Papering a Room

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1055, 20 August 1930, Page 6

Papering a Room

Difficulties of Choosing Design and Colour

rpHE first difficulty to be overcome in papering a room is that of choosing a wallpaper suitable in design and colour. This need not be the trying business that some people seem to make it. The real difficulty is -that there are so many patterns to choose from, and by the time you have looked at them all, you are quite bewildered, and decide to come back another day. In deciding what you require, first comes the question of colour, as colour is a far greater factor in the general decorative effect than design. Colour has an effect on thought, health and temper, a fact which is generally little realised, says a writer in the “Cape Times.” First decide whether the room requires a dark paper or a light one. If it gets plenty of sunlight, rule out a colour likely to fade. In a room with plenty of furniture, or with many pictures, do not choose a design strongly contrasted with the base on which it is printed. A room that is sparsely furnished, or which contains small and dainty furniture, should have a light or soft patterned paper. Wallpaper a Background It should be borne in mind that a wallpaper is a background, and its purpose is to emphasise the beauty of the furnishings of the room. A paper always looks better on the wall than one would expect, and this lias a lot to do with the satisfaction usually found in a well-finished room. Rich, heavy, highly-polished furniture always looks well against perfectly plain paper, with perhaps a frieze below the picture rail. The modern style favours panelling, either a plain filling with well-marked panels, or a filling of strong and bold design panelled with a plain or severely simple design. It is astonishing how a design which in itself would seem to crowd the room, when panelled out becomes most at tractive.

All wallpaper dealers have books of suggested designs, which well repay the attention of the intending purchaser. They have been prepared by artists who have given them much time and care, and they can be had for the asking. The arrangement of the walls into panels gives an architectural 'quality to the decoration of a room which was not possible with the older designs, by means of cut-out borders, corners, pendants and upward growth effects.

Colour can be placed just where it is needed. About eight to ten rolls of wallpaper are required for the average room. All that is necessary to givq the dealer is the length, breadth and height of the room, when he will immediately know how many rolls are required, and how many yards of freize. Of these ’there are hundreds to choose from, and some of them are really beautiful. One must be guided by the‘colour of the furnishings, curtains, carpets and so on; or choose one with a blend of colours that will harmonise with anything. This is far easier than it seems. Some freizes are made with a sort of border accompanying them, of which the upper portion can be placed under the ceiling or the picture rail, and the lower lidlf, usually much narrower, above the skirting board. Freizes can be bought from a penny a yard upwards. Hang It Yourself! Wallpapers vary in price from Sd a roll up to 15s or more. Enough can be bought for an ordinary sized room, of quite good quality and pattern, for 30s or £2, and if one has the patience and energy one can hang it oneself. Old paper should be removed whenever possible, the new one must be trimmed on the left-hand side, cut into the requisite lengths, and if a pattern care must be taken that the design is continued from one piece to the next. A wall that has been previously distempered or colour-washed should receive a coat of size. This is absolutely necessary with dry powder distempers, otherwise when the paste dries the paper will fall off. A pot of paste made from flour and water, or from one of the preparations sold for the purpose, and a brush or cloth are required, and if possible some assistance to see that each piece hangs properly before it is finally pressed down and rubbed out. - STIMULUS OF COLOUR The introduction of red into the home may not appeal to some people, though lazy people find that it stimulates their minds. Instead of red. yellow or orange are tones which help to give a sense of warmth and light on dull winter days. Any introduction of a strong colour must be kept within bounds, or it may run riot and so destroy all sense of balance.

A rustic fence around a lawn, when this lawn clings closely to the street, harmonises pleasingly with the exterior picture of a home where there is an abundant growth of shrubs and flowers. These rustic fences are often made of slender rods, like saplings with the bark on, woven tightly together with wire.