Wallpaper doesn’t turn too many people on any more. Borders, once all the rage, are equally unexciting today as far as many people are concerned. However, it really depends on how you use them. There are creative ways to achieve a tasteful look with these materials.
For a stylish look, choose a subtle texture or print that will blend with your overall wall color. It will add interest without standing out too much.
Alternatively, instead of creating a border around the entire perimeter of the room, you may want to create a focal wall. Stenciling an inspirational message onto the wall in a subtle color and framing it at both ends with a border, or “underlining” it with a soft border are nice touches. You may even want to use more than one style of border, or cut wallpaper into strips to make your own.
Next, cut a few images from the remaining border and frame them. Hang them up, evenly spaced, below the message. This idea will work with any wallpaper or border project and gives your decorating a custom touch. Other cutouts from the border can be used to embellish wastebaskets or accessories.
These ideas are great in kitchens, baths, and bedrooms. If you are doing a child’s room, you may want to create a more whimsical look. If so, select vivid or contrasting colors instead of subtle hues. Rather than placing the border at the top of the wall, you may want to place it at chair rail height or even eye level. Stencil your child’s name and surround it with boldly printed border.
Another fun idea is to make one wall into a large “frame.” Apply wallpaper border about two feet from the top, bottom, and sides of the wall. Inside this frame hang coordinating artwork that mimics the colors or images found in the border. Use images from leftover pieces of border to embellish accessories in your child’s space.
What Can I Do With Leftover Wallpaper?