Monday we hung gold stripes on the wall with Chatham Stripe in Ochre. As the calendar turns toward Thanksgiving and the first holiday parties, we wanted something with more contrast and a little more drama.
Schumacher Queen of Spain in Black is that pattern. Rows of loose, painted shapes in black march across a white ground, a little uneven, the way a brush leaves them. The shop's colorway notes put it simply: introduced in 1963 and still fresh today, with a lively, painterly quality, and a wonderful example of mid-century design.
Black and white is the most dressed-up color pair there is. It reads like a tuxedo, silver candlesticks, and a table set for twelve. It also lasts well past New Year's. That is why Queen of Spain in Black is our Thursday pick.
What Queen of Spain in Black looks like
Up close, every shape is a little different. Some are round at the top, some come to a point, and the edges have the dry, broken texture of real paint. Step back and the shapes line up into soft horizontal bands, so the wall has rhythm without feeling stiff.
The shop lists this colorway as black and white, SKU 5005881. It is a Schumacher print with an abstract motif on a non-woven substrate, and it meets ASTM E84 Class A flame testing.
Because the motif is hand-drawn rather than geometric, it is forgiving in a way a stripe is not. It plays well with antiques, modern pieces, plaid wool, and a gilded mirror all at once. For a holiday table, that is the point: the wall carries the room, and the brass, greenery, and good china do the rest.
The numbers on the product page
Callout: Roll width 49". Horizontal repeat 48". Vertical repeat 36". Match: straight. Sold by the yard.
That spec block is on the Queen of Spain Black page. Also listed there: 8.0 yards per roll, order minimum 8 yards, order increment 8 yards, non-woven substrate, pre-trimmed: No, and pre-pasted: No.
The listed price is $269.50 per yard. At the 8-yard minimum, the page shows a total of $2156.00. Each roll is 8 yards, so the minimum is one roll, and after that you add one 8-yard roll at a time. The page notes that the design is made to order.
At 49 inches, this is a wide roll. Fewer strips cover a wall, which means fewer seams across that painterly field.
Where Queen of Spain belongs this season
A high-contrast pattern earns its keep in the rooms guests actually see. Good spots for Queen of Spain in Black:
A powder room, where holiday guests spend a quiet minute and notice everything
A dining room or breakfast nook with a white table, warm wood chairs, and candles
An entry or stair hall that sets the tone the moment the door opens
A study or home office, where the coffee and the conversation end up after dinner
One accent wall behind a buffet or bar cart
For the holidays, pair Black with brass, evergreen garland, red berries, and white dishes. In January, pull the garland and add blue-and-white pottery or a rush-seat chair, and the same wall reads fresh again.
Paper is the wrong pick for a shower wall or right behind a cooktop. In a powder room with good ventilation, it does fine.
A 48-inch repeat needs a plan
Queen of Spain in Black repeats every 48 inches across and 36 inches down. On a big wall that is invisible. On a short wall or around a window, it decides where the bands of shapes land. We lay out the first strip so the pattern sits level at eye height and the cut pieces fall where no one looks.
Black, Gold, Navy, Sky, and more
Same painterly shapes, same 49-inch width, same $269.50 per yard. The shop carries 6 colorways of Queen of Spain. Here is how they line up for the season.
Black (SKU 5005881). Black and white. The crispest, most formal option and our lead pick.
Gold (SKU 5005884). Gold and black. Gold shapes on a black ground, the most festive of the six and made for a dining room lit by candles.
Navy (SKU 5005885). Navy and white. A deep, classic blue that works in an entry, a stair hall, or a study.
Sky (SKU 5005882). Blue and white. Soft and airy for a guest bedroom.
Warm Silver (SKU 5005880). Taupe and neutral. A quiet neutral take on the same pattern.
If you want the softest version, Dove (SKU 5005883, listed as gray) sits in the same family.
Sample first, then run the numbers
Black and white looks simple on a screen, but the white ground can read bright or creamy depending on your light. Before you order, add a $3.00 memo sample of Queen of Spain Black to your cart and tape it up where the wall will go. Look at it in daylight and again under lamps at night. If you are torn, order Schumacher wallpaper samples of Gold or Navy at the same time and compare them side by side.
Then use the Wallpaper Calculator on the Queen of Spain Black product page. Enter your wall height and width in inches and it estimates rolls. Per the calculator logic on the page, each strip starts at wall height plus 4 inches and is lengthened to the next full 36-inch repeat. On an 8-foot wall that is a 108-inch strip, so one 8-yard roll gives you two strips, each 49 inches wide. A 12-foot-wide wall takes three strips, or two rolls (16 yards).
If you are in Abilene or nearby, we can measure for you and bring samples to the house. If you are farther away, you can still order Schumacher wallpaper online through our shop with nationwide shipping. If you want it up before holiday company arrives, sample now: the page notes this design is made to order.
What professional installation does with a wide, painterly print
A 49-inch roll and a 48-inch repeat reward careful hands. On Queen of Spain we:
Skim and prime so the paper lays flat and the seams stay tight
Snap a plumb line on every wall instead of trusting the corners
Set the first strip so the bands of shapes sit level at eye height
Plan where the repeat breaks at corners, doors, and windows
Trim the edges by hand, since the page lists this paper as not pre-trimmed
Keep the straight match tight on every seam
Measure for waste and order to the 8-yard increment with enough extra for matching
People often ask how much it costs to install wallpaper. The honest answer depends on wall height, prep, and how many cuts the room needs, so we quote after we measure. Most standard rooms finish in a day or two. For the full walkthrough, read What to Expect During a Professional Wallpaper Installation.
Why Abilene homeowners call Wallpaper Abilene
We are a local install company that also sells Schumacher wallcovering online. That means in-home sample showings for local clients, professional installation, and nationwide shipping when you are ordering for a project we are not hanging. We will also tell you honestly when a different colorway will serve your room better, even if that means Sky or Dove instead of the Black you came in for.
Ready to Transform Your Space?
If Queen of Spain in Black feels like your room, shop it, order a sample, or book an in-home wallpaper showing and we will look at it with you in your own light, well before the holiday guests arrive.
