placemats with new fabric that matches the colors and décor of your dining or breakfast room.
Use fabric or wallpaper as a “headboard” for a bed. Place it on the wall at the head of the bed and frame it out with colored tape.
To rejuvenate an old coffee table, cover it with wallpaper and have a piece of glass cut to cover it. When you decide to change the décor or colors of a room, you simply look for new fabric or wallpaper!
Cover light switch plates to add accents
Use the same fabric as an accent pillow to make flowers, housed in a unique vase.
Wallpaper sliding closet doors in a bedroom or make a border on an otherwise boring mirror.

You can have a “clean, “sleek,” and contemporary look, and one that you can change as often as you wish, if you use fabrics and wallpapers in unique and unusual ways!