31 Times Wallpaper Decorating Totally Worked

Going Glam

If these walls were white, the black iron bed frame and ruffled bedding could be construed as farmhouse style. However, the bedroom instantly gets a glam makeover with the patterned wallpaper. The room's neutral color scheme keeps the look mature, and the matching bedside tables provide an extra punch.

The Fifth Wall

It's easy to forget about the ceiling. Usually painted white, it fades into a room's background. Not in this closet, however. These homeowners opted to use wallpaper, decorating the ceiling with a gold accent. The geometric design mimics the pattern found in the rug below.

Moody Wallpaper

Using wallpaper for decorating in your half-bath, you hardly have to put any thought into additional decor. Instead, the wallpaper does all the decorating for you! While some people hesitate to use bold colors in small spaces, these homeowners went all-in, and it paid off.

Uplifted Wallpaper Decorating

A seemingly simple kitchen gets a punchy accent with a wallpapered ceiling. The red design works because it's repeated with the stove knobs, tea kettle, and visible storage containers. Installing wallpaper on the ceiling isn't easy, but the unique accent wallpaper is worth the work.

Trellis 2.0

Who doesn't love a good trellis wallpaper? The lighter lines and curvy flow of the design in this hallway are a reinterpretation of the classic pattern that gets high marks in our book. Warm wood flooring and substantial white trim ground the pretty wallpaper design.

Living Large

Repeat after us: Floral wallpaper can be good and floral wallpaper can be bad. This is by far the former. The large-scale pattern is a thoroughly modern wallpaper design with a mix of fanciful flowers and graphic leaves. A gold-and-white color scheme keeps it classy, not tacky.

Wallpapered Greetings

Wallpaper in an entryway equals a bold first impression. And bonus points if it coordinates with your front door color. The gray ogee design encircling the scalloped diamonds in this wallpaper is a mash-up we like to call global geometric, which is fashion-forward but completely livable.

Get It: Bungalow in Yellow T16054, The Resort Collection by Thibaut Design

Understated Elegance

Bright and bold wallpaper designs might make a splash, but don't discount the power of an understated pattern (like this Better Homes & Gardens Gray Ayana Persian Peel and Stick Wallpaper, $35, Walmart). In this serene and sophisticated bedroom, a delicate and curvaceous latticelike wallpaper with a dark gray background brings depth to an airy neutral room. Repeating the background color on the trim of the bedding ties the look together.

Follow Along

Accent great architecture with even better wallpaper. In this boy's bedroom, an abstract nautical wallpaper print emphasizes a lofted, pitched ceiling. The white walls take a step back, giving the paper wall a mural-like presence.

This. Bathroom.

Talk about showstopping. Even though this design is based on a 17th-century French damask pattern, the wallpaper is fresh and appealing to the 21st-century decorator. The pattern takes on a nature-inspired motif, which juxtaposes the smart black-and-white colorway.

Get it: Chenonceau in charcoal at F. Schumacher & Co (to the trade)

Oh Wait. This Bathroom.

Imagine the surprise guests receive when they open the door to this powder room and see this unique modern Chinoiserie wallpaper. A small bath like this is the perfect place to go bold with a strong pattern. Paired with white fixtures and minimal accessories, the look is polished, not overbearing.

Get It: Chiang Mai Dragon, F. Schumacher & Co. (to the trade)

Greek Key Wallpaper

The eponymous motif has been around since the ancient Greeks built their empire. Today, it's a hot pattern for more than just architecture. Trendy pillows, trims, fabrics, and, you guessed it, wallpapers are all sporting this revived classic. The gray-and-white wallpaper in this bedroom introduces a subtle yet stately pattern.

Handsome Does It

If you think all wallpapers are flowery and frilly, you're mistaken. Plaid wallpaper nods to the trending rustic hunting lodge aesthetic while staying in classic, timeless territory. A rich mahogany finish on the vanity and trim, and marble wainscoting, play up the traditional character, The marble and stone mosaic flooring plays off the plaid wallpaper pattern.

Ingenious Installation

Wallpaper design ideas don't just encompass patterns and colors. Installation can be unique and special, too. In this living room, turquoise blue Otomi wallpaper envelops just the fireplace box rather than the room's walls. The global pattern acts as artwork for the mantel and a backdrop for stylish fireplace accessories.

Pattern Mix

While "don't sweat the small stuff" is a noble life mantra, the small stuff can make a room design sing. Pattern scale is an important consideration, especially with wallpaper decorating. In this feminine space, ikat drapes fill the large-scale pattern role, and wallpaper of a similar scale would have been overwhelming. Instead, sweet spotted wallpaper creates an almost solid-looking backdrop for the drapes and abstract painting.

Temp Job

Love the look of wallpaper but fear commitment? Enter temporary wallpaper. Easy to install and completely removable, these here-today-gone-tomorrow wallpaper designs look anything but cheap. This mural-inspired design is from Tempaper's Chinoiserie wallpaper line. And if you're tired of the wallpaper decorating your room in a year, you can remove it and replace it with another style.

