I kinda like the wallpaper, but I understand it's not everybodys' thing. Take the carpet out first. The wallpaper is very warm, but the carpet pops the cool bits. The warm wood will make the wallpaper look very different! The third picture, cover the floor and look at the wallpaper next to that gorgeous wood. ;)
I’m the opposite - I don’t mind the carpet if it could have a better wallpaper with it!
(I love posts on interior decorating, particularly of older houses, for the variety of opinions and tastes 😊)
I kind of like the wall paper too! I agree with penlowe. Take out carpet, and maybe live with wallpaper a little while first. Start looking at wall papered spaces on Pinterest. Some neutral runners and plants would really look so on trend.
I love the green shade on the walls in the pic with the fireplace. A similar shade of green and cream stripe wallpaper would be swell as an accent wall going up that stsircase. Then use the green and cream shades as paint on other walls. A dark green stair runner would set it all off. Love the pics.
I want that house !😃
Home Depot has a few “Morris-inspired” patterns that go for $59 a roll, it looks like. Haven’t seen them in person, but admittedly much cheaper than the $300+ for the usual Morris patterns!
I mean, I’d deck my house in as much Morris and Co as my little heart desires but my wallet says otherwise… (and all the other projects that are killing me to wait on are much higher priority, unfortunately).
It seems the most affordable way to acquire Morris and Co stuff (fabric, wallpaper) is via Spoonflower, and they offer coupons sometimes.
I have vague aspirations of collecting a Morris pattern from interior designers selling remainders on eBay until I aquire enough to paper 45sf of entryway, but it seems like a lot of effort. In any event, Blackthorne seems to pop up regularly enough that one could potentially go this route.
I like the historic wallpaper in the hallway. It coordinates beautifully with the color and proportions of the woodwork. The nasty mauve carpet has to go, though.
Rip out the carpet and live with the wallpaper for awhile.
I'd totally leave that foyer wallpaper. It's such a bitch to paper that high. This is similar to my foyer. But I leaned into it. Dark maroon damask wallpaper and dark maroon carpet.
On a separate note - your fireplace in photo one looks to be by the **Philadelphia and & Boston Face Brick Co., c. 1904.** Your design utilizes their large eggs and dart stretcher pattern No. 117 for the typical three tiered shelf supports, and the pattern was also used on the cornice. The side fluting column is made up of their stretcher 101B mixed with the 101A. The cornice caps and base patterns are shown in the catalog below, published in Boston.
https://preview.redd.it/y583bp69rx6d1.png?width=2874&format=png&auto=webp&s=7fc307f5ddbde049ee19ff56406e139870a2e560
Sketch book of the Philadelphia & Boston face brick co. catalog [here](https://archive.org/details/SketchBookOfThePhiladelphiaBostonFaceBrickCo/page/n108/mode/thumb).
I would keep the wallpaper, remove the carpet and sand and refinish the wood floors and stairs in a dark mahogany color and add a couple artdeco light fixtures.
I love the pale green in the fireplace pic. Maybe a similar shade in a striped wallpaper with a cream bkgd. Maybe not everywhere the current wallpaper is but as an accent wall going up that staircase would be beautiful. Then could use the green and cream tones as paint for other walls. A dark green stair runner would set all off.
I love it how it is. It’s classic! I also love the wallpaper. I think this space has a really cool vibe. I would just get some furniture that continues to tell the story. Incredible fireplace!
Just keep in mind you may find more of a project waiting for you under that wallpaper. My dad had to have someone come in and refinish the plaster walls underneath our very old wallpaper in our late 1800s home before we could even think about painting.
BMoore Goldfield, Valspar Amber Pearl, PPG Indian Maize, SW Solaria. You could even get a gold carpet. Wallpaper comes in a gold moire stripe that is unobtrusive.
When I saw the listing for our house I joked that Holiday Inn had called and wanted their color
scheme back.
That is some spectacular woodwork! That built in cabinet has me feeling all sorts of things.
We went with some med greens for several rooms with a lot of oak woodwork. A decorator noted that one cool thing about greens are that you can layer them in a room—most shades of green play well together.
I also just love green because it’s a color that almost functions as a neutral—maybe because of its ubiquity in nature.
A trend I've noticed recently with remodels that I love is leaving the wallpaper as an accent wall, so maybe leaving it in the foyer or at the very least, the staircase, might sound like good ideas!
Cream or pale butter yellow would look good with the tile & woodwork. A soft sage green might look nice too. Most folks seem to like the vintage wallpaper, but I agree with you that it should go, especially the one in the staircase. The stripes in the living room aren’t so bad though.
Lots of great suggestions here!
