Why Designer Alanna Dunn Chose Peel and Stick Wallpaper for Her Guest Room
Trade Member Alanna Dunn has been working with Reena Sotropa and her talented team at In House Design Group for nine years. After graduating from design school, she worked in the commercial design world, but her love for textiles and longing for a more personal connection with clients eventually pulled her into the residential realm. She loves an eclectic mix of layered textures and patterns, and balancing elements of classic European interiors such as paneling and mouldings against furniture and fixtures with more modern shapes and silhouettes to create a space that feels equal parts fresh and classic. She recently added Bloom (Taupe) in our new peel and stick option to her own guest room, and we couldn't wait to take a deep dive into her wallpaper decision-making process.
You recently did a guest room makeover in your home using Bloom (Taupe) peel and stick wallpaper. Why did you choose that pattern in peel and stick?
Yes, we just finished our guest bedroom makeover and I could not be more thrilled with how it all turned out! I wanted to create a fun and whimsical space for our friends and family to stay while visiting us. Our home only has three bedrooms, so our guest room will likely be reinvented as a kids bedroom down the road when our family grows. With this in mind, I wanted all of the details in this space to translate for future uses of the room, or be easily removed to change the aesthetic of the space when the time comes. When Hygge and West launched their new peel and stick rolled goods I knew it was exactly what I needed! I chose the ‘Bloom’ pattern in a neutral palette to compliment the existing white furniture and bedding within the space.
Any peel and stick installation tips?
Honestly, the process was SO easy, I was pleasantly surprised! It definitely helps to have floor or table space to roll the paper out and work without obstacles. My husband and I also found it helpful to have two sets of hands for applying the paper onto the wall.
What are your tips for bringing pattern into a space like you did?
Whenever I am designing with pattern, the two most important elements I focus my attention on are color and scale. I would consider a very colorful wallpaper to be the "lead character" of a space, setting the overall color palette for the room while a more monochromatic wallpaper would play a "supporting role" in reinforcing the palette established by another element. When it comes to mixing patterns it is so important to assess the scale of each pattern in composition to one another, creating balance by pairing smaller prints with larger repeats.
What were your main considerations for the design of this room and how does it tie in with the rest of your home?
The view into my guest bedroom is a fun contrast from the completely white paneled hallway of our second floor. Right from the start I knew I wanted to paper all the walls of the bedroom – with this and the small size of the room in mind I chose a more simplistic pattern with lots of negative space to keep the space from feeling chaotic. While the big dose of pattern is a departure from the aesthetic in the rest of our home, the color palette of the Bloom print fits perfectly with the furniture and finishes in the adjacent spaces.
