Just like mini-skirts and platform shoes of the 1960s, wallpaper has made a comeback. Retro and geometric styles are once again trendy and there are lots of patterns and colors to choose from.

During the first half of the 20th century, simple floral and heavy flock papers were found in many homes. These styles remained in favor until boldly-colored, shiny Mylar wallpapers, reflecting disco influence, and swirly Art Nouveau patterns popularized by the hippie movement, became de rigueur in modish bathrooms and kitchens across the U.S. during the 1960s and 70s.

In the 1980s, when neutral palettes were embraced, subtle, textured papers such as grass cloth and moiré replaced wallpapers with strong colors and patterns. During the 1990s, as interiors continued to trend towards minimalism and wallpaper lost favor, paint companies, sensing a sea change in the market, began to, instead, offer hundreds of new, more sophisticated colors and even textured paint options. Textile mills, interior designers, and the public embraced sophisticated, tranquil, grayed-down paint shades as the new millennium approached and those easy-to-live-with hues are still popular today.

If you’re interested in using wallpaper in your home, start with a very small project such as a powder room or even an accent wall or door, before you commit to a larger area (check out this cool door wallpaper). Unlike paint, wallpaper requires more time for installation and removal, as well as greater expense.

Here are a few sites that carry a wide assortment of wallpaper:

http://www.grahambrown.com/us/color-white-wallpaper

http://www.designpublic.com/shop/wall-art/wallpaper

http://www.designyourwall.com/store/Modern-wallpaper-c-103.html