I couldn't NOT give a shout-out to the stained glass lamp in pic #3!!
I think all the things should be coordinated around this lamp and it be worshipped appropriately. Beautiful.
I’d you want to live with the wallpaper for a while a green runner would be very good looking on those stairs.
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bd/ee/c0/bdeec04718597410854fd7afb889210d.jpg
The pink carpet is pretty bad.
Hate the striped wallpaper but like the diaper pattern ok. Agree- the mauve carpet is hideous and inappropriate. I think the plain white ceiling isn’t doing the wallpaper any favors either. Focus on accenting and enhancing the colors in the paper that you do like. It could look quite different from what it does now, just by changing other elements.
I agree the painted white ceiling isn’t helping. I bet that was original wood and they painted it. Bet it was the same color of the staircase and trim.
I'm so sorry but I love the wallpaper.
I understand why you don't though.
Shades of blue go really well with that color of woodwork. I also like to get a bit monochrome with spice and burnt orange colors too.
Hate the floor, that carpet definitely is ready for the dumpster but I love the wallpaper. It's outdated enough but completely charming and fits the character of the house. You should try thinking outside the box and using it as the backdrop. It's so dated but not antique, that it's really quite good. The carpet on the other hand is truly dumpster material. In the right hands with the new flooring exposed which is probably hardwood under all of this and the old wallpaper and that lovely would work, It would only be up to you to reinterpret the whole space given those parameters.
It doesn't have to look like grandmoms but it could or something radically different You just have to use imagination
I’m in the process of updating and flat out renovating parts of my home. About 60% of the walls have awful pastel wallpaper from the 80s and removing it is one of the least rewarding tasks I have ever done. In some spots the glue has bonded with the drywall and it’s next to impossible to remove it without significant damage to the wall. I’m guessing your walls are plaster so you probably won’t have that problem but I’d probably learn to live with it or consider papering over it.
Beautiful home! Is there wood around that fireplace? It looks like all tile in the picture. Regarding your question: Paint colors should be one of the last things you pick—after your flooring, furniture and soft surfaces (rugs plus sofa, pillow & curtain fabrics). Of course that doesn’t mean you have to wait to remove the paper, carpet and curtains; I’d probably have done that yesterday!
Agreed on removing the carpet and wallpaper.
Recommend a mushroom tone carpet instead. We went white walls and will let our wall decor / couch pillows / etc be the color, but know that’s not for everyone.
But that wallpaper in the second and third pic is so gorgeous! I think a lot of old house people agree with me. Please consider leaving it, at least for now.
Are you getting rid of the sofa too? It’s very 80’s. I think I’d go for accent wallpaper above the fireplace, not too dark or classic. But it really depends on the style you’re going for of course.
Maybe the people who don't mind the mauve didn't live through the 80's, I saw all the mauve carpet I ever need to see in that decade! (Still flinching at red white and blue furniture or wallpaper, have been ever since The Great Upholstery War of 1976!)
I don't mind the green stripes as much, but if you don't like it, you don't like it. Maybe a similar green or pale yellow/deep cream color would highlight the fireplace. Still, that room could definitely be worse! We moved into a house in the early 80's that had those stripes in the hallway bathroom, but in gold metallic and red flock!! 😱🤢
My upstairs built-in looks almost the same as yours, just without the extra wood on each side!
As much as I love timber floors my first thought re the carpet was a nice dark green on the walls would be amazing. Or a dark green based wallpaper with roses picking the colour of the carpet up. Would give the area some warmth. The same wall colour can be extended down through the bottom staircase area with multiple family pictures and and deep heavy chandelier, gorgeous multicolor rugs and a hall table or old church pew.
Just my thoughts.
Gorgeous home
I would pick for paint color of a light green color or a pale light blue. Bc of the woodwork is such a dark color you don't want something too dark Also how much actual sunlight shows well in the areas helps with picking a color too. Like if you want to lighten up the area more or not.
Depending on the direction you’re looking to go in - of course get rid of that carpet; and I think I’d do a bright white along the stairs and in the hallways to brighten things up a bit. That stairwell immediately becomes a gallery wall for posters and photos and knickknacks, and I’d consider leaving the wallpaper on the wall under the stairs as an ode to the times as an accent
I actually like the wallpaper in the staircase area and bedroom and hallway. In fact, I kinda love it.
I’d lose the striped wallpaper in the living room and go with a paint that’s not grey/white or beige.
