Jensen Killen and Katie Logan Leblanc

The perks of wallpaper

As the pendulum swings back from the popularity of modernism that held sway in the interior design world during the first several decades of the new millennium, there’s been a return to more traditional interiors — albeit with a fresh twist — and renewed interest in wallpapers. Not since the 1980s have wallpapers graced so many living and commercial spaces. Jensen Killen and Katie Logan Leblanc of Logan Killen Interiors bring us up to speed.

“We’ve reached a sort of next level of people’s comfort with wallpaper,” said Leblanc. “Ten years ago, [a client may have wanted] wallpaper in a powder room. Today they want it for an entire room, multiple rooms, there’s more color, more layering, more warmth.”

While Logan Killen base their designs on the space, it’s location, and their client’s voice and needs rather than trends, they do report multiple themes making news in wallcoverings. 

“One of the things we see a lot is use of murals in wallpaper to create spaces that feel atmospheric,” Killen said. For example, she says a large-scale pastoral scene provides depth and acts like a window into another setting. Killen adds that Old World patterns and using mixtures of wallpapers with complementary patterns in one space are also in favor. 

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  1. For those who prefer minimalism over traditionalism, a wallcovering such as a textured grass cloth is a good go-to.
  2. Small-scale graphic prints work well for layering.
  3. A large-scale pattern in an awkward room can make walls recede and hide imperfections. 

According to Leblanc, homeowners can now have the elegant look of traditional wallcoverings associated with high-end houses like de Gournay, the French maker of hand painted wallpaper and fabrics, without the exorbitant cost and that has contributed to the wallcovering trend becoming more mainstream. The designers, who often do historic renovations, also say there are more options based on historic wallcoverings. 

Yet wallpapers need not be used in old fashioned ways. Logan Killen suggest introducing a wallpaper to disguise an awkward ceiling or architectural feature, using it for a delightful surprise inside a cabinet or closet, choosing pattern over paint to make a bedroom cozy, or picking one with a motif that connects an interior space to an adjacent outdoor view (for example a tropical print for a room next to a courtyard). They advise bringing contemporary relevance to a traditional patterned paper (such as a Chinoiserie paper) by combining it with a mix of modern furnishings and antiques. And when layering wallcovering patterns with other patterned items such as fabric lampshades, bedcoverings etc., they always recommend tying everything together with a common color palette. 

“Mixing patterns well can be hard and perhaps best left to a professional,” Leblanc said.

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About the Expert

Now in business for a decade, Logan Killen Interiors is located on Magazine Street above the designers’ retail store, Sunday Shop. The design studio has also introduced its own bespoke furniture line, appropriately named Sunday (work)Shop. 

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