Wallpaper 101

Create Instant Patina

Wallpaper can help establish a sense of age and history in a new house. Likewise, textured papers will lend a layered look to walls and an overall perception of immediate depth (notice the warm, permanent mood in the room at left).

And, though manufacturers offer matching fabric and wallpaper patterns to simplify design for the do-it-yourselfer, it's more fun to use those coordinates as a background for something that makes the room your own.