Select the perfect wallpaper

Small-scale patterns create a feel of spaciousness, while large-scale designs make rooms more intimate. To make an empty room look more furnished, pick large-scale patterns with bright colors and dark backgrounds. To give flat walls the look of depth, try a large, open dimensional pattern, such as a trellis design.

A room without pattern can bore, while a room with too many patterns can cause restlessness. When mixing stripes, florals or plaids in a room or between adjacent areas, pick patterns that repeat the same color or values of that color. Wall-covering books usually group designs by color to make coordinating easy.

Determine how many rolls of wall covering you’ll need.

1. Calculate the wall space to be covered in square feet. Measure a wall from ceiling to floor and horizontally from corner to corner. Multiply those two figures. Repeat for remaining walls. Add the totals.

2. If you’re covering a ceiling, calculate the square footage by multiplying the width of the floor by the length.

3. Divide each figure by 25 — the average square footage in a standard single roll of wallpaper.

4. Subtract from the total one-half single roll for each window and door. The resulting figure is the final number of single rolls needed. Always round fractions to the next highest whole number. If your wallpaper comes in double rolls (most residential wallpapers do), divide this figure by 2.