Live it up in a comfortably formal living room Achieve a sense of richness that wallpaper can so easily bring to a living room. Here, from Gramercy's Algranate collection, wallpaper with a minimalist square - Tea House in positive/negative versions colored red and metallic gold - is elegantly topped by the lyric Shalimar border. Shalimar stripe dresses the screen. As Americans find their way back to more traditional lifestyles, some new home buyers are opting for separate living and dining rooms over great rooms. Are these your mother's living rooms? "People want a formal and rich look, but as they live and entertain in every room, they don't want to worry about jelly hands and potato chip crumbs," says Tony Stavish of A. W. Stavish Designs, Chicago. "Decorating elements must include a luxe look and be practical," he notes. House Beautiful picked Stavish as one of its 15 rising stars in design this year. Along with forgiving fabrics, wallpaper's ease in maintenance is a perfect partner to achieve comfortable formality. From the Gramercy wallpaper collection, Echo Home: Time at Home, Classic Paisley in Chocolate provides a rich, fashionable look with a bonus: It's washable. Wallpaper can also have a positive impact on remodeling costs. In its Web site under "general remodeling tips," the National Association of the Remodeling Industry suggests "heavy or textured wallpaper can work wonders as well. You can save money by wallpapering a slightly damaged wall rather than replacing it." When Stavish uses multiple patterns in a room, he selects a bold print for the drapery treatment and a subtle pattern for the walls. Sturdy, washable vinyl wallpapers from Algranate like Arabesco Fleur de Lyss, with stylized floral symbols on a distressed stone background or Tea House Block, reminiscent of a decoupage of Asian screen papers, are both elegant and family-proof. Judy Rigby of Coventry Cottage, Atlanta, Ga., notes that some of her clients are transforming their living rooms to parlor-retreats. "Recently, two families added a piano to what was the living room, as well as two comfortable chairs near good light, for reading," said Rigby, an interior designer and member of the International Furnishings and Design Association. "They were re-creating the 19th century musical soiree concept, a sanctuary for intimate groups of friends. The smaller room at the front of the house is also made into a library," added Rigby. "I decorate traditional living rooms with more elegant fabrics and wallpapers than the ones I'd recommend for a great room. I might use a damask, toile, formal stripe or silk check," she said. For more information about Gramercy, call (800) 332-3384.