A Dallas Designer’s Secret to Making Bold Wallpaper Feel Effortless in Every Room

Emory McKim has never been one to shy away from a bold wallpaper. In fact, the interior designer’s colorful Dallas home is practically covered in it. From playful puppy prints to elaborate Chinoiserie, nearly every room makes a statement, yet none feels visually overwhelming. That’s because McKim knows that decorating with a busy pattern is just as much about what you pair it with as the wallpaper itself.

“My style really starts with color,” she notes. “I love unexpected color combinations, and I normally start a space with color first, which might not be the traditional way to do things, but that’s kind of how my brain works.” Throughout the home, McKim puts that philosophy into practice, balancing eye-catching wallcoverings with thoughtful furniture choices and colors that complement rather than compete with the patterns.

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Let the Wallpaper Be the Playful Part

Though you’d never know from looking at this space, it actually is quite literally in the middle of the house on the main floor, and it’s the perfect transitional space that the kids use as a playroom. “Putting the playroom smack dab in the middle of the house downstairs was the best thing we ever did because the kids are always in here and I’m just three steps away from them in the next room at any given time,” McKim says.

The standout element in this room is easily the Sanderson wallpaper, which features motifs from Disney’s original 101 Dalmatians. “I’ve got little, little kids, so I feel like this is going to grow with us for a really long time,” McKim adds.

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Pull a Palette From Something You Already Own

The starting point for McKim’s daughter’s room was actually not the Chinoisserie wallpaper; it was the Missoni rug that she had brought from her previous home. “From there, I wanted something that didn’t feel too ‘baby’ that we could at least grow with for a little bit,” and that’s when the wallpaper entered the chat. She picked up the pinks and the mints from the rug and tied it into the feminine, sophisticated wallpaper that is easily the first thing you’d notice upon entering the space.

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Use Coordinating Colors

Almost all of the rooms in McKim’s house are guided by color, and this one had a very specific palette. “I knew that I wanted this to be the happiest, sweetest space,” she starts. “I wanted it to be like my little haven with our baby, so we went with this really, really cool green tone.” That particular shade of green on the patterned wallpaper pairs perfectly with the periwinkle on the custom drapes and trim. Plus, the whole room is perfectly suited to a little gentleman, and the wallpaper is the biggest contributor.

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Balance a Whimsical Print With Grown-Up Finishes

Unlike plenty of professional designers, McKim includes her young children in the design of their spaces. “My son wanted a Paw Patrol bedroom and I wanted sort of a neutral and navy bedroom,” McKim says. “So we compromised on the puppy dog wallpaper with navy trim and antique brass accents throughout.”

The walls may be covered in puppies, but there’s nothing that feels overly childish about this room because the palette is deliberate and sophisticated, and McKim actually has the puppies to thank for that. “Rather than picking up one of the shades of orange in the wall covering, I went with this really pretty taupe that can grow with him, even if we changed the wall covering.”

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Skip Blindingly Bright Colors

The ultimate design element in the formal dining room is the black-and-white mural, which McKim admits she used in a client’s home before introducing it to her own. “I felt like it was timeless and I absolutely love colors,” she says. The color scheme isn’t random, though. It’s actually an extension of the foyer’s black-and-white tile floor.