As an interior decor enthusiast who has personally tested various wallpaper brands over the last 5 years, I often get asked for recommendations on which companies truly live up to their claims around style, quality and value. York Wallcoverings tops that list for good reason. Allow me walk you through my first-hand experiences with America’s largest wallpaper manufacturer after trying out 15+ of their most popular designs across various rooms of my home.
My Background with York Wallcoverings
When my husband and I purchased our last house, it still had outdated builder-grade 1990s finishes that we couldn’t wait to transform. Many rooms suffered from dull, lifeless walls that desperately needed an elevation. As we formed our vision for each space, wallcoverings kept emerging as focal statement pieces that introduced color, texture and wow-factor.
I’ll admit to slightly intimidating by all the prep-work and installation warnings around traditional wallpaper. But when an interior designer friend insisted York products made excellent options for beginners thanks to innovations like peel-and-stick and spray-on applications, I took notice. As I browsed the York website ultimately falling love with pattern after pattern, I decided to take the plunge!
Over the following 3 years, various York papers including florals, geometrics, natural textures and whimsical prints found their way into our kitchen, bedrooms, nursery and more. The results never failed to impress every guest that entered our home. Now I proudly stand as a devoted lifelong fan ready to spread the word on why this heritage American brand delivers unmatched style and quality even after 125 years in business.
Overview of York Wallcoverings as a Brand
Before diving headfirst into reviews of specific collections, let me highlight why York Wallcoverings itself earns such respect in the wall décor industry.
Heritage – established in 1895, York remains family-owned after 4 generations crafting wallpaper
Scale – currently largest wallpaper manufacturer in the USA
Selection – offers over 4,000+ unique patterns and colors
Manufacturing – made in America at their 500,000 sq ft Pennsylvania factory
Technology – pioneered advancements like peel-and-stick papers
Sustainability – achieved EPA environmental awards for green practices
Partners – collaborate with high-profile designers like Jay Jeffers on exclusive capsule lines
Retail Reach – available through major home improvement chains and specialty showrooms internationally
Reviews – consistently earns rave reviews and awards from both consumer and industry sources
With this reputation and infrastructure supporting the brand, York felt like a no-brainer investment into elegantly revamping the lacklustre drywall throughout my home.
Next came the fun part – selecting perfect patterns!
My Hands-On Reviews of Top York Collections
Over the years, I’ve now personally tested almost 20 different York papers across various rooms. While every style enthralled me visually, performance factors like pricing, print quality and installation did impact my ratings. Below I break down my impressions of key collections showcasing York’s range.
Traditional Floral Patterns
No wallpaper company would feel complete without excelling at classic floral designs and York certainly delivers beauty and elegance in spades through lines like the Vintage Rose, elysian Fields and Evening Blooms patterns gracing my bedroom and guest areas.
I found these more traditional paste-and-hang papers demanded careful installation to align repeats and avoid air bubbles underneath for smooth results. The intricate details like raised inks and outlined shadows helped the vintage bouquets feel luxurious. However, flaws did show if improperly hung so the $100+ per roll investment felt risky for novices. Ultimately beautiful when professionally handled and well worth displaying artwork at this caliber.
Bedroom Refresh: Vintage Rose – traditional floral adjacent patterns feel romantic
Textured & Natural Element Prints
Moving towards my living room and dining spaces where I host gatherings, I sought quieter neutrals and textiles emulating weaving or plaster textures on-trend now. The removable Faux Silk lines and stucco-effect Sedimentary prints injected subtle dimension perfect for transitional spaces.
I found these paired well with my existing furniture and invited guests to touch the walls. The repositionable papers made me feel braver experimenting. However, attention remains vital during initial application and pressing down firmly across panels helps them adhere properly to surfaces. With some strategic planning and patience though, entire rooms gained quirky modern personality.
Living Room Accent: Sedimentary Removable Wallpaper – textured looks feel lighter
Modern Geometric Prints
Seeking artsy contemporary flair for my renovated basement lounge and gym, I turned to graphic prints packing visual punches without overwhelming the eyes like dizzying chevrons, concentric squares and angular brushstrokes.
