I’ve been told that even those that had money worked hard back in the day. There was enough work to go around even with full time maids. And “doing nothing” wasn’t an acceptable pastime. I’m sure there were exceptions, but as a general rule we are a more spoiled generation, and our kids more so…
To clarify, colored walls are not what makes us spoiled, it’s just a symptom of being catered to our whims, which for most wasn’t the case in days gone by.
And to answer one of your questions LB, as far as I know the walls were whitewashed (with lime) for the general populace, while the rich had decorative tapestries and mirrors etc. covering their walls. (And since you made me consult Wikipedia, I now know that wallpaper was a thing a few hundred years ago for Europeans not quite as rich or aristocratic to afford large tapestries. I don’t think it included the average shtetl dweller…)
I’d assume the craftsmen for each trade helped with design, but for all I know there were professionals/specialists that could be hired or consulted to be the design mavens.