h2h | wallpaper vs paint

Ah, renovating a house. It's enough to drive you batty. The list of defects wrong with the internal walls of my house reads like a horror story of house building: wonky, undulating, cracked, stone built and finished with mortar made from lime and coal dust. I'd always considered the Victorians to be masters at building, but perhaps the walls weren't quite as important to them as other parts because not one single wall is straight. Nope, not even my windows*.

I bring this up not because I'm a lover of brand new, freshly plastered and generally straight (and flat) walls - my house is over 100 years old and the walls should reflect that - but because I'm a huge fan of stripes and indulging myself would highlight all of my wall-based issues. Vertical stripes would be like shining a bright light on every leaning and wonky wall (clue: all of them), horizontal stripes would be impossible to get straight due to the undulating expanse and chunks of missing plaster. Stripes, it seems, are just not in my future.

With an entire house to decorate, deciding just what I can live with as a background canvas to my daily lifestyle of wolf craziness, cat craziness and writer craziness is pretty darn important. If, like me, you're in the position of having to decide how to decorate then I don't want to scare you but whether you're redecorating one room at a time (I wish!) or revamping your entire home in one go, the decision on what to do with your walls will inform a lot of your decor choices so, y'know, no pressure.

If you're like me and a commitment-phobe then you may be leaning more towards paint. Personally, I like a blank canvas, safe in the knowledge that if I spill tea down the wall (just last week in fact) or the wolf decides to hurl a pot of cream around the lounge (yesterday morning), the walls will be easy to clean or - worst case scenario - easy to touch up those spots and stains without having to redo the entire wall. Of course, that may just be me, but I like knowing that I can quickly and easily change how a room looks without the need to strip and repaper a room, all for the cost of a tin of paint.

I'm the biggest wuss in the world. Okay, that's a lie. My wolf is the biggest wuss in the world, I'm a close second. I'm far too afraid of wallpaper to even contemplate its use throughout any of my major living spaces. I'm constantly over stimulated due to the amount of time I spend researching and writing and mucking about on social media websites instead of researching and writing, and I discovered after putting up wallpaper as a splashback in my kitchen that I really can't cope with bold prints. I apparently prefer my colour to be in accessories throughout the room rather than on the walls or I feel unable to relax and get short tempered (-er). Of course, it helps that most of the wallpapers I do like are over £30 a roll and therefore waaaaaaay out of my budget.

That's not to say that wallpaper can't, and doesn't, look great and I do have plans to wallpaper the hall, stairs and landing (once I've saved enough money for the £35 a roll design I've fallen for) so I'm not just saying that. Period homes suit period or period inspired wallpapers. In fact, scratch that, any home looks great with the right wallpaper matched with the right furniture. Don't believe me? Check out these fabulous examples:

{ florals | source: pinterest }

{ florals | source: pinterest }

{ florals | source: pinterest }

{ florals | source: pinterest }

{ geometric print | source: pinterest }

{ geometric print | source: pinterest }

{ mix & match | source: pinterest }

{ mix & match | source: pinterest }

Of course, if that whole blank canvas thing sounds good to you then paint is probably the way to go. It's certainly the way I'm going, not least because of budget. But just because you've chosen paint, doesn't mean it has to be bland. If bright, bold colours aren't your cup of earl grey consider alternative ways of painting to produce interesting results. I've chosen to create subtle differences between walls or areas by using a slightly different shade on one wall to another. If you have the ceiling height, perhaps consider half painted walls to help reduce overwhelming the room with a particular colour. If your walls are straight, consider painting my beloved stripes.

{ stripes | source: pinterest }

{ giant polka dots | source: pinterest }

{ half painted | source: pinterest }

{ coloured ceiling | source: pinterest }

That doesn't mean that you can't mix and match your choice of wall decor, slapping paint on in one room and a delicate wallpaper print in another. Nor does it necessarily mean that your choice need cover every wall, or indeed all of any wall. The options are simply intoxicating, and it only comes down to personal preference and courage as to what you actually end up with.

I have to admit, I wasn't sure what my preference was. I bought the house because I was sick of the magnolia walls in every rented flat I'd lived in ever, but in a twist of fate, bright and bold colours would drive me nuts and I've ended up choosing very neutral colours throughout. It helps that my downstairs has an open plan feel (despite not actually being open plan in the strictest sense), and the neutral colours help to lighten the bleak Welsh ambient light and create a sense of flow and cohesion across the different rooms.

So how did I figure it out? Pinterest. Seriously, best. Idea. Ever. If you're a follower (thank you if you are! Bloody love you all!) then you'll probably have noticed I have a pinboard for every room in my house. Reviewing the board, rather than individual pins, allows me to see patterns in my taste and throws in to sharp relief just what it is that I like. What seems to be overwhelmingly popular in the land of Tors are neutral backgrounds and classic or Scandinavian inspired interiors. So guess what? That's what I'm aiming for.

{ ruffled pretty & neutral | source: pinterest }

{ calm, comfy lounge | source: pinterest }

{ relaxing nook | source: pinterest }

{ bright, airy kitchen | source: pinterest }

* As I learnt to my detriment when Mum and I rigorously checked and rechecked our hanging of blinds mid-window with a spirit level only to step back once done and realise they looked wonky