The two-tone patterns of the Geode, Concentric and City Maps collections injected plenty of wow-factor into these casual high-traffic areas. Made from durable vinyl, I loved knowing spilled drinks or sweat wouldn’t ruin the walls. However, avoiding corner curling issues demanded meticulous wall prep and slower application pacing myself panel-by-panel. But nails this technique and next-level style feels effortlessly achievable!
Home Gym: Geode Removable Wallpaper – modern graphics feel energizing
Nature-Inspired Scenic Murals
For my baby girl’s nursery, I craved total forest enchantment surrounding her in joyful whimsy. York’s vast Worldly Map series spanning colorful botanical drawings, aviaries, seascapes and skylines provided the answer through two statement walls showcasing exploring birds and woodland creatures frolicking across branches.
Despite requiring 8 perfectly aligned panels, the cinematic results elicited audible gasps from parent guests. On quality, I will warn to gently handle these museum-style murals when installing to avoid tearing thinner papery areas. Price also hovered in the steeper $400+ range with professional plotting advised to map artwork placement accurately. But witnessing my daughter now point and coo delightedly at “her” playful animals makes every penny worthwhile!
Nursery Feature Wall: Secret Garden Peel-and-Stick Mural – scenic panoramas spark imagination
Clearly no shortage of possibilities exist across York Wallcovering’s vast catalog spanning styles and budgets. Beyond core papers, I also suggest perusing their perfectly coordinating fabric, borders, decals and window treatment ranges too for full room designs with cohesive harmony.
Now let’s tackle the big question on every potential buyer’s mind – is the product quality actually worth the often higher-than-average investment?
My Take: Overwhelming Value for Money Here
Given the transformative elevating effects wallpaper gifts any lacklustre space, I firmly believe York Wallcovering’s offerings merit their price tags, especially considering:
Unique exclusive patterns – unlike mass-produced budget options, York partners famous designers ensuring one-of-kind looks
Heirloom-quality construction – paper foundation, inks, textures made to last decades
Sound design principles – patterns scalable suiting small condos to mansions
Efficient smart shipping – order precisely needed rolls minimizing wastage
Conscientious company – earth-friendly manufacturing and operations
Helpful customer service – available by phone and email for questions before/after purchase
The biggest value factor for me remains the imaginative bespoke charm York products brought into every room I’ve applied them. Without fail, guests queried my designer assuming high-ticket custom commissions specially painted.
Once understanding my humble DIY application of store-bought wallpaper, shock morphs instantly into awe and demands for the brand details to recreate the magic themselves. Now that shows true magnificence meeting and exceeding buyer expectations!
Final Recommendation After Trying 15+ Patterns
If you couldn’t already tell, I wholeheartedly endorse York Wallcoverings as chart-topping winners, especially for style mavens preferring elevated designer aesthetics usually only achieved through hiring experts. You absolutely get what you pay for across their lines showcasing why luxury taste needn’t demolish budgets.
Sure cheaper options exist, but lower quality construction usually follows meager price tags. And why scrimp on backdrops occupying prime sightlines daily in your sanctuary? Treat yourself to next-level ambience and visual vacation perks whenever you glance across your thoughtfully curated walls.
Through offering diverse genres from playful florals to modern geometrics, eclectic patterns to serene neutrals, quirky prints to regal plaids, York empowers homeowners at all decor experience levels to flex our creative muscles infusing dynamic vitality throughout homes mixing collections with confidence.
I hope my first-hand experiences shed helpful consumer insight. Please reach out if any other questions arise about America’s leading wallpaper brand as you embark on your special home refreshing journey!
To recap, absolutely YES – invest in York Wallcoverings’ outstanding style and quality brightening up your spaces all year through! Just don’t blame me once constant compliments from guests stoke the inevitable addiction to redecorate again seeking your next captivating designer high!
