New year, new wallpaper – say Lulu Guinness, Wayne Hemingway and Paul Smith

Want a new look for the New Year? I’ve asked top designers how they create an instant makeover at home and the unanimous answer is… drum roll, if you please… wallpaper. Lulu Guinness, Wayne Hemingway, Jemma Kidd, Barbara Hulanicki and Sir Paul Smith tell us how it is.

Lulu Guinness: ‘To update a room, use wallpaper. I bought the black and white cityscape design wallpaper from Graham and Brown for my daughters’ rooms. At only £15 a roll, you can afford to experiment.’

Image credit: Graham and Brown

Sir Paul Smith: ‘The best way to change a room is with colour or pattern. This could mean interesting wallpaper or a delicate or strong coloured wall, depending on your style and just moving things around to give a fresh aspect.’

Jemma Kidd: ‘My advice for instantly updating a room is wallpapering or painting your walls, re-hang your pictures and get rid of clutter.’

Kirstie Allsopp: ‘Wallpaper is coming back. Labour is so expensive now that putting up paper does not cost much more than re-painting a wall.’ True to her word, Kirstie’s bedroom is decorated in wisteria wallpaper (£77) by Cole & Son.

Image credit: wallpaperdirect

Wayne Hemingway: ‘Give your room an instant update with wallpaper. It’s a very affordable way of changing a room. With digital printing now, you can do giant wall prints which are easy and cost effective.’

Barbara Hulanicki: ‘Wallpaper used to scare me stiff, but now it’s easy to put up and peel off like Sellotape. You used to have to steam and scrape it off. It’s great for covering old and cracked walls.’ Kick a little life into the New Year with flock shoes wallpaper (£60) designed by Hulanicki herself.

Image credit: All Up and On

Personally, I’ve come over all Downton Abbey and would like to see in the New Year with Barneby Gates’ The Other Eden wallpaper (£76.59) from mydeco boutique; the sepia wartime images are just charming. Designed by former Vogue living editor Vanessa Barneby and artist Alice Gates, it would look ace in a downstairs loo!

Inspired? Will the New Year mark a new beginning for your home? Let us know if you’re tempted to wallpaper – or create a makeover in other ways.