55 stunning wallpaper ideas to give your decor the wow-factor
Wonderful wallpapers

Artistic astronomy

Imagine relaxing in your bathroom staring up at the stars with this atmospheric design. The Paint & Paper Library commissioned artist Hugo Dalton to design eight wallpapers one of which is this dark and dramatic Chart, £275 per roll. On closer inspection, the geometric web, in fact, depicts the lines found on nautical charts.
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Every once in a while a wallpaper comes along that so chic in design that it becomes a symbol of style in its own right. 'Woods', by Cole & Son is just that. Originally designed by Michael Clark in 1959 as a screen print it features striking monochrome sketched trees. The sought-after woodland repeat has had updates along the way with metallic gold pear motifs and now whimsical stars create a fairy-tale forest. This Designer Woods and Stars wallpaper is an investment at £85 per roll.
Controversial prints

This flamboyant Holden Lemur wallpaper, £12.99 a roll at Homebase, takes the tropical trend to a new level. Not for the faint-hearted, this trailing navy colourway includes geckos and hummingbirds as well as cheeky lemurs. Wouldn't it provoke a smile on a wall in a cloak-room?
Mellow yellow

Gen Z yellow it seems is now hitting the home's circuit. Luckily all tones work when it comes to yellow room schemes. This is Arthouse's Vintage Bloom design, £10.99 a roll from I Want Wallpaper. It's a more soothing mustard tone and the pretty trailing dandelions make it a country classic perfect for dining rooms and hallways.
READ MORE: 60 stylish hallway ideas
Grey tones

Grey remains a firm favourite as the new neutral of choice so, of course, stone-toned wallpaper is showing a huge revival. Scion, with its fun and upbeat designs, has crafted Kukkia, £41 a roll, Wallpaperdirect. An all-over design of quirky wildflowers and seed heads that will look modern and fresh in a hallway. It's available in various grey tones from birch to charcoal.
Faux brick

Wallpaper is a great way to cheat a look. For instance, a fake brick wall can add an industrial edge to your space for the fraction of the cost of exposing a real one. Digital prints or textured vinyl like this Superfresco Wallpaper Brick Textured Vinyl White (93744), £8 a roll, Wilko, will look the part in hard-working kitchens and utility rooms.
Faux wood

Just like a faux brick, wood effect wallpaper is a great alternative to the real thing and can be updated easily. If you fancy a natural cabin-in-the-woods vibe, then this Fine Decor Cambria Wood Brown Wallpaper, £14.99 by Homebase, will certainly transport you there.
Hot spots

This spot wallpaper, £15 a roll, House by John Lewis, will add subtle interest to your room. It's designed to feel modern and uncluttered and will gently complement your scheme. It comes is Storm (grey) or you might prefer the more glamorous Gold (pictured) for a touch of timeless fun.
Mixed materials

If you love texture then you'll love Graham & Brown's, Rose Gold Reflections Wallpaper, £40 a roll. It mixes three hot finishes; marble, wood and metallics in a funky geometric design. The pastel colourway and shimmery finish make it a stylish choice for teenage bedrooms.
Scandi prints

Applied scandi motifs are practically made for the repeat patterns of wallpaper. Editions Sunflower Denim/Sunshine Wallpaper, £20 a roll, Laura Ashley has a delightful print of subtly etched sunflowers to draw the eye. It's clean, contemporary and will uplift any room.
Photo art

Digital photographic prints bring the outside in and no more so than this bold and romantic Momoke Rose Pink, £35 a roll, by Arthouse at Wallpaperdirect. The dark base colour allows the bright blooms to burst with colour. Romantic drama like this will turn a bedroom into a boudoir.
Shimmer and shine

If you're looking for a subtle lustrous effect on every wall choose a neutral shade with a shimmery finish. Fresco Wallpaper Spring Blossom Silk Shimmer, £10 a roll, from Wilko is great value and will maximise light in the day and create a reflective glow by night.
Gold mettalics

Metallic wallpapers work in the same way mirrors do as their reflective surface can make a room seem bigger and brighter. This simple yet stylish Graham & Brown, Myrtle Geo print, £14.99 a roll from superfrescoeasy.com, will make a subtle refreshment to a home office. It can work as both as a feature wall or as a four-wall transformation.
Tasteful tartan

Known for its warm and cosy feel tartan wallpaper is a country classic if, perhaps, you've had enough of florals. Graham & Brown Country Tartan Blush Pink £16.99 a roll, available from superfrescoeasy.com is a subtle contemporary version with tones of calming blush pink and grey weaved throughout the iconic check.
Birds trails

The Little Greene Paint Company has a passion for archive wallpaper designs and it's Brooke House in Cinder, £94.50 per roll is a beautiful bird-themed example inspired by an original 1920's illustrative wallpaper. Taken from Little Greene Archive Trails II Wallpaper Collection, It makes an intricate statement set against neutral tones and copper accessories.
Three dimensional

