Go Ahead, Be Creative With Your Wallpaper
Wallpaper is having a moment — but it doesn’t need to cover all 4 walls. Here’s how to use it with panache
Wallpaper design has branched out in recent years, and there’s a vast selection ranging from traditional and retro to modern and downright edgy. Putting up a statement paper is a great way to inject personality into a home, and it will create a big effect with reasonably minimal effort and cost.
Enliven a desk. Looking for inspiration while you work? Papering the wall behind your desk can be an effective way to cheer up an otherwise functional area. This geometric wallpaper is bold, but the muted gray and mustard tones keep it in check.
Wallpaper: Mill, Quercus & Co.
Wallpaper: Mill, Quercus & Co.
Bring warmth to a kitchen. The kitchen may not leap to mind as a room where you would hang wallpaper, but it can work brilliantly (and it can be cheaper than tiling). Modern kitchens tend to be quite minimal, so a panel of paper can visually lift a plain room. Here, the lime-colored paper ties in with the backsplash for a unified feel. You also could use paper behind glass for a patterned backsplash.
Wallpaper: Lotus, Farrow & Ball
Wallpaper: Lotus, Farrow & Ball
Highlight one piece of furniture. It’s never a good idea to choose your wallpaper design in isolation. Instead, think about how different elements in your home will fit together when planning a design with wallpaper. Which items of furniture will you place in front of it, and will they work? Perhaps you have one standout heirloom you particularly want to highlight? In this space, the wallpaper works with the distressed cabinet to create a bright and eclectic display. Stick to one feature wall to make sure all eyes are on your creation.
Wallpaper: Butterly Garden, Osborne & Little
Wallpaper: Butterly Garden, Osborne & Little
Transform a bookcase. If you’re tempted by wallpaper but don’t want to cover a wall, consider papering the back of a shelving unit instead. You’ll get pattern, but in a more subtle way. This is a purse-friendly idea too, since you need only a relatively small amount of paper to achieve it. You could even use remnants or samples.
Wallpaper: Fiorentina, Quadrille
Wallpaper: Fiorentina, Quadrille
Add a mini dose. Here, too, a patch of wallpaper adds a bit of pizazz without overwhelming the room. Only two shelf backs are papered, but they still completely change the feel of the kitchen.
For an alternative to this look, try papering the bottoms of wooden crates and mounting them on the wall.
Wallpaper: Parrots, Saint Honoré Wallcoverings
For an alternative to this look, try papering the bottoms of wooden crates and mounting them on the wall.
Wallpaper: Parrots, Saint Honoré Wallcoverings
Go up the stairs. Papering the stair risers adds a surprise element and makes a cool, modern alternative to a runner. It’s also a stylish way to utilize any remnants from paper you may have used elsewhere.
Think about how your chosen print will look from the bottom of your staircase, and how it will tie in with your wall paint and flooring. A subdued print like the one here provides a dash of pattern without being too busy.
Wallpaper: Woods, Vanillawood
Think about how your chosen print will look from the bottom of your staircase, and how it will tie in with your wall paint and flooring. A subdued print like the one here provides a dash of pattern without being too busy.
Wallpaper: Woods, Vanillawood
Mimic a cool material. Trompe l’oeil papers that mimic weathered wood, concrete, brick, encaustic tiles and even clapboard are chic and surprisingly convincing. In this bedroom, the paper imitates concrete paving slabs, adding a cool urban feel that’s much more interesting than an expanse of white. The rest of the room follows the industrial vibe, with metal lamps and a simple gray blanket.
Wallpaper: Concrete collection by Piet Boon, NLXL
Wallpaper: Concrete collection by Piet Boon, NLXL
Try a log-cabin look. Using a trompe l’oeil paper also can work if your home lacks original features, as it will add the warmth and character that may be missing. In this cozy TV room, the wood-effect wallpaper lends a bit of log-cabin atmosphere to what’s otherwise a fairly minimal and linear space.
Give a bathroom some luxury. We sometimes reject the idea of wallpaper in the bathroom, just as we do in the kitchen — perhaps envisaging mildewed and peeling paper. However, if your bathroom is sufficiently moisture-controlled and you opt for one of the new extra-strong or vinyl wallcoverings that are durable, splashproof and designed specifically for bathrooms, it’s not a problem. This beautiful paper picks out the tone of the tub’s exterior paint.
Wallpaper: Reverie, Little Greene
Wallpaper: Reverie, Little Greene
Dine in style. Many of us have a combined living and dining space, so use wallpaper to define the eating area and make it feel more intimate. Just one feature wall is all that’s needed. Floral wallpaper is timeless, and this one is influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement. For more beautiful botanical designs, look at Scandinavian brands that mix traditional and modern well.
Wallpaper: Ariadne’s Dream Jumbo, Artbook by Kim Parker collection, Clarke & Clarke
Wallpaper: Ariadne’s Dream Jumbo, Artbook by Kim Parker collection, Clarke & Clarke
Create a cocoon. If you think a small space only should be painted in a pale color, think again. In fact, a bold paper can bring a small space to life and make it feel special — designed and cozy rather than cramped. And if you’re feeling really brave, consider using more than one design. Two contrasting wallpapers may sound like an interiors nightmare, but in this teen bedroom, the result is fresh and fun.
Wallpaper: custom, hand-painted design
Wallpaper: custom, hand-painted design
Experiment in a powder room.
A half bath is the perfect place to experiment with wallpaper, and since the space is small, you may even be able to splurge on a paper you really love. Choose something bold, rich and opulent, or go for a quirky, cheerful design like this one. There are no rules, so be brave.
Wallpaper: Acquario, Fornasetti II collection, Cole & Son
More
Roll Call: How to Measure for Wallpaper
Great Home Project: How to Add Wallpaper to a Room
Find a wallpaper that suits your style
A half bath is the perfect place to experiment with wallpaper, and since the space is small, you may even be able to splurge on a paper you really love. Choose something bold, rich and opulent, or go for a quirky, cheerful design like this one. There are no rules, so be brave.
Wallpaper: Acquario, Fornasetti II collection, Cole & Son
More
Roll Call: How to Measure for Wallpaper
Great Home Project: How to Add Wallpaper to a Room
Find a wallpaper that suits your style
Wallpaper: Skog Green, Sandberg Wallpaper