This section is from the book "Our Homes And Their Adornments", by Almon C. Varney. Also available from Amazon: Our Homes and Their Adornments.
WE present herewith a few hints to guide our readers in the choice of wall and ceiling papers for different rooms. In the first place, it must be borne in mind that the paper must not be the most ornamental part of the room, but must serve as a background for the general furnishing and objects the room contains.
If the general furnishing of the room is rich and elaborate, the paper should correspond; still it must not be too conspicuous, but form a rich background to harmonize with the various rich objects which are presented against it.
If the furniture is plain, it will be entirely out of place to have a rich paper upon which it shall be outlined; for then the richness of the latter will tend to give a cheap appearance to all the furnishings of the room. Consequently, care must be taken not to give too rich a color to the walls of a room, and one not in harmony with all the surroundings. A gold paper is not needed to add to the richness of a room.
Another consideration in choosing paper is as to how light or dark the room is. If a room has many windows, and is therefore well lighted, it will bear a paper with a darker background than though it was poorly lighted; and a dark room should, on the other hand, have a light paper.
For parlor or drawing-room paper, those with light or medium backgrounds are regarded in best taste, introducing but few colors and those of rich and delicate tints, and distributed as evenly as possible, so as to avoid any strong contrasts.
The patterns for parlor papers are subject to frequent change, the latest styles running more to curved lines than to any distinct patterns. The choice of patterns, however, is a matter of taste, and must in most cases be determined by the size and general appearance of the room.
Dados are rarely used upon parlors or drawing-rooms. A frieze or border is always used, and these are of widths varying from six to twenty inches. The width of the frieze upon any room must be determined by the height of the room and by other accessories. This is usually of the same color as the background of the paper, or, possibly, in most cases a little lighter, but seldom of a darker hue. The idea of the frieze is to give an appearance of greater height to the room, and the frieze and paper should be separated by a dark band or a band of gold color. A gilt molding is often used at the junction of the wall and ceiling.
In this connection it might be suggested that a French pearl-grey, a warm stone color, a pale buff, or a delicate green, are all beautiful for parlor walls. The faintest suspicion of pink, like the inner lining of some lovely sea-shells, is both pretty and becoming, and will go well with most things in the way of furnishing.
A frieze of flowers and butterflies would not be inharmonious with this tint. Pale lemon-yellow is a pleasing tint, or a fuller apricot-yellow is very effective, especially with black wood-work.
In speaking of the color it is not meant that the wallpaper must be of one single tint, but reference is made to the predominating hue, which exists even when pattern and coloring are complex.
The shape of a room has much to do with its general effect. A long, narrow room lacks the capabilities of one square, or nearly square. A broken line of wall is by no means a misfortune, and may be converted into prettier surprises than could possibly be effected with straight lines.
For a library, more antique patterns may be used in wall-papers, and the prevailing style at present is the use of Pompeian colors, of somewhat sombre hues, but not enough so to make the room appear gloomy.
Dados are used in the library. These are not less than 26 inches wide, and sometimes as high as four or five feet, but oftenest run from 30 to 40 inches. Dados are either of the same shade or somewhat darker than the wall-paper, but never of a lighter shade. Friezes are also used, which are usually of a lighter shade.
The choice of wall-paper must be determined greatly by the amount of light to which they are exposed. If the room be somewhat dark, a paper with a very light background should be put on, and generally speaking, light papers should be used on bed-rooms, but considerably darker for a well-lighted than for a poorly-lighted room. Where there are floods of sunshine, French grey, blue, or cream color may be used to advantage.
If friezes or bordering can be found of roses and buds, morning glories, daisies, or primroses, according to the paper, the effect will be very good. Patterns of flowers are especially appropriate for bed-rooms. A cottage bed-room, papered with small pink roses on a white satiny ground, is exceedingly pretty.
The paper for the dining-room should have a background of a medium, or from a medium to a dark, color. If a dado is used, then rich colorings may predominate in the dado while the wall may be left comparatively free of colors and quiet in tone. The dado may be from 30 to 40 inches in height.
If no dado is used, the walls themselves may partake of bright and cheerful colors, and well-defined patterns. The ceiling should be light and delicate, and near the cornice one or two lines of harmonious but contrasting color with that on the walls.
One of the handsomest wall coverings for a dining-room, where it is at all suitable, is a dado of rich maroon, with gilt figures, and a gilt and maroon molding in lines; above this, a very pale tint of olive-green with the cornice of maroon and gold.
 
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