Deck the Walls

Designer Fiona Newell Weeks shows us how to use wallpaper in ways that are as timeless as they are chic

Tria Giovan

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Seeing Stripes

Fiona Says: "If the paper has a coating, it can be wonderful in a foyer and up the stairs. The coating allows for easy cleaning while the pattern breaks the monotony of a long and uninterrupted wall. Vertical stripes magically heighten a low ceiling, while horizontal stripes work wonders in a smaller room, making it fun. Stripes and paisleys are often used in libraries because they are considered more masculine, but don't limit them to just that. They complement many rooms."

In this room: The landings and stair halls of this house designed by David H. Mitchell are papered in a unifying stripe. Antique egg lithographs hung randomly on the three walls of the stair hall provide an arresting point of interest in a space that is often overlooked.

RESOURCES: Interiors by David H. Mitchell, Mitchell & Associates, 202/797-0780. Wallpaper by Thibaut (T), 800/223-0704, www.thibautdesign.com.