Popular Retailers Get the Hang of It

Wallpaper Outgrows Its Dowdy Reputation With Chic Designs That Are Even Easy to Remove

If you're considering wallpaper, your timing couldn't be better.

In recent decades, many people have considered paper a fussy, old-fashioned choice -- too permanent and difficult to put up and even worse to take down. Its bad reputation drove droves of homeowners to paint.

Designers reliably insist that wallpaper has never gone away, and among their clients they are no doubt right. But when widely popular chains such as Restoration Hardware, Anthropologie and Pottery Barn offspring PBteen come out with paper patterns, it's a sign of mainstream acceptance. In the past couple of months, Anthropologie has debuted five styles, mostly bold patterns in bolder colors. Restoration's offerings are more subdued, with damasks and stripes in their hallmark latte and sagey shades. PBteen's beach-themed wallpaper murals will launch in time for the summer; a pink camouflage paper will be available in the fall.

Paper is "way more interesting," says D.C. designer Sally Steponkus. "You get a lot of bang for your buck." It generally costs more than paint -- you'll need about $70 worth of paint for a powder room and about $130 for wallpaper, depending on your choices, she says. But repainting will be necessary way before it's time to repaper.

Designers say the right wallpaper can make a room appear larger or a ceiling feel higher. It can add interest where there are no architectural features, and it can help disguise damaged walls and other structural imperfections. Paper can bring out a homeowner's personality and create atmosphere. And there are enough choices to please almost any taste, including large-scale graphics, metallics, silks, linens, velvet flocking, leather, grass cloth, bamboo, lacquer and burlap. Some faux-finish designs resemble silk, suede or marble, and others mimic metal, natural stone or brick.

And talk about versatility: Use wallpaper on all four walls, one accent wall or just the ceiling. Paper the inside of a closet or kitchen cabinets or use it to line shelves. Frame leftover pieces for use as art on painted walls.

And say so long to your paper scraper, because many styles (including those from Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn and Anthropologie) have non-woven backing, which allows for easy removal, says Nick Cichielo, former chief executive of the Paint & Decorating Retailers Association. "Grab a corner, pull it and it comes off."

If that's true, wallpaper could be sticking around for quite some time.