Never Underestimate the Power of Wallpaper

From Margaret on January 14th, 2011 in Home Decor

It can be easy when creating a space to consider elements like flooring, furniture, accessories. And these are important, no doubt. Yet distinct wallpaper can almost relieve the space of a need for any furniture. At all.

Sometimes intimidating because of its permanence and bold statement, wallpaper can immediately infuse a home with personality, no matter how great or less-than-perfect its original bones. Take a look at how each of these spaces have been made into their own little wonderful worlds, through their walls.

Alix Soubiran, a Paris-born artist, sees walls as the base for a story or a mood. Her spaces could exist without a bit of furniture and still be puzzlingly enticing. Soubiran’s own wallpaper designs have transformed her 1923 duplex into a wonderland.

The inside of her duplex immediately offers a wide arch covered in Birds and Flowers, which frames the cream-painted living room. Though wallpaper is often accused of limiting the scheme of a space, this area shows just how freeing and finishing it can be.

This milder geometric pattern, Enchanted Gipsy, tones down the energy while instilling this dining space with a formal yet livable feel. Soubiran loves the mystery of the space.

In what Soubiran calls the French room, muted broad stripes offer a regal mixture of Rococo and cottage. The bold paper is balanced by simple and delicate bedding. Wanting something “luminous, soft and restful,” Soubiran has achieved such a vibe in this dreamy space.

And one can’t leave out Baby in all of this color and stimulation. Soubiran painted a Napoleonic campaign tent for the peaked ceiling in her daughter’s nursery. The repeated pattern of bright yellow stripes reinforces this small and stunning space.

And where the walls remain quiet, almost whispering to those passing through? Well. There’s the detailed ceiling just before the dreamy bedroom.

Ah, c’est magnifique.