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Ms. Cheap: Wallpaper makes a comeback and Inglewood shop has you covered




Doug Haley shows some of the wallpaper available at the store he co-owns in Inglewood. He said wallpaper sales have grown larger than furniture consignment side of his business.MARY HANCE/Main Street Maury

Doug Haley shows some of the wallpaper available at the store he co-owns in Inglewood. He said wallpaper sales have grown larger than furniture consignment side of his business.MARY HANCE/Main Street Maury

When Doug Haley and his partner Mike Hebert opened their wallpaper and home consignment store nine years ago, wallpaper was a secondary contributor to the bottom line.

But the men who had been professional wallpaper hangers for 30 years were betting on the comeback of wallpaper popularity, and now their instincts are paying off.

“Wallpaper sales are growing every month,” said Haley, whose store carries hundreds of in-stock patterns and even more choices in special order books, all with discounts of 25- 60 percent off. “We were planning for today when people would want wallpaper again.”

“Look at this,” he said pointing to a wall of the Rifle brand of high-end designs that he sells at about half of the online competitor prices. “This one is $69 for a double roll, and it would be $122 online,” he said, referring to a popular Rifle floral paper.

The Wallpaper & Designer Home Consignments store, which is about half wallpaper and half consignment furniture and home decor, is located at 3701 Gallatin Pike in Inglewood.

Doug Haley was a professional wallpaper hanger for more than 30 years before opening a store in Inglewood for wallpaper.MARY HANCE/Main Street Maury

Doug Haley was a professional wallpaper hanger for more than 30 years before opening a store in Inglewood for wallpaper.MARY HANCE/Main Street Maury

Haley said in the early years, consignment sales topped the wallpaper sales. “But now in the last three years, it has flip flopped,” he said, adding that the combo store has turned out to be a successful retail model for them.

“People come in for the wallpaper and while they are there, they shop consignment. The two feed off each other,” he said.

Over the years, Haley and Hebert have accumulated 1,700 consignors, with about 800 of them considered to be active.

“We put new things out of the floor every day. It is an eclectic mix,” Haley said, showing off the well merchandised showroom, which features contemporary pieces as well as antiques and traditional items.

The inventory includes everything from art to jewelry (lots of consigned jewelry), upholstered pieces, light fixtures, rugs, décor like pillows, lamps and picture frames, as well as crystal and silver.

“We like unusual things,” Haley said.

Wallpaper & Designer Home Consignment store co-owner Mike Hebert helps shop dog, Buddy, take a rest./Main Street Maury

Wallpaper & Designer Home Consignment store co-owner Mike Hebert helps shop dog, Buddy, take a rest./Main Street Maury

If you want to consign, the split is 50/50 with the store and the process is for a consignor to send a photo for consideration before bringing items in. The owners pay out to consignors monthly and warn say they are “very picky” about what they are willing to take in — accepting maybe half of the items that prospective consignors bring in for consideration.

The pricing starts with a set price, and it goes down every 30 days, ensuring that items that don’t sell right off eventually become great deals for customers.

Also good to know is that the store has a “wish list” where shoppers can specify something special they are looking for and the shop will contact them if such an item comes in.

It looks like the Haley and Hebert’s instincts were on point, with designer sites like homeandgardens.com say: “Wallpaper is a key trend for 2022, and the insatiable appetite from consumers doesn’t look like abating any time soon. Whatever your taste there are wallpaper ideas for everyone from traditional florals and trompe l’oeil to contemporary geometric and tropical patterns or animal motifs and architectural designs.”

Haley and Hebert try to make it easy for customers by offering free samples of their in-stock papers. They also sell DIY wallpaper hanging tools and paste and will even demonstrate how to hang the paper yourself if you are inclined to do it yourself. If not, they also have a list of reputable wallpaper hangers to share with customers.

Oh, and be sure to say hi to Buddy, the big (not for sale) fluffy shop dog who will welcome you into the store.

Details: Wallpaper & Designer Home Consignments, 3701 Gallatin Road, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Contact them at:

inquire@wallpaperanddecor.com or 615-292-7590 or see wallpaperanddecor.com.

Mary Hance, who has four decades of journalism experience in the Nashville area, writes a weekly Ms. Cheap column. She also appears on Thursdays on Talk of the Town on NewsChannel5. Reach her at mscheap@mainstreetmediatn.com and follow her on Facebook as Facebook.com/mscheap

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