So, I see wallpaper as the lipstick of home cosmetics. You can be as bold as you like, but I think wallpaper is most effective when used sparingly.  The old mothers truism about make-up transfers rather well to home design I think- paint your eyes or your lips, cleavage or legs, overkill leaves no room to think and nothing to the imagination. With this in mind, having filled downstairs with a bric-a-brac of objects and pictures, we have not ventured into wall lipstick. I am now tentatively turning my attention to the upstairs hallway and  bedroomsWith this in mind, having filled downstairs with a bric-a-brac of objects and pictures, we have not ventured into wall lipstick. I am now tentatively turning my attention to the upstairs hallway and  bedrooms  (I’ve been psyching myself for 6 months on the next onslaught of woodchip removal). So far, with the exception of the odd fabrics and throws, upstairs is quite sparse and calm.  Unlike the majority of design snobs I don’t have an aversion to the ubiquitous feature wall, this is partly because my taste in wallpaper veers between expensive and ridiculously expensive! I think my approach to wallpaper is much like that endorsed in cookery books, buy the best meat you can afford and use less of it, after all you will probably be looking at your chosen wallpaper for a long time so you might as well go for something you adore, however, all walls equates to gluttony in my eyes.

There are so many fabulous papers on the market (not least of which the Fornasetti ones referenced last week) so I have compiled a Top 10 to help narrow down my choices, what cornucopia for the eyes:

My Top Ten Favourite Papers:

1. This is my top contender, which we totally can’t afford, but I am in love, may have to find a very small wall for it. The design is called Columbia Rd (after the flower market) and is designed by a small London based company called Custhom
   
2. I love the literary whimsy of this, Emma Maloney’s Beastly Chronicles paper is based on the short stories of Saki and each motif depicted comes from one of his tales:
3. I’m not really one for Cath Kidston these days, the frivolity lost in franchise, too much a byword for middle class austerity-smug nostalgia. However I do covet this Riviera print wallpaper, the ice cream hues are dreamy, I have bought a sample to frame, it really nudges you to think yourself on the harbor at Portofino, Cap Ferrat, Santa Margherita, Capri etc…
4. Anyone who knows me or looks at my blog regularly will not be surprised to see the number of entomology based papers make it into my top ten. Timorous Beasties is a company of particular note for this, some of the background colours are too bright and bling for me but I love the following three – I know, I know, this is technically cheating!
5. I love Miss Print designs (have coveted their Dandelion Mobile chair for the last 18 months) sadly I think this – Cotton Tree – is too bold for us but I love the colours (sadly not as effective online as on paper).
6. Another design by Custhom, this one is even more expensive, Columbia Rd Maetallic, but it’s gorgeous:
7. I just love this Louise Body Mixed Folk Tile wallpaper, we considered this for the kitchen (having been so charmed by lovely Rachel Khoo’s Little Paris Kitchen) before opting for the safe design choice of miniature white metro tiles.
8. This is my husbands favourite wallpaper, but it only just makes it into my Top 10. Its so subtle and simple but really charming, its called Ostrich in Pencil on Bone and is made by Beware The Moon.                                                                                                      
9. I am totally in love with the output of English design team Rapture & Wright, their real magic lies in textiles, but I love this moody Cloud Bay paper:
   
10. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but I love what Cole & Son do with wallpaper! This is one of my current favourites, its called Woods & Pears and is from their ‘Contemporary Restyled’ collection
    

There are so many ways to make use of your favourite wallpaper samples, without wishing to sound like a home makeover show, this is what I did with some of mine. The designs inside the embroidery hoops have been a lovely distraction from the optically intrusive woodchip!