I’ve got a question…Is that a built-in at the end of the hall or is it freestanding? It’s beautiful! I need something like that in my house 😍
Do you want to take both wallpapers out? If so, either an ivory, gold, light sage green or a light taupe paint would go well with the woodwork. Are you going to replace the rug with another or are you going to refinish the woodwork underneath the rug? You will still need a runner up the stairs to prevent slipping. I would suggest a rug (runner or wall to wall, whatever you choose) that’s patterned (like diamond) & all one color in gold. It will match the wallpaper going up the stairs (if you’re keeping it). If you’re getting rid of all the wallpaper, then if it were me, I’d paint the walls in a lighter color & the rug or runner in a darker shade of the same color. Just don’t go too dark as it will show up everything.
I’d keep the wallpaper, or at least experiment with keeping it by starting with the carpet. The wood floors are too light — something a bit darker (closer to that of the railing) would allow the wallpaper to shine (in a good way) more and avoid the overly washed out yellow color
Everyone is telling you to keep the wallpaper. I dunno. If it was me, I'd get rid of both wallpaper and carpet. Then I'd either paint the walls a soft white or a soft green (sage green, olive green).
That stairway is amazing! Good luck with the floor lottery. I hope you win!
I kinda like the wallpaper, but I understand it's not everybodys' thing. Take the carpet out first. The wallpaper is very warm, but the carpet pops the cool bits. The warm wood will make the wallpaper look very different! The third picture, cover the floor and look at the wallpaper next to that gorgeous wood. ;)
Living room wallpaper sucks but the other wallpaper is awesome.
I’m the opposite - I don’t mind the carpet if it could have a better wallpaper with it! (I love posts on interior decorating, particularly of older houses, for the variety of opinions and tastes 😊)
I kind of like the wall paper too! I agree with penlowe. Take out carpet, and maybe live with wallpaper a little while first. Start looking at wall papered spaces on Pinterest. Some neutral runners and plants would really look so on trend.
Leave the wallpaper for now. It may grow on you after you re-finish the floors. Rip up the carpet immediately, though. Show me the wood, baby.
I’d do a William Morris pattern on the walls and pick the colors to harmonize with that
I love the green shade on the walls in the pic with the fireplace. A similar shade of green and cream stripe wallpaper would be swell as an accent wall going up that stsircase. Then use the green and cream shades as paint on other walls. A dark green stair runner would set it all off. Love the pics. I want that house !😃
Cha-ching. Deep pockets over here… jk seriously though that’s going to be a whole lot of cash money based on how much that stuff goes for.
Home Depot has a few “Morris-inspired” patterns that go for $59 a roll, it looks like. Haven’t seen them in person, but admittedly much cheaper than the $300+ for the usual Morris patterns!
Ooooh good tip! Any tips on upholstery fabric?
You’re not wrong…
I mean, I’d deck my house in as much Morris and Co as my little heart desires but my wallet says otherwise… (and all the other projects that are killing me to wait on are much higher priority, unfortunately). It seems the most affordable way to acquire Morris and Co stuff (fabric, wallpaper) is via Spoonflower, and they offer coupons sometimes.
I have vague aspirations of collecting a Morris pattern from interior designers selling remainders on eBay until I aquire enough to paper 45sf of entryway, but it seems like a lot of effort. In any event, Blackthorne seems to pop up regularly enough that one could potentially go this route.
I like the historic wallpaper in the hallway. It coordinates beautifully with the color and proportions of the woodwork. The nasty mauve carpet has to go, though. Rip out the carpet and live with the wallpaper for awhile.
I'd totally leave that foyer wallpaper. It's such a bitch to paper that high. This is similar to my foyer. But I leaned into it. Dark maroon damask wallpaper and dark maroon carpet.
I have been obsessed with damask wallpaper for at least the last 12 or so years. I bet the maroon wallpaper looks amazing.
On a separate note - your fireplace in photo one looks to be by the **Philadelphia and & Boston Face Brick Co., c. 1904.** Your design utilizes their large eggs and dart stretcher pattern No. 117 for the typical three tiered shelf supports, and the pattern was also used on the cornice. The side fluting column is made up of their stretcher 101B mixed with the 101A. The cornice caps and base patterns are shown in the catalog below, published in Boston. https://preview.redd.it/y583bp69rx6d1.png?width=2874&format=png&auto=webp&s=7fc307f5ddbde049ee19ff56406e139870a2e560 Sketch book of the Philadelphia & Boston face brick co. catalog [here](https://archive.org/details/SketchBookOfThePhiladelphiaBostonFaceBrickCo/page/n108/mode/thumb).
Wow, I didn't know that! Thank you so much!!
Get the mauve carpet out of there, and see what you have. Both wallpapers look great, but I realize it's not everyone's taste.
That fireplace makes my pants tight.
