How to Decorate Wallpapered Walls

Select picture frames that will coordinate with the wallpaper hues or provide an attractive contrast. For instance, bright red or turquoise frames will stand out against black and white striped wallpaper; silver or gold antique-style frames will blend well with tan or muted gray wallpaper.

Fill picture frames with candid photos of family and friends or prints from your favorite artist. Retouch the photos to match the style of the room; give a sepia finish to a wedding picture before housing it in a brass frame and displaying it in the family room. Or make the color in a baby's first-birthday photo more intense before placing it in a primary-colored frame and adding it to a wall covered with paper in geometric shapes.

Hang sconces on the wall in a neutral shade in the same color family as the wall paper. If you've selected burnt orange or butter yellow-striped or paisley-patterned wall paper, amber or nutmeg-colored sconces will add to the warmth of the wall decor and make the room appear more welcoming. Wallpaper in cool shades like purple or green are ideally complemented with gray or black sconces. Opposing hues such as red wallpaper adorned with green sconces or orange sconces on a blue wall provide a warm-cool color balance in the room since these shades are across from each other on the color wheel.

Place neutral-colored candles atop the sconces. Tan and medium brown candles provide a fitting touch in a room with a warm color theme; white and gray candles work well in a cool-colored room.

Place an oversized vase in the most prominent corner of the room in a metallic shade that matches the wallpaper. A platinum or silver vase accents blue or green wallpaper nicely, while bronze or copper vases work well for a room wallpapered in deep red or orange.

Fill the vase with synthetic plants like tall cattails or bamboo shoots that partner well with the wallpaper colors. Beige or tan bamboo shoots modestly complement walls in bright yellow, while cobalt blue synthetic twigs add character to a medium-gray wall.