How to Mix Wallpaper Into Your Decor

Hi, it's Emily from MUSE Wall Studio back with some real life tips to help you unleash your personality in your home decor. 

One question we sometimes get from customers is this:

"How do I incorporate a wallpaper I love into my current decor?"

The answer is that there are surprisingly few rules, and that it's ok to take risks. But I know that's not a super satisfying response so below are a few guidelines to help your place look fab when adding new elements, like wallpaper, into the mix. I'll explain each point using different aspects of this Jenny Komenda room designed for Real Simple Magazine as an example:

Real Simple Magazine showroom designed by Jenny Komenda featuring Leaf Branches wallpaper from MUSE Wall Studio

Guidelines for mixing wallpaper into your home decor:

1. Colors need not match perfectly. In fact, it's best if they don't! Check out the room in the photo above. You can see our Leaf Branches wallpaper on the focal wall, which is a blue-purple color. Now look at the adjacent wall color — it's more of a blue-gray. This color doesn't match perfectly but it works because it's in the same general color family with some blue undertones. Using similar — not perfectly matching — colors adds interest and dimension to your space, giving a more layered look.
2. Don't be afraid to mix patterns. The wallpaper you fall in love with will certainly be a pattern of sorts, and possibly a very bold pattern! But you likely already have other patterns in your home. Maybe pillows, curtains, and a rug. Mixing patterns is a great way to get a more original look that really shows your personality. Most patterns can be mixed, and here are some easy touch points for you to keep in mind: a) keep pattern colors similar or complimentary; b) different TYPES of patterns are preferred, like buffalo plaid + floral; c) different pattern SCALES or SIZES are preferred, like a tiny and busy dot pattern with an oversized geometric pattern.In the example photo above, the long pillow on the bed has a small scale pattern, while the wallpaper has a larger scale pattern. That's good. 
3. Pull it all together with accessories. It's ok to have very different stye decor elements in one room, and you can make them look cohesive with accessories. In the example photo below, the wallpaper is decidedly on the feminine side, but that leather bed is so masculine! Imagine the room with just the wallpaper, the rug, and the bed. It might seem a little "off," right? Well add back in the rustic wall art, the modern light fixtures, the flowers in a geometric vase, and the floral pillow. All these accessories help fuse the look together. Some are a little more feminine, and some a little more masculine. But the mix is what makes this room really gel. 

I hope these tips are helpful. If you'd like some tips on matching a wallpaper with your home decor, please reach out! Just reply to this email (photo attachments are great) and I'll get back to you with two business days with some ideas. 

Happy wallpapering!

Emily from MUSE Wall Studio