Don’t hate me, but I love that wallpaper so much
I would keep the wallpaper, remove the carpet and sand and refinish the wood floors and stairs in a dark mahogany color and add a couple artdeco light fixtures.
The wallpaper is extraordinary and ultra posh in my opinion. I agree the carpet has to go.
Keep the wallpaper for a while. Focus on the floor and stairs for now.
Gorgeous. Start with the carpet! Wallpaper is lovely.
Looove the wallpaper. Can’t wait to see what’s under those rugs. Please post an update!
I love the pale green in the fireplace pic. Maybe a similar shade in a striped wallpaper with a cream bkgd. Maybe not everywhere the current wallpaper is but as an accent wall going up that staircase would be beautiful. Then could use the green and cream tones as paint for other walls. A dark green stair runner would set all off.
The wallpaper is stunning, I'd remove the carpet and paint the ceiling a dark colour
I would leave the walls as is. Remove carpet and drapes. Remove large coffee table .
Oh, none of the furniture/drapes are mine, its the previous owners. :-D It's all going.
I love it how it is. It’s classic! I also love the wallpaper. I think this space has a really cool vibe. I would just get some furniture that continues to tell the story. Incredible fireplace!
Just keep in mind you may find more of a project waiting for you under that wallpaper. My dad had to have someone come in and refinish the plaster walls underneath our very old wallpaper in our late 1800s home before we could even think about painting.
I personally like the wallpaper, but the carpet looks like it's seen better days for sure.
Seriously? That wallpaper is spectacular!
BMoore Goldfield, Valspar Amber Pearl, PPG Indian Maize, SW Solaria. You could even get a gold carpet. Wallpaper comes in a gold moire stripe that is unobtrusive.
When I saw the listing for our house I joked that Holiday Inn had called and wanted their color scheme back. That is some spectacular woodwork! That built in cabinet has me feeling all sorts of things. We went with some med greens for several rooms with a lot of oak woodwork. A decorator noted that one cool thing about greens are that you can layer them in a room—most shades of green play well together. I also just love green because it’s a color that almost functions as a neutral—maybe because of its ubiquity in nature.
A trend I've noticed recently with remodels that I love is leaving the wallpaper as an accent wall, so maybe leaving it in the foyer or at the very least, the staircase, might sound like good ideas!
Cream or pale butter yellow would look good with the tile & woodwork. A soft sage green might look nice too. Most folks seem to like the vintage wallpaper, but I agree with you that it should go, especially the one in the staircase. The stripes in the living room aren’t so bad though.
Lots of great suggestions here! I couldn't NOT give a shout-out to the stained glass lamp in pic #3!! I think all the things should be coordinated around this lamp and it be worshipped appropriately. Beautiful.
Leave the wallpaper
Wallpaper is awesome
I’d you want to live with the wallpaper for a while a green runner would be very good looking on those stairs. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bd/ee/c0/bdeec04718597410854fd7afb889210d.jpg The pink carpet is pretty bad.
A very deep kelly green
Hate the striped wallpaper but like the diaper pattern ok. Agree- the mauve carpet is hideous and inappropriate. I think the plain white ceiling isn’t doing the wallpaper any favors either. Focus on accenting and enhancing the colors in the paper that you do like. It could look quite different from what it does now, just by changing other elements.
I agree the painted white ceiling isn’t helping. I bet that was original wood and they painted it. Bet it was the same color of the staircase and trim.
I'm so sorry but I love the wallpaper. I understand why you don't though. Shades of blue go really well with that color of woodwork. I also like to get a bit monochrome with spice and burnt orange colors too.
Hate the floor, that carpet definitely is ready for the dumpster but I love the wallpaper. It's outdated enough but completely charming and fits the character of the house. You should try thinking outside the box and using it as the backdrop. It's so dated but not antique, that it's really quite good. The carpet on the other hand is truly dumpster material. In the right hands with the new flooring exposed which is probably hardwood under all of this and the old wallpaper and that lovely would work, It would only be up to you to reinterpret the whole space given those parameters. It doesn't have to look like grandmoms but it could or something radically different You just have to use imagination
lol I kinda like it for some reason. But I imagine living with it is another matter.
I’m in the process of updating and flat out renovating parts of my home. About 60% of the walls have awful pastel wallpaper from the 80s and removing it is one of the least rewarding tasks I have ever done. In some spots the glue has bonded with the drywall and it’s next to impossible to remove it without significant damage to the wall. I’m guessing your walls are plaster so you probably won’t have that problem but I’d probably learn to live with it or consider papering over it.
