A prospective client called decorator Debi Lyerly of Salisbury with a request. She wanted to freshen up some areas in her home that she thought were looking a bit tired. Would Lyerly take a look and give her some ideas?

As a result, four areas gained new life with distinct wallpaper or drapes, eye-catching trims, bright upholstery fabric and other touches that updated the elegance of the home’s decor without disrupting it.

Wallpaper, which had fallen out of favor for a few years, is back with a vengeance, Lyerly says. “There are soooo many choices out there. Texture is huge. …

“It’s just not your grandmother’s wallpaper any more.”

This freshening project has two good examples of that.

Japanese paper weave wallpaper with a hand-painted trellis design now covers the walls in the breakfast room, bringing warmth and texture to the area.

Down the hall, the side entrance hall now sports spots — leopard spots, that is — in fresh wallpaper that brings visual interest to an area often treated as an afterthought.

And “fresh” doesn’t always have to mean “new.” The search for a  light fixture to hang over the breakfast table led to an old one the homeowner had stored away — a classic pineapple design that fits right in with the tropical feel of the wallpaper.

Details count. Lyerly had Lauren Watts paint a floor cloth for the kitchen with two patterns found in the breakfast room — the trellis of the wallpaper and flowers in the area rug.

Down the hall from the kitchen, the room that gets the most use, the sunroom, already had rich green walls. Lyerly and the homeowner picked out a jade green Schumacher fabric with a lotus garden motif for sleek new drapes with an attractive trim.

The drapes hang from bamboo-like traverse rods placed midway between the ceiling and the top of the window, raising the eye upward.

Two beloved old accent chairs were renewed with bright green-and-white Brunschwig fabric with a fern-like design. New fabric, with a trellis design tops a nearby bench.

An endless variety of trims, tapes and embellishments are available for home decor today. When it was time to update another room — the den — Lyerly recommended a wide, embroidered tape trim for the drapes and adding two custom pillows to the couch.

If you’re decorating on a budget, Lyerly says, she recommends simple, solid fabrics. “Then throw your money into your trim, because that’s where you get your ‘wow.'”

She also advises thinking of lamps and pillows as an investment. The fine lamps she found in these rooms benefitted from new lampshades but otherwise were timeless.

Clearing out the built-in book cases and putting things back in a more artful arrangement finished that room.

“Bookcases are a favorite of mine,” Lyerly says. “I love emptying and refilling with things that the client loves and then adding framed pictures, art and mementos — the perfect place to tell the owner’s story.”

Lyerly shares these other decorating tips:

• First and foremost, take a in-depth look around at every decorative item. Do you LOVE it? does it make your heart beat? Does it bring you joy and tell part of your story?
• Keep what you love and discard what you don’t — regardless, regardless, regardless of where it came from, who gave it to you, and how much money you paid for it.
• 90 percent of the time, picture frames need an update. Keep frames in the same color family and style so everything looks “clean” and the pictures are the true stars of the show rather than the frames.  Buy good, well-made frames.
• Consider having two sets of pillows for sofa, etc.  — heavier fabrics like tweeds, velvets, faux furs for colder months and lighter weight linens and cotton for warmer months.
• Pick areas where a textured or patterned wallpaper can give space a special feel. Example: Putting a textured paper on back wall of bookshelves changes the look completely.
• Give your powder room permission to be “wow.” That doesn’t necessarily mean “bold,” but this small room is a great place to get a lot of bang for your buck.
• Paint your dining room ceiling a color or line with fabulous wallpaper.
• Consider reupholstering kitchen chairs, adding cushions to barstools.
• Changing out the tassel trim on drapery for a new tape trim can give you a quick update and change the whole look, allowing you to love them all over again.
• If your scheme is color-coordinated to the tee, consider throwing in a wild card to shake things up a bit.
• Throw in an animal print somewhere. Animal prints come  in every color imaginable these days.