Should Wallpaper Finish the Furniture or Start the Room?
Last updated: 23 October 2026
In short: Baker-McGuire, the furniture house, now shows Milton & King wallcoverings in its showrooms, and its president, Eric Graham, says they “pair naturally with our furnishings.” That is wallpaper chosen to complete a furniture collection. A pattern drawn from a painter’s own canvas answers a different brief: it can start the room, and the furniture can answer it. Both are honest, and a designer chooses by deciding which one should speak first.
What did a furniture house just do with wallpaper?
Design News Now reported on 19 February 2026 that Baker-McGuire, the High Point, North Carolina furniture company, is showing wallcoverings from Dallas-based wallpaper house Milton & King inside its showrooms. A ribbon-cutting on 28 January 2026 opened a dedicated Milton & King space beside Baker-McGuire’s furniture at the Dallas Design Center, with more showrooms scheduled to add the wallcoverings through 2026. The stated aim is to show how furniture, finishes and walls can work together.
Eric Graham, president of Baker-McGuire: “Milton & King brings a distinctive design point of view and exceptional quality that pairs naturally with our furnishings.” He also said the partnership delivers “a more cohesive and inspiring design experience across our locations.” DeAnna Hain, president of U.S. operations at Milton & King, said it lets the house “reach more design communities.”
What does wallpaper do when it is chosen to complete furniture?
It plays a supporting role, in the best sense of the phrase. The sofa, the table and the case goods set the brief, and the wall finishes the picture so a client can see a whole interior in one showroom. That is a legitimate and useful job, and houses like Baker and Milton & King are well placed to do it.
David Harris, design director at Andrew Martin, told Livingetc (Rory Robertson, 5 January 2026) that “Wallpaper has evolved tremendously and is more popular today than ever.” A category that popular needs more than one kind of answer.
What changes when the pattern starts as a painting?
Each pattern in this studio begins as an original painting by Angela Simeone, and a manufacturer then prints it. The wallpaper itself is not hand-painted, and the studio does not describe it that way. It is printed on 20 oz Type II commercial-grade vinyl with an embossed face and a slight strié shimmer over a laminated fabric backing. Rolls are 24 inches wide, pre-trimmed and unpasted, with 52-inch widths for commercial work. Print-on-demand lead time is about two weeks.
What changes is the order of the decisions. The painting comes first, so the wall can be the first voice in the room instead of the last finish. Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene, says nature-led murals create a visual connection to the outdoors, “acting almost like a window.” A pattern drawn from a painter’s canvas can do something similar with one person’s point of view in place of a view.
Does origin make a wallcovering more authentic?
Brandon Schubert told Livingetc that designers are moving toward “elements that feel authentic and natural.” His subject was faux finishes, and origin is only one way to test authenticity. It is a testable one, though. A pattern can be traced to one painted canvas, made by one person, over weeks, and a designer can ask any maker the same thing: where did this begin?
How should a designer choose between the two?
Put a sample of each beside the furniture and ask which one should speak first. If the furniture is the star, a wallcovering chosen to complete it is the right brief. If the room needs a point of view before the furniture arrives, start with a pattern that already has one. Browse the full wallpaper collection, order up to five free samples, and ask the studio about custom colorway and scale through the Trade Program. Meet the painter behind the patterns.
Heritage houses such as Baker, Schumacher and Lee Jofa set a high standard for historical beauty. A painter’s pattern adds a different voice to that conversation.
Frequently asked questions
Should wallpaper match the furniture?
Not necessarily. Baker-McGuire shows Milton & King wallcoverings in its showrooms because they pair with its furnishings, which is one valid brief. A pattern that begins as a painting can instead set the room’s first idea, with the furniture answering it.
What is artist-designed wallpaper?
Wallpaper whose pattern originates with an artist’s own work. In this studio each pattern begins as an original painting by Angela Simeone and is printed by a manufacturer onto 20 oz Type II vinyl.
Is the studio’s wallpaper hand-painted?
No. Each pattern begins as an original painting and is printed by a manufacturer. The wallpaper is a printed product drawn from a painting.
Can designers order samples or custom colorways?
Yes. Up to five free samples are available, and the Trade Program offers custom colorway and scale for designers.