7 inspiring wallpaper ideas
Wallpaper is a fabulous tool to bring a real sense of transformation to your home. Choosing a wallpaper design that you truly love will mean your living environment reflects your personal style and brings you joy every day.
We’ve gathered a selection of inspiring ways you can introduce wallpaper into your home. Explore our ideas and consider which designs and colourways you are instantly drawn to, to plan your next wallpaper project…
1. Vintage Style
In recent months, there’s been a renewed interest in 1970s-style interior design, especially in the comforting brown and orange hues that were so popular during this era. Rather than feeling dated, these shades of brown can be truly timeless and sophisticated, offering innate warmth and cosiness.
Consider an elegant brown floral wallpaper, such as Spring Flowers or Ditsy Block in the Bombolone colourways, from our National Trust Papers IV wallpaper collection. These nostalgic designs create a strong feeling of intimacy when used to decorate one wall, whether this is in a busy family kitchen or a quiet reading nook.
2. Dark and Dramatic
Darker colours have an ability to create atmospheric, soothing interiors. By pairing a dark wallpaper colourway with coordinating, deep, moody paint colours on the woodwork, ceiling and surrounding walls, you will create a scheme that’s brimming with character and design interest.
Consider a dark and dramatic wallpaper scheme for your hallway, delivering instant impact as soon as you enter your home. Our Aderyn – Olive Colour wallpaper is rich and luxurious, pairing beautifully with dark, natural green paint colours on the woodwork for a cocooning feel – the perfect way to transition from the outdoors.
3. Floral and Botanicals
In our homes, many of us want to recreate the peace, tranquillity and wellbeing we feel from spending time in the outdoors. Biophilic interior design utilises floral and botanical wallpapers, which have an unrivalled ability to draw nature inside and evoke a strong sense of calm in any interior setting.
There is a wide variety of floral and botanical designs to choose from, so you can create a scheme that encapsulates your own sense of style, as well as the look and mood you want to achieve. Consider using a stylised floral design like Poppy Trail – Masquerade for an elegant and inviting setting, or evoke nature in a stronger way with a vibrant, all-over leaf print like Beech Nut – Florence.
4. English Heritage Designs
At Little Greene, all of our wallpapers are inspired by authentic, historic designs found in period properties in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. These heritage wallpapers are thoughtfully reworked by our team and recoloured in a range of colourways, so they can be used with confidence in the modern home.
Discover your favourite English Heritage wallpaper in our collection and create an interior that delivers timeless elegance and style. Explore much-loved Arts & Crafts-style papers like Briar Rose, or consider beautiful British Edwardian wallpaper designs such as Massingberd Blossom, which once adorned the walls of the Grey Room at Gunby Hall in Lincolnshire.
5. Murals
Mural wallpapers are becoming more widely used in interior design. These unique, transformative wallpapers can create a truly inspiring setting, perfect for a space where you want to instil a strong sense of atmosphere. By combining a mural wallpaper with coordinating colours on the woodwork and ceiling, you can transform any room with an immersive, all-over feel that offers real design impact.
Consider a mural wallpaper like Bird & Bluebell – Pea Green for your study space, and make a statement by painting the ceiling in the complementary soft pink, Blush. Or create a restful sanctuary in your living room with our impactful Capricorn wallpaper in the tranquil, gentle green colourway, Boringdon.
6. Small Prints
On the other end of the scale, small print wallpapers that feature small, repeating motifs are fabulous for adding character and personality to a room. They can be used in place of painted walls to bring an intriguing patterned, textural element that will elevate your scheme.
Consider a small-motif wallpaper like Hencroft or Moy for your home office space, creating the ideal, inspiring environment where you’ll feel motivated to work. You could pair Hencroft – Punch with Jewel Beetle on the lower walls for an adventurous colour combination that will spark your creativity. Or for a more focused setting, combine two neutral colourways of Moy – Lime and Pompei.
7. Classic Neutrals
The use of timeless neutrals aims to enhance the cooler neutral interiors of recent years with a new sense of comfort. It requires a thoughtful and intentional use of harmonious warm neutrals and other elements to create a truly considered scheme, that is at the same time understated and luxurious.
Neutral wallpapers like Briar Rose work wonderfully, adding a subtle yet highly effective textural element to your walls. Coordinate with tonal neutrals on your walls and woodwork to create a homely, elegant open-plan kitchen.
How to choose the best wallpaper for your home
When it comes to decorating your home, it is vital to carefully consider your own sense of style instead of being swayed by the latest trends. Browsing different interior designs on social media, Pinterest or the Little Greene website is a great way to discover inspiration and hone your ideas. However, you should always consider what you would be comfortable living with, to ensure your scheme makes you feel happy and relaxed in your home.
Wallpapers are a very personal thing, so it’s especially important to be true to your own taste and style when choosing a wallpaper for your home. You should always order wallpaper samples and test them alongside existing elements in your scheme before committing to a design.
If you are struggling with selecting wallpapers or complementary colours, consider booking a Colour Consultation to receive bespoke guidance as you plan your project.
