Suddenly patterns are everywhere you look. Big, bold flowers on this season's skirts, eye-popping patterns in catalogs, magazines and store displays all can put you in the mood to add some pattern to your life. Wallpaper is one fun way to get the look, and get it now.

If 'fun' is not a word you associate with wallpaper, think again. Wallpaper is no longer those 1940s itty-bitty prints that made a sticky mess when you put them up or took them down. Thanks to big changes in the way it's made, wallpaper is now much easier to hang and even easier to remove, so you can experiment with pattern on your walls and yes, have fun with wallpaper. Here are some tips to get you rolling:

Get Inspired

This is the fun part, but all the choices can be overwhelming. Before you go to the wallpaper store, practice your powers of observation. Become aware of the patterns that catch your eye as you go about your day. Take note of what you like best. And think about your color scheme. Your room provides a lot of visual clues. Bring somethinga fabric swatch, pillow or favorite accessoryto guide you as you consider your choices.

Hitting the Books

Since you've done your homework ahead of time, you'll be able to narrow your selection fairly quickly. Don't be intimidated by the wide assortment of sample books. Just focus on those that feature the colors and patterns you came to find. Bring a stack of Post-Its so you can tag the patterns you like. The markers will help you quickly compare your choices from the assortment of books.

Don't feel pressured to decide on the spot which wallpaper to buy. Talk to your local wallpaper retailer about ordering take-home samples of the wallpapers you like best. Order two samples of swatches you really like so you can see how they look in different places on the wall. For example, if you have a large picture over the sofa, you may want to bookend the paper at either side of it to see how the artwork will look against the pattern.

Picking a Pattern

At home, tape the samples to the walls and move them around to see how they look in direct light and in shadow. View them from the distance of an adjoining room as well as at close range. Live with them for a few days and you will be able to whittle away at your choices.

For some in search of the 'perfect' pattern, the selection process can be agonizing, especially if you think you'll have to live with it for the next 10 years, as once was the norm. But remember that today, with the new ease in wallpapers, you can afford to be a little more carefree in your decisions.

Getting the Hang of it

While pre-pasted papers have been around for ages, breakthroughs in how they're made mean they go up easier than ever. Forget those images of Lucy and Ethel hanging wallpaper on 'I Love Lucy.'

But if wallpaper flat out scares you, ask your retailer about the new easy-hang wallpapers, called non-woven wallpapers. 'If you've never hung wallpaper, I highly recommend these new non-woven wallpapers,' says Alan Rada, a veteran paperhanger and owner of Decorada Wallpaper Installation in Brooklyn, N.Y. 'They're a pleasure to work with, they save time, adhere very well and seams virtually disappear. This is very forgiving wallpaper, so just read the directions, and you'll love the results.'

SIDEBAR

How to Measure for Wallpaper

Before you can place your order at the wallpaper store, you need to estimate how much wallpaper you'll need. Sit in your room and draw a rough diagram of the room showing the doors, windows and ceiling height, and even where a wall is broken up with a fireplace or built-in bookcases. Write these measurements right on the diagram.

With a yardstick or a steel tape, measure the wall height from floor to ceiling, excluding baseboards and moldings. Then measure the length of each wall including doors and windows. Find the total square feet of a wall by multiplying the ceiling height by total wall length. Subtract areas that you won't cover. For example, standard doors are about 3 feet by 7 feet, or 21 square feet. Standard windows are about 3 feet by 4 feet, or 12 square feet.