star wallpaper border

Wallpaper Borders Do the Trick

Wallpaper borders are the design element many interior designers and do-it-yourselfers use to take plain vanilla walls over the top. Almost infinitely varied in style and easy to apply, wallpaper borders are not to be overlooked on the decorators pallet of wall covering options.

For the uninformed, wallpaper borders are narrow strips of decorative wallpaper that are applied to create a "border" around a room. Most often at the top of the wall near or against the ceiling though an application mid-wall can work to nice effect also.

The main difference between wallpaper and wallpaper borders is the size of the rolls and the intent of the application. Wallpaper is around 21 inches wide and applied vertically in side by side panels to completely cover the targeted wall. Wallpaper borders are 6 to 9 inches wide, applied horizontally, and meant to accent a wall instead of completely cover.

Visually, wallpaper borders allow you to introduce colors and patterns in a way that can have a big impact even though the application only covers a small percentage of the wall space. You also have the opportunity to work with bolder colors than you would consider for a base paint color. Bold or primary colors can anchor a design that goes on to use softer tones for a pleasing but not at all boring effect.

Themes and patterns are a particular strength for wallpaper borders. It's a safe bet that no matter what you're going for, there's a border to meet your needs. From pet lovers to star gazers to extreme athletes, with a little effort searching, anyone should be able to find what they need. When you find it, no matter how distinctive the design, you won't have to worry about a border taking the room too far. For instance, if you're designing with a racing or sports fan in mind, a narrow border across the top of the wall can hit the spot where a full wallpaper application would probably give the room a childish look.

Functionally, dealing with these narrow strips of wallpaper can be a fairly simple one person project. You can choose either self adhesive or moisture activated rolls. Each works very well on paint, drywall, or another wallpaper. Also, because the rolls are narrow and roll on horizontally, there's no concern with pattern matching.

Wallpaper borders can really do the trick when you're after a design element that gets high marks on versatility, ease of use, and impact on a room. Consider one for your next project.