Using patterned wallpaper

How to choose your pattern
Before you take out the pasting table and brushes, think about how you use the room you're about to decorate. Do you mainly use it in the daytime or at night, for work or relaxation? Summery florals against a white background teamed with distressed white furniture is a fresh look for a sunny room. For an evening room you can create depth and intensity with daring shades like plum, midnight blue and even black, lifted by a metallic gold or silver motif. Offset these sultry shades with reflective items like mirrors and chandeliers to lighten the atmosphere.

When shopping for new furnishings or matching your patterned wallpaper to existing items, make sure you have a sample of your chosen print to test against key pieces. Create a mood board to try out accent colours against your chosen design and explore different themes. Before shopping for accessories decide whether you want a modern or antique look, oriental or Art Nouveau for your home wallpaper.

Wallpaper trends
Art Deco-style papers are a great way to bring geometric designs into the home in an understated manner. Flock is also popular once again and comes in black and white, metallic and even strikingly modern colours like hot pink which purposefully clash with the traditional patterns. For classic florals you can't beat Laura Ashley, while for Sixties and Seventies geometric designs there are a wealth of online stores selling reproductions as well as genuine vintage rolls. For the retro look you can never go far wrong with Orla Kiely's simplified flower power prints.

Pictoral and graphic wallpapers are another big hit at the moment and Cole & Son has the trend covered. Tracey Kendall's trompe l'oeil book wallpaper from Brume will even make you look more learned than you really are. But, if none of these looks take your fancy, you could create your own designs by overlaying wallstickers from Interactive Wallpaper.

Integrating pattern with your scheme
Use furnishings in keeping with the style of your wallpaper. If you have gone for an elaborate Rococo design then choose ornate carved furniture to match. With a Sixties geometric design wallpaper seek out an authentic vintage item like an egg-chair or otherwise find a retro lookalike. A sofa upholstered in the same print as the wallpaper creates a contemporary look that is almost like an optical illusion. Pick a motif from the patterned wallpaper and try and repeat it elsewhere in the room. Select an accent colour from the design and use it for scatter cushions or other small items.

If you want a flamboyant design but are worried you will get bored with it, try using a bold fabric pattern stretched across a large wooden frame. This is a good way to experiment with pattern without committing to it forever. Alternatively, try papering just one wall to create a feature. In the bedroom opt for the bedhead wall which emphasises the room's function.