Wallpaper - We Love it, We Hate it!
Apparel fashions come and go, as do home fashions. This is no more obvious than in wall décor. Wallpaper boomed onto the decorating scene after World War II. Prior to that time, wallpaper was mostly pulp based and removal methods didn't exist aside from home remedies of hot water and vinegar. Most homeowners simply papered over (and over and over). Anyone who has ever owned an historic or older home, has likely experienced the joy of removing several layers of old wallpaper, sometimes with paint in-between. Wallpaper use grew in the 1960's as a decorating material, with demand peaking in the 1970's. The 1980's were reflective of the boom of border application. Often this was applied with extra adhesives over wallpaper. My recollection of the 80's is model homes with Waverly wallpaper in every room, along with matching curtains, linens,... It was the era of coordinated, colorful wallpaper splendor. Wallpaper use overall peaked in the early 1990's and has been on the decline since. According to a study by Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) study in 2008, wallpaper was purchased by 9% of homeowners in 1997, and fell to a mere 1.4% in 2007. Likely, no doubt, due to the aggravated homeowners and do-it-yourselfers that were left with the task of undoing excessive wall paper applications, removal of heavy duty adhesives, or whole house applications of what seems now, gaudy, pretentious applications. I have personally owned 3 homes, stripped wall-paper from each and every one (and yes applied new paper- although God knows why because I now want to remove again!).
As a whole, the wallpaper industry has been struggling to over the last decade. Earlier this spring (2009) Lowe's announced its' decision to exit the wallpaper category, opting instead to replace the aisle space with removal products. Home Depot dropped the category in 2005. Lowe's recent announcement seems to have put another nail in the coffin. Menard's (a West Coast retailer) is the only US mass retailer selling wallpaper today.
As a real-estate stager offering full service, I have now added wallpaper removal to my list of services provided. I am continually noting on home seller's burdensome task list to "remove wallpaper" as a means to better stage their home. The goal of home staging is to depersonalize and neutralize. Wallpaper is nearly always very taste specific, and "trendy". If your wallpaper has been up for 8 years or more, is overly floral, if your kids have outgrown the adorable teddy bears or trucks in their walls, and most especially if you are moving, it needs to come down! The conundrum is that sellers are often reluctant to take on the messy, time-consuming task, buyer's overwhelming want more neutral palettes.
But not so fast, specialty retailers advise "wallpaper is making a comeback." Although many homeowners have had bad encounters with wallpaper stripping projects, a lot of the newer, non-woven papers are engineered for easy removal, (they don't tear or rip). Although not like the 80's when wall-to wall, every room, overabundance was all the rage. popularity today is being used primarily on "accent walls" papering only one wall. New home models are now showing wallpaper in one or two rooms, usually the dining room and powder room. New applications, as well as innovative products. are driving the recent gain in popularity. Flocked wallpaper and damasks are popular in monochromatic designs, as is tone on tone. Metallic wallpaper is also hot. I must confess, I have metallic in my basement theater room. It is a metallic border running the length of a bulkhead on each side. It has an amazing ability to capture light and bounce it back in what looks like horizontal neon lighting from the glow of the TV. Unique, and exactly what I wanted (in a very small dose with very big impact).
As I ponder the time and energy to remove the wallpaper of two remaining rooms in my own home that are papered, it seems resurgence is beginning. In my home staging evaluations for homes that have an over abundance of wallpapered rooms, I am now being selective to leave some wallpaper, where it is tasteful, not too loud, and truly adds warmth or character to a home. Alas, the struggle to stay on trend.
