How to Choose Wallpaper for Every Room in the House

If you’re anything like us, you’ll choose the convenience of easy-to-use peel and stick or paste-the-wall wallpapers over painting any day. But we know that shopping for wallpaper can be overwhelming – especially with so much choice everywhere you look.

Today, with a growing number of talented independent designers and photographers, wallpaper is an opportunity to showcase your personality. But where do you start? Here’s a handy guide on how to choose wallpaper for every room in the house.

1. Choosing living room wallpaper

When it comes to selecting the right wallpaper for your most important communal space, a lot of factors have to be considered. The living area is for the whole family to enjoy. It's also a place where guests come to relax and is a room that has multi-purpose uses.

Wallpaper tips for the living room:

• Choose warm colours: Shades like orange, warm yellow and soft amber are ideal if you want a living space that sets the mood. Or, if you entertain often and need something to liven up the party, experiment with vibrant and exciting hues instead.
  
  
• Opt for easy-on-the-eye patterns: While busy patterns are beautiful to look at, a relaxing space such as a living room works well with wall designs that aren’t distracting. If you crave modern geometrics, choose something soft and muted like this abstract Inner Space wallpaper by Nicola Evans as shown above.
  
  
• Make it personal to you: Living spaces are about you and your family, so make it relatable. If you love to travel, a photography mural like this gorgeous Rome Sunset wallpaper shown below, makes a great feature and talking point.

2. Choosing kitchen wallpaper

The kitchen is the heart of the home for many families. With hungry bellies, serial snackers and tea addicts, the kitchen usually gets the most footfall. It can also be one of the most social areas of the house with a lot going on, so make it appealing to everyone who uses it.

Wallpaper tips for the kitchen:

• Choose a fun wallpaper design: The kitchen should be inviting and appealing to all ages. Something eye-catching like this stunning Colour Fountain wallpaper by Kathy Shimmield brings a lot of energy into your home.
  
  
• Explore new trends: Guests usually spend a lot of time in the kitchen too, making it the perfect place to embrace the latest wallpaper trends. While the living room is for relaxation, the kitchen should be geared for entertainment.
  
  
• Consider anti-microbial wallpapers for busy households: Some homes have a lot more going on than others. Maybe you have toddlers smearing their hands all over the walls? Do you have pets galore roaming around your home? Or have you always got steaming laundry hanging in the corner? Well, anti-microbial wallpaper will be a great investment for you. Our anti-microbial wallpapers not only prevent the growth of bacteria, but they also stop mould and mildew that breed and spread in moisture.

3. Choosing master bedroom wallpaper

If there’s one place you should be able to escape to, it’s the bedroom. This room should be every homeowner’s sanctuary. Their safe place. Their quiet refuge from the stresses of the world... Knowing how to choose wallpaper for the master bedroom is about understanding your own needs. It's about discovering the colours, textures and design elements to help you wind down at the end of the day.

Wallpaper tips for the main bedroom:

• Go for soothing colours: According to interior design colour psychology the best colours for creating a relaxing space are pale blues, pinks and light greys. A perfect example of a calming wall design is this Tree Top View mural which works well for feature walls behind the headboard.
  
  
• Experiment with florals: These days, the floral category goes far beyond granny style wallpaper. There are some super modern floral designs. These include luscious leafy botanicals that can add the soothing element of nature into your bedroom.
  
  
• Turn up the ambience with sunset wallpaper: Escapism is one of the best themes for the master bedroom in your house. Whether you opt for mountain scenery, foliage from the forest or sumptuous sunset wallpaper, finding the things that make you drift off are key.

4. Choosing guest room wallpaper

Although you want to wow your guests with a wallpaper that channels your unique personality and style, giving them the perfect safe haven to cosy up in is crucial. There are no real rules as guest rooms are a blank canvas for expression and experimentation. But it helps to know who your visitors are and what will appeal to them.

Wallpaper tips for the spare bedroom:

• Choose crowd-pleasers: When you need to cater for various tastes, it’s important to go for wallpaper designs that don’t polarise too much. Unless you purposely aim to create a cool, quirky space that will get people talking.
  
  
• Find relaxing prints and colours: Florals are generally great for everyone. From your 80-year-old granny to your stylish best friend. With soothing colours, such as pale blue, you can instil a sense of calm and nature into the room. Just take a look above at our floral Teal Harmony 2 wallpaper by Carol Robinson.
  
  
• Get arty: Guest bedrooms tend to double up for other purposes most of the time. They don’t necessarily need to be as sleep-inducing as the master bedroom. So they’re fab for a bit of creativity. This on-trend Fantastic Peacock Kings mural by artist Andrea Haase (below) is a lot of fun and will impress anyone staying over.

5. How to choose wallpaper for small spaces

If you want to know how to choose wallpaper for a box room, here are our top 4 wallpapering tips:

Tip 1. Choose light colours: Make sure you avoid dark colours if you’re struggling for space. Light and airy colours help to create the illusion of a much larger room.

Tip 2. Play around with light: Wallpapers that mimic reflective or shiny surfaces, such as stylish and luxurious marble, can be a great way to play around with natural light. It makes the room appear more spacious. Placing mirrors opposite light coloured walls helps too.

Tip 3. Don’t go heavy on the patterns: Choose a wallpaper with a gentle pattern - one that doesn’t make the room feel ‘closed in’ or cluttered. This delicately illustrated Sweet Blooms mural by Kelly Kratzing (below) is ideal for tiny home offices.

Tip 4. Opt for a feature wall: Choose wallpaper for only one side of the room and use light coloured paint to finish the rest of the walls. Landscape or spectacular scenery feature walls are a good way of opening up a tight space through the power of illusion.

Let us know what you think of our wallpaper tips for the home. If you have any ideas for choosing the right wallpaper or mural, share your thoughts in the comments below.