> (...) wallpaper is a tough sell for those who tend to fill their homes with disposable furnishings from Wayfair and Ikea. Such consumers generally balk at spending $51 a yard to apply an 18-inch wide ribbon of “Kelmscott Frieze” (...) (plan on spending around $700, plus installation, for that little detail)
I don't own Ikea furniture and white walls because I like the minimalist looks - I own Ikea furniture because I can't afford better, and I have white walls because my landlord will force me to paint them back once I move. Buying a house alone would be quite a stretch, and you bet I'd rather put those extra $700 towards a proper table or, even better, my retirement.
Now, why aren't rich people buying expensive wallpaper? No idea. But that has nothing to do with the "Everybody hates wallpaper" that opens the article.