Should Wallpaper Be Applied Above Or Below A Chair Rail? That Depends

Wallpaper opens up a ton of fun decorating options for a room, and is a great way to bring color and good vibes to any space in your home. But the question of where to place wallpaper when chair rail is involved is a straight-up design dilemma. The truth is, the best choice completely depends on the function and style of the room. When it comes to choosing the right wallpaper for your space, there are no hard-and-fast rules. However, choosing to put wallpaper below the chair rail is a fun, design-forward option for a modern home (especially in high-traffic areas), and we love the idea.

One of the greatest advantages of keeping your wallpaper low is the inherent protection it offers. The lower part of a wall is susceptible to scuffs and dings caused by anything from pets and toys to furniture. Many wallpaper types, like vinyl, are designed to last for decades, and are a good option for helping disguise nicks and scrapes on your walls if you have rowdy kids and pets.

From a design standpoint, putting wallpaper on the lower half of your room is a smart way to add a bold or busy pattern without letting it consume the entire space. By limiting a vibrant print to the area below the chair rail, the pattern gets broken up by chairs and hutches and your TV, letting you enjoy something bold and fun without sacrificing a sense of calm in the room. You could even pull a color from your wallpaper for the upper half. It's a clever placement choice, and it merges style with durability. What's not to love?

Though pasting the lower half of a room is one of many innovative ways to use wallpaper in any room, there are still places where applying wallpaper above the rail is the preferred (and traditional) route. This is typically seen in elegant, formal spaces, like dining rooms. Why? People use formal rooms as a place for hosting parties, so they want them to look nice. By having a sophisticated wallpaper applied in the traditional way, you create a gorgeous backdrop for any other dedicated design elements you want to show off, like furniture, lighting fixtures, family photographs, and your cherished art collection. Then the lower half of that room stays a clean painted surface, keeping everything tidy.

However, for the majority of family homes, the recommendation holds firm: keep the wallpaper on the bottom half. If you have kids or pets, you know the areas where they roam and play are battlegrounds for those wall surfaces. Meanwhile, the space above the chair rail has long been the traditional place where homeowners want to hang family photos and gallery art walls. But remember that applying wallpaper here means every nail hole and accidental mark is damaging to the print and far more easily seen. With the wallpaper placed below, especially with an extra durable and easy-to-clean kind, you can easily repair the upper wall with paint as needed, while the lower half gracefully handles daily wear and tear. Of course, the choice is yours, but considering the room's function and your style preference can make it easier to decide.