Say what you will about the Victorian era, but no one can deny they mastered the art of pattern play. For the elite, \u201cit wasn\u2019t enough to use a single wallpaper in a room,\u201d says Washington, D.C.-based interior designer and author Annie Elliott<\/a>. Instead, Victorians \u201croutinely installed one paper on the lower portion of a wall, or the dado; another above it; and a wallpaper border just under the crown molding.\u201d Bonus points were earned for wallpapering the ceiling, too.<\/p>\n This, of course, eventually led to wallpaper fatigue\u2014and, in extreme cases, death. \u201cMuch of the wallpaper at that time\u2014fabric, too\u2014was made with arsenic,\u201d explains Elliott. \u201cThere are worse ways to go, I suppose.\u201d<\/p>\n Bury me in wallpaper, design pros now say, proving what\u2019s old is new again.<\/p>\n \u201cToday\u2019s wallpaper is less about uniformity and more about artistry,\u201d says Houston-based interior designer Paloma Contreras<\/a>. \u201cUsing multiple wallpapers allows you to create dimension and nuance in a way that a single pattern often cannot.\u201d<\/p>\n A dining area and hallway designed by Paloma Contreras.<\/p>\n <\/span>Photo: Brittany Ambridge<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n In a recent West Texas project, Contreras paired a soft and traditional chinoiserie in the dining room with a graphic and structured paper in the entry to lend contrast without feeling disconnected. A shared color family and similar level of formality ensure the patterns feel related rather than competing.<\/p>\n \u201cArchitectural transitions, like doorways or millwork, are ideal places to introduce a second pattern because they naturally frame the shift,\u201d she says. \u201cIn the \u201980s and \u201990s, wallpaper combinations were often more rigidly divided, like with chair rails, and the contrasts could feel quite pronounced. Today, instead of creating a strong break, we\u2019re looking to create a gentle transition that feels organic.\u201d<\/p>\n In an Oyster Bay guest room, New York-based interior designer Ariel Okin<\/a> used two different Schuyler Samperton wallpapers to make the space feel \u201ccozy, layered, and eclectically bohemian without screaming with loud patterns or hues,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n![\"Image](\"https:\/\/assets.vogue.com\/photos\/6a19b842f0444100c6d44d80\/master\/w_1600%2Cc_limit\/Paloma%2520Contreras.jpg\"\/)
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