Selecting the perfect wallpaper for your interior may seem like a frightening task. Colors, patterns, styles, and textures all come into play. However, with the right knowledge, you can effortlessly enhance your living spaces and breathe new life into your home.
In this guide, we’ll show you how to choose the perfect wallpaper for your rooms, depending on your taste, budget, and needs. You’ll learn how to match colors, create harmony, and add personality to your walls. You’ll also discover the different types of wallpaper, such as vinyl, paper, fabric, and grasscloth, and how to install them properly. By following these tips, you can transform your home into a beautiful and cozy place.
Tips for Choosing the Perfect Wallpaper
The world of wallpaper offers a myriad of styles, colors, and textures. Before delving into the selection process, consider whether you wish to adorn all your walls or create a captivating accent wall.
Wallpaper Styles
Choose the perfect wallpaper style that seamlessly integrates with your overall décor. The style should harmonize with your space, be it formal, glam, casual, country, rustic, Victorian, or modern.
- Formal: A formal interior benefits from elegant wallpaper designs, such as hand-painted prints or damasks.
- Glam: Elevate the glamour with options like embossed, flocked, crystal-embedded, or dramatically reflective wallpapers.
- Casual: Enhance your casual décor with various patterns, including botanical, floral, or textured prints.
- Country: Embrace a country motif with plaid, gingham, or rural-inspired patterns.
- Rustic: Opt for textured wallpapers, like grasscloth for depth, plaid for warmth, or wildlife patterns for a rustic theme.
- Victorian: A baroque floral damask perfectly complements this period style.
- Modern: Choose geometric or abstract patterns for a contemporary flair.
Wallpaper Colors
When selecting colors for your interior wallpaper, ensure they harmonize with your window treatments, flooring, and furniture.
- To achieve the color richness of bold paint, pick a colored wallpaper with a slightly lighter pattern; it adds an elegant touch and is ideal for bathrooms.
- Repeating colors from your existing décor palette in your wallpaper unifies your space.
- For a dash of drama and contrast, make the accent color the primary color of your wallpaper.
- Create a seamless transition by using the wall paint color as the main wallpaper shade.
Pattern or Plain Wallpaper
Don’t limit yourself to plain wallpaper, even if your décor incorporates various patterns. The key is to choose the perfect wallpaper color and pattern size.
- For spaces with patterned draperies and upholstery, opt for tone-on-tone or textured wallpapers.
- When selecting patterned wallpaper, ensure it features a smaller or larger pattern than your drapery fabric or upholstery.
- A plain wallpaper provides a visual break in a heavily patterned setting.
Large and Small Patterns
Contrary to the belief that rooms should match pattern scales (small patterns for small rooms and large prints for large spaces), you have room to play.
- A small bathroom can make a dramatic design statement with a large wallpaper pattern.
- In a large den with abundant windows, doors, and built-in furniture, a small pattern introduces captivating visuals, complete with hints of color and pattern, creating a dynamic ambiance.
Textured Wallpaper for Depth
To add texture and depth to your design, textured wallpapers are your allies. Consider options like grasscloth for a home office, either as an accent wall behind your desk or above wainscoting. In your cozy living room or den, textured wallpapers like grasscloth, embossed, or flocked can create a captivating ambiance.
Metallic Wallpapers
Rooms with limited natural light benefit from shiny metallic wallpapers, reflecting light deep into the space. Small, windowless half baths receive a radiant makeover with reflective wallpapers, while vintage kitchens or dining rooms are elevated by faux tin ceiling wallpapers.
Making Rooms Appear Larger or Smaller
The size of your wallpaper’s pattern can visually manipulate room dimensions.
- To make a large room cozier, opt for a large print with a darker background, creating a visual illusion that brings the walls closer.
- Conversely, in smaller rooms or spacious areas, a small-patterned wallpaper can make a small room appear larger or accentuate the grandeur of a large room.
Adding Height and Length to Walls
Playing with the orientation of stripes can influence wall perception.
- Horizontal stripes elongate walls, while vertical stripes impart a sense of height.
- Wide or narrow, stripes can be regular, vine, or paisley patterns.
- Mix and match to create a unique visual effect.
Where to Apply Wallpaper
The perfect wallpaper can transform your interiors in various ways. You can adorn every wall, create an accent wall, or use it to enhance broken wall spaces.
Accent Walls
One of the most transformative uses of perfect wallpaper is creating an accent wall. It’s economical and simple.
- Elevate your master bedroom’s ambiance by selecting the wall behind the bed for an elegant and warming design.
- Embrace the power of contrast by using two different wallpapers in the same room, combining a stripe for an accent wall with a jacquard print wallpaper for the remaining walls.
- Unleash your bold side with a dramatic accent wallpaper, be it a zebra print or a lush tropical leaf pattern.
- Achieve that “wow” factor for your dining room with an Art Deco geometric wallpaper behind the sideboard.
Chair Rails
Wallpaper above or below a chair rail adds warmth and depth to a dining room or effectively divides a long hallway. Get creative by mixing and matching wallpaper patterns above and below the chair rail. Alternatively, you can paint the wall either below or above the chair rail and use wallpaper for the other section.
Wainscoting
Adding wallpaper above wainscoting is an elegant way to complement your décor. Choose a pattern that aligns with your room’s style and color scheme, be it the dining room, den, kitchen, or bedroom.
Transform Your Interiors with the Perfect Wallpaper
Selecting the perfect wallpaper is effortless when you follow these design tips. Whether you aim to create drama, coziness, or a lush tropical retreat, your ideal wallpaper awaits.
Where to Find High-Quality Wallpaper Online:
- Wayfair Wallpaper – offers an extensive collection of wallpapers in various styles, colors, and patterns, catering to diverse design preferences. Whether you’re seeking classic elegance or contemporary vibrancy, you’ll find a wide range of options to elevate your interiors.
- Etsy Wallpaper – provides a platform for independent artists and sellers to showcase unique and handcrafted wallpaper designs, ensuring a one-of-a-kind look for your interiors. Explore a variety of artistic creations that can transform your living spaces.
- Houzz Wallpaper features an extensive collection of wallpapers, from classic to contemporary, making it easy to find the perfect fit for your design projects. With a wide selection of styles and colors, you can effortlessly enhance your interiors with high-quality wallpaper.
- Peel & Stick Wallpaper on Amazon – offers a diverse range of peel-and-stick wallpapers in various patterns and colors, providing a convenient and cost-effective option for redecorating your home. Whether you prefer a traditional or modern look, you’ll discover an array of choices to revitalize your living spaces.
- Bimago Wallpaper – offers a wide selection of high-quality wallpapers, perfect for adding a touch of elegance and creativity to your interiors. With a variety of styles and designs, you can find the ideal wallpaper to suit your unique aesthetic and transform your living spaces.
Enhance your living spaces with the perfect wallpaper by exploring these reputable online stores, including the artistic offerings on Etsy and the elegant selections at Bimago. Whether you’re aiming for timeless beauty or contemporary flair, you’ll find the ideal wallpaper to breathe new life into your home.
You’ll be amazed at how much difference the perfect wallpaper can make for your interior design. Not only will you add color, texture, and style to your walls, but you’ll also create a mood and atmosphere that suits your personality and taste. You can choose from a variety of themes, such as floral, geometric, abstract, vintage, or modern, and match them with your furniture and accessories. You can also experiment with different patterns, such as stripes, dots, checks, or paisley, and create contrast or harmony.