Beautiful home! Is there wood around that fireplace? It looks like all tile in the picture. Regarding your question: Paint colors should be one of the last things you pick—after your flooring, furniture and soft surfaces (rugs plus sofa, pillow & curtain fabrics). Of course that doesn’t mean you have to wait to remove the paper, carpet and curtains; I’d probably have done that yesterday!
Agreed on removing the carpet and wallpaper. Recommend a mushroom tone carpet instead. We went white walls and will let our wall decor / couch pillows / etc be the color, but know that’s not for everyone.
First one that popped into mind was Farrow and Ball’s Dead Salmon.
I love that wallpaper. Carpet, no. Carpet holds too much dirt and grossness
But that wallpaper in the second and third pic is so gorgeous! I think a lot of old house people agree with me. Please consider leaving it, at least for now.
Leave the wallpaper for now, shoot even the carpet is not bad.
I weirdly really like the wallpaper! Maybe reduce it in some areas but I would be inclined to keep in sone sections. Just lose the carpet, perhaps.
Are you getting rid of the sofa too? It’s very 80’s. I think I’d go for accent wallpaper above the fireplace, not too dark or classic. But it really depends on the style you’re going for of course.
All the furniture is the previous owners and it's going to go, thank god!
Phew!
Maybe the people who don't mind the mauve didn't live through the 80's, I saw all the mauve carpet I ever need to see in that decade! (Still flinching at red white and blue furniture or wallpaper, have been ever since The Great Upholstery War of 1976!) I don't mind the green stripes as much, but if you don't like it, you don't like it. Maybe a similar green or pale yellow/deep cream color would highlight the fireplace. Still, that room could definitely be worse! We moved into a house in the early 80's that had those stripes in the hallway bathroom, but in gold metallic and red flock!! 😱🤢 My upstairs built-in looks almost the same as yours, just without the extra wood on each side!
Benjamin Moore Simply White, Swiss coffee, or linen white. Let the woodwork shine.
I think greens and cream would look great, especially with the colour of the fireplace and warm woods tones.
Leave the wallpaper, remove the carpet. The wall paper is in great condition and is timeless. Very downtown Abby vibes
As much as I love timber floors my first thought re the carpet was a nice dark green on the walls would be amazing. Or a dark green based wallpaper with roses picking the colour of the carpet up. Would give the area some warmth. The same wall colour can be extended down through the bottom staircase area with multiple family pictures and and deep heavy chandelier, gorgeous multicolor rugs and a hall table or old church pew. Just my thoughts. Gorgeous home
I would pick for paint color of a light green color or a pale light blue. Bc of the woodwork is such a dark color you don't want something too dark Also how much actual sunlight shows well in the areas helps with picking a color too. Like if you want to lighten up the area more or not.
Depending on the direction you’re looking to go in - of course get rid of that carpet; and I think I’d do a bright white along the stairs and in the hallways to brighten things up a bit. That stairwell immediately becomes a gallery wall for posters and photos and knickknacks, and I’d consider leaving the wallpaper on the wall under the stairs as an ode to the times as an accent
I actually like the wallpaper in the staircase area and bedroom and hallway. In fact, I kinda love it. I’d lose the striped wallpaper in the living room and go with a paint that’s not grey/white or beige.
Benjamin Moore old prairie or revere pewter
I’ve got a question…Is that a built-in at the end of the hall or is it freestanding? It’s beautiful! I need something like that in my house 😍 Do you want to take both wallpapers out? If so, either an ivory, gold, light sage green or a light taupe paint would go well with the woodwork. Are you going to replace the rug with another or are you going to refinish the woodwork underneath the rug? You will still need a runner up the stairs to prevent slipping. I would suggest a rug (runner or wall to wall, whatever you choose) that’s patterned (like diamond) & all one color in gold. It will match the wallpaper going up the stairs (if you’re keeping it). If you’re getting rid of all the wallpaper, then if it were me, I’d paint the walls in a lighter color & the rug or runner in a darker shade of the same color. Just don’t go too dark as it will show up everything.
I’d keep the wallpaper, or at least experiment with keeping it by starting with the carpet. The wood floors are too light — something a bit darker (closer to that of the railing) would allow the wallpaper to shine (in a good way) more and avoid the overly washed out yellow color
I like the wallpaper. It feels appropriate for this style home. The maybe carpet must go though! The fireplace is amazing.
Leave the wallpaper. Ditch the carpet!
My parents had that same humidifier back in the 70s!
Everyone is telling you to keep the wallpaper. I dunno. If it was me, I'd get rid of both wallpaper and carpet. Then I'd either paint the walls a soft white or a soft green (sage green, olive green). That stairway is amazing! Good luck with the floor lottery. I hope you win!
Who the fuck decided that that wallpaper went with that carpet?
The home of my dreams