Motifs, Reconsidered

Think country wallpapers only feature chickens and barns? Try again. Here, wallpaper with a birch tree pattern sets a forest scene in this farmhouse children's bedroom. The grayscale color scheme borrows from contemporary wallpaper ideas and juxtaposes the room's rustic design elements.

Not Just for Walls

Despite the name, wallpaper isn't exclusively for walls. The material can give a plain dresser a patterned wake-up call. Self-adhesive wallpapers make the project even easier.

Get It: Peonies Gold Leaf by Tempaper

It's for Ceilings Too

Applying wallpaper to a ceiling may be a little tricky, but the results are stunning and unexpected. Here, a twinkling star pattern caps off a charming girl's bedroom. The sparkling stars complement the shimmery trio of crystal light fixtures above the bed. Want a little more sparkle? Look for glitter wallpaper!

Get It: Coronata Star from Osborne & Little

On the Rise

Stair risers have to be one of the most creative places to wallpaper. And mixing it up with two different patterns? Major creativity props. Plus, you don't need a ton of wallpaper, so it's a low-cost update with high impact.

Get It: Bamboo BP 2119 and Block Print Stripe BP 754 by Farrow & Ball

Back to Walls in a Big Way

Oversized patterns in wallpaper decorating (similar to this Better Homes & Gardens Yellow Merida Floral Peel and Stick Wallpaper, $36, Walmart) work well in airy, light-filled rooms as an all-over wallcovering or smaller spaces on a single accent wall. This floral pattern nods to the living room's vintage leanings, but the white-and-acid-yellow motif is fresh and fearless. Keeping other patterns constrained helps the wallpaper shine.

Texture, Please

Texture gives pattern a run for its money in the wallpaper department. Grasscloth leads the pack as a primo choice for textural wallcoverings. In this living room, the natural material is a soft counterpoint to glam metallics, cool whites, and beiges.

Get It: Exotic Natural Wallpaper by Astek

The Grass(cloth) is Greener

And bluer, pinker, and red-er too! We'd be remiss if we failed to mention that grasscloth wallpaper also comes in a rainbow of colors. And when a material packs a double punch (color and texture), we say, "Yes, please!"

Get It: Manila Hemp in Kelly Green by Phillip Jeffries, Ltd.

Pretty in Pink

The crisp white surfaces often found in bathrooms lend themselves well to color-plus-white wallpapers. Here, a striking magenta-and-white damask-pattern wallpaper perks up an average bathroom design. Damask is commonly found in Victorian wallpapers, but the design is thoroughly modern in lipstick pink.

Wallpaper for Small Spaces

Want to make your space feel more expansive? Wallpaper decorating may be your answer. Horizontal stripes keep the eye moving, a trick that makes the area look bigger. Pops of color enliven the gray-and-white wallpaper design, while a white built-in and a comfy gray couch ground the room.

Get It: Ashford Stripe by York Wallcoverings

For the Kiddos

Can we say, we're totally jealous of the kid that gets to sleep in this bedroom? In addition to the fabulous industrial decor and fun pops of orange, trendy wood paneling and a flame stitch wallpaper turn up the style quotient on the walls. The colors in the flame stitch wallpaper set the color scheme for the rest of the room for a cohesive design.

Modern Florals

This isn't your grandma's floral wallpaper. Instead, the metallic gold-on-white print is abstract enough to be modern but organic enough to maintain a girly feel. Gold and white accents and a few pops of color bring out the playful side of the feminine wallpaper.

Get It: Petal Pusher in Almost White and Gold from the Oh, Joy! collection at Hygge and West

Spy the Wallpaper

Can you spy the wallpaper in this space? Hint: It's not on the walls. It's tucked behind a collection of books and accessories on the built-ins. This wallpaper decorating idea proves that wallpaper can still have a place in your life if your look is subtle. The metallic modern leaf print adds a hint of shimmer and pattern to the painted white built-ins (consider using Better Homes & Gardens Interior Paint and Primer, $27, Walmart) and fireplace surround.

Moody and We Like It

Nothing says drama quite like a large-scale wallpaper in rich colors. But pairing it with moody dark walls in a teeny-tiny powder room? Talk about a triple threat. Pairing the bold walls with white accents and a limed wood vanity brings balance to the room, and the result is an absolute stunner.

Shine On

The graphic floral wallpaper with a gold shimmer is only the first right note this bedroom hits. It's a sophisticated backdrop for a symphony of elegant decor. Rich rusty coral silk curtains and a tufted headboard follow the posh theme and simple white bedding keeps it classic. Throw pillows pick up on the color of the curtains.

Subtly Sweet

The right wallpaper design can bring personality to classically appointed rooms. In this bathroom, blush wallpaper with gold floral motifs turns a primarily white space into a feminine retreat. A similar pink hue on the ceiling merges the walls and ceiling, giving the room a lofty appearance.