Wallpaper is back, and these photos from D.C. readers are proof
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"French Marigold" wallpaper by York Wallcoverings. Photo: Courtesy of Samantha Dorsey
Wallpaper is back — and DMV designers are wrapping anything that doesn't move.
The big picture: Taskrabbit saw a 70% year-over-year increase in wallpapering bookings from January to May 2024 compared to the same period last year.
What we're hearing: "Granny chic" is still in style, but some may find those classic wallcoverings are too "old timey or stuffy," according to interior designer Maggie Bratton Dillon.
- "It's all about the balance, though, and choosing complementary patterns, colors, furniture and more can really elevate a space," she says.
The intrigue: It's not just bedrooms and dining rooms. Nooks and crannies, closets, bookshelves and laundry rooms are all getting makeovers, too.
- These small spaces are a playground for bold colors and patterns that might be overwhelming in main living areas, experts say.
Zoom in: "Buying and decorating my first historic house was VERY exciting. And, surprisingly, overwhelming," decorative art historian Samantha Dorsey shares with Axios.
- Her 1911 Arlington farmhouse has a "true parlor in the front," where she knew she wanted an "old-looking, moody blue wallpaper."
- She went with "French Marigold" by York Wallcoverings — a look she says she'll love for decades to come.
Jenny Martin went with a navy and white Farrow and Ball wallpaper for the hallway of her Columbia Heights condo. For labor and three rolls, she spent around $1,600 on the refresh.
- "Wallpaper is back. It's not your grandma's take any longer." she claims.
What's next: "Wallpaper borders have been and still are making a real comeback," Dillon shares with Axios.
- It's lower risk and more affordable than covering an entire wall, but still makes an impact, she says.
The bottom line: Plain walls be gone.