Can't Hang Wallpaper In Your Home? Consider Using Curtains As An Alternative

Wallpaper has come a long way since the traditional process that required a long, strenuous application and lifelong commitment to a print, pattern, or color. Now, there are peel and stick options that can be removed easily. But while decor has shifted to make renovations easier and more renter-friendly, sometimes your space isn't meant for the commitment of pasted designs at all. Maybe your wall is textured or you don't want to risk causing any damage. It might be time to ditch the wallpaper completely and try something else. One unusual way to decorate with curtains is to use them to adorn your walls. This will give you the aesthetic you want without risking your deposit or resale value. It also doesn't require the time wallpapering or painting takes. All you need are floor to ceiling curtains (or altered versions to create this) and a rod which you can hang up against the edges of your room. This will create lush, textured walls reminiscent of the 17th century that will elevate any space.

It might sound strange, but fabric walls are nothing new when it comes to home design. Through the centuries, people have used fabric to cover their walls, going back as far as the medieval age or possibly even earlier than that. Tapestries were hung to cover stone and help keep rooms warmer by providing insulation. Between the 1600s and 1700s, wall upholstery shifted from tapestries to fixed additions that were actually attached to the surfaces rather than just hung in front, and some still enjoy this lavish design choice regardless of the wallpaper options available. Therefore, using curtains to cover your walls is not strange or new, it's simply a different way to decorate.

To nail this trend and make it flow with the design of the room, you want to find curtains that will reach from your ceiling to the floor. If you've found a print, pattern, or shade you really like and they are too short, don't be afraid to add fabric to the top or bottom of the curtains. You can add this in a tiered design from another curtain or add a strip of lace, velvet, or ribbon to make the bottom seem like a border. This can be sewn on, or you could use an easier alternative like trim tape. If it seems like it's meant to be there, people won't question it. 

Once your curtains are ready, you need to install a rod (or several) that can pull them across and stretch out the fabric. You can either install these completely around the room or only along one wall to create an accent wall. While they will still come across as curtains, the less creased or scrunched they are, the less they will seem like they are just window coverings and will become more like the wallpaper effect you're trying to recreate. Choosing curtains that are only 1.25 times wider than the curtain rod should help pull out the full design so people can enjoy the fabric you chose. You could also try a unique design hack to hang curtains using cabinet pulls, but you'll want to ensure they are spaced far enough apart to look like wallpaper and less like a window covering.