Expert Talk: Entryway Wallpaper Ushers In Style

Keep it moving. "This grass cloth was the perfect tone-on-tone pewter color to liven up the foyer and set the mood for this modern yet traditional-style house," says Elizabeth Reich of Jenkins Baer Associates. "It isn't a large area, but putting a wallpaper with this much movement in the entry, stairs and upstairs hallway gave these spaces a huge presence."

She adds, "The neutral color worked well off of the other rooms which are connected to it. It was a splurge, but the client was so happy she did it."

Grass cloth: Rings, Phillip Jeffries

Layer it. This entry was part of a show house and was designed by Christy Dillard Kratzer of Dillard Pierce Design Associates (formerly Dillard Design Group). "The inspiration was a great, fresh traditional take on a foyer," she says. "The large-scaled damask was a great way to give the walls a subtle backdrop and allow for a layering of artwork and furnishings to shine in front of it."

She adds, "I think wallpaper gives a room great dimension and a nice layered effect."

Wallpaper: damask, Bone, Dillard Pierce Collection

Create a cohesive feel. Here's another design by Christy Dillard Kratzer where she took a subtle, textural approach to a more contemporary-style interior. "The client wanted neutrals in the foyer, so I created a way to see all of the unique elements in the space with cohesiveness," she says. "The effect on the wall is to have it look like a fabric treatment but with a wallpaper that is more durable."

Wallpaper: Texture, custom color, Dillard Pierce Collection

Warm things up. This is another design by Jean Verbridge of Siemasko + Verbridge. "The traditional wallpaper establishes a formal theme appropriate for this updated Victorian," she says. "The warm, golden hues provide a welcome balance to the crisp white of the trim details, and the warmth is captured again in the wood floor."

Reference the past. "My client was heavily influenced by her grandmother's style and use of mirrored and acrylic furniture from the 1960s," says Ben Dial of Dial Meyers Design. "She also had a monochromatic color palette in mind, coupled with a grand foyer. This wallpaper was my solution."

Wallpaper: Zoffany, Spitalfields, National Trust Collection 2.

Give a sneak preview. This is an elevator foyer in a high-rise condominium on Nob Hill in San Francisco. The elevator door opens into a small private foyer that's just outside the front door of the apartment.

"My goal was to create a warm, welcoming space that would give a preview of what to expect upon entering the home," says designer Tres McKinney. "It's a small space, so there was only room for the chest of drawers, a pair of lamps, a beautiful area rug and a pair of antique benches. The wallpaper elevates the space and gives it personality and a polished, cohesive look."

She adds, "I use wallpaper in most of my projects. It brings warmth and texture to the rooms, whether it's a more contemporary grass cloth, a simple stripe in a bedroom or more exuberant pattern in a tiny powder room."

Wallpaper: Brocade Stripe 7958-05 in yellow, Colefax and Fowler

Shine like a rare jewel. I previously interviewed Thomas Riker of jamesthomas for a Houzz Tour of this amazing Chicago apartment. He explained that since this entry has a lowered ceiling, he and James Dolenc went moody, with a touch of glamour. "The dark paint on the ceiling relates to the color of the iridescent wallpaper and defines the space in a jewel box kind of way," he said.

Reflect on red. I loved this foyer from the moment I walked into the 2012 Kips Bay Decorator Show House in Manhattan. Bryant Keller used red to brighten a space that receives little natural light. The zebra wallpaper, tiger-print pillows and animal accessories are a tribute to legendary designer Albert Hadley, who was a huge animal lover.

Zebra wallpaper, tiger-print pillows: Scalamandre