Trompe l'oeil is a French phrase meaning 'deceives the eye' used to describe something that creates the illusion of a real object or scene. Stroma Origami Wallpaper, £50 a roll from Graham & Brown does exactly that. Perhaps for braver decorators, the origami paper effect peels back to reveal classic botanical print beneath. It's bold, beautiful and you will most definitely want to touch it.
Smart stripes

Smart and tailored stripes help to give the feeling of height to a room. Farrow and Ball use their own pigmented paint and traditional block and trough printing methods to give a uniquely tactile finish to their wallpaper. This Block Print Stripe BP 769, £89 for 10m roll has an uplifting lemon stripe that will look refreshing in kitchens and dining rooms.
Retro chevron

Recreate funky style geometrics of the 1960s and 1970s for a nostalgic feel. This ’Chevron’ Weave wallpaper, £16.99, by Arthouse at Wallpaper Direct will look striking in living rooms with its contasting ochre and grey colourway. On closer inspection the fabric look pattern adds a tribal twist.
Spring florals

Update classic florals with fresh spring blooms. Waterlilies Pale Iris Wallpaper, £40 a roll, by Laura Ashley, will create a cheerful country cottage feel to your room. Perhaps inspired by Monet's famous Water Lilies, combined with pastel accessories the finish is cool, calm and pretty.
Luxurious peacocks

Thanks to their jewel-like and iridescent feathers exotic peacock motifs are appearing on plenty of furnishings and fabrics. The regal pea-fowl have been a symbol of extravagance since ancient times and this Belvedere Midnight Wallpaper, £40 per roll, from Laura Ashley is a beautiful mix of classic florals and elegant birds that works well in large and traditional schemes.
Trendy checks

Yellow gives classic check a modern twist especially when teamed with mid-century style furniture. Elements yellow check wallpaper, £7.50 a roll from Dunelm is a budget-friendly choice used here as a feature wall and creates a bright Scandi cabin feel.
Lasting geometrics

Wallpaper designer and artist Elizabeth Ockford has embraced the trend for geometrics in the home with the Gingko collection, £63 per roll, for the Paint and Paper Library at Wallpaperdirect.co.uk. As geometrics continue to become more popular in interior design, Ockford has created a more permanent style of this trend. A fused mix of diamond, hexagonal and octagonal shapes, in soothing colourways, will stand the test of time.
Moody murals

Mural wallpaper is a beautiful way of creating a unique and striking look in your home. It always looks but doesn't have to be expensive; this Landscape Blue Mural, £60, 300 x 240cm, from Dunelm, creates a soothing sea-scape of watery indigo that has a Japanese influence and is pure zen.
Glorious glitter

It seems glitter is twinkling its way into more than just princess bedrooms these days. Used sparingly glitter wallpaper can give your room a stylish and lustrous look. The Aura natural wallpaper, £17 per roll from Graham & Brown has a just a touch of sparkle that gives this delicate country motif a touch of morning dew.
Go wild

This handsome leopard print wallpaper (£98 per 10m roll) would add a touch of exotic glamour to any room in your home, thanks to its subdued colour palette. If you dare to be bold, there’s also a striking dark grey and orange colourway, which would make a vibrant statement in a cloakroom.
Totally terrazzo

Terrazzo flooring is one of the biggest trends of the moment, so it’s no surprise that its fragmented design has made its way onto wallpaper patterns as well. Ferm Living’s refined take on the look (£65 per 10m roll) comes in two colourways, rose and grey, both of which would sit pretty alongside the pastel tones of a retro kitchen.
Miami style

Inspired by the Art Deco architecture and sun-bleached colour palette of the Florida coast, Cole & Son’s Miami wallpaper will lend your home laid-back, South Beach cheer all year round. At £325 per 10m roll, Sunshine State style doesn’t come cheap, so try using it above the dado rail only, with a matching pastel paint below.
Instant library

Cole & Son are also the official supplier of wallpapers based on original drawings by the eccentric Italian artist and designer Piero Fornasetti. Fornasetti’s creations often trick the eye, as do the faux library books in his perennially popular Ex Libris design (£105 per 10m roll), available in four colourways.
Parquet remix

Trompe l’oeuil wallpaper can also be used to create the illusion of specific surfaces, such as this Osborne & Little print inspired by parquet flooring (£81 per 10m roll). The tessellating, ‘3D’ design is finished with grain-like detail, giving it the appearance of real wood. It comes in five further colourways, including this eye-catching verdigris.
Faux tiles

Tiles can also be faked with wallpaper, as this remarkably convincing offering from Naken (£149 per 9m roll) goes to show. It’s inspired by the works of Barcelonian architect Antonio Gaudi, as well as the Moorish palace of southern Spain. The chipped enamel effect looks so authentic that you have to get up close to tell that these aren’t the real thing.
Bring on the botanicals

Lewis & Wood are masters of unusual prints, often based on historic designs. Their Curtis Botanical wallpaper (£78 