In a Swedish turn-of-the-century apartment, the space between door casings, moldings, and a tiled stove determines how much wallpaper you see. Choose a repeating pattern for several smaller wall sections or a mural for an open wall with room for the composition.
Let the room's existing divisions guide you
First, look at where the visible wall starts and stops. Tall baseboards, wainscoting, or molding below the ceiling already give you a frame to work with. The design will fill the open space between them.
A repeating pattern can follow several of these wall sections without each one needing to show a complete picture. It's a good starting point in a room with several doors and windows. We'd give a landscape or a large floral composition a wall with more uninterrupted space.
If you're wallpapering above paneling, judge the design for that shorter section of wall. A branch that looks good in a floor-to-ceiling image may sit very differently when the wallpaper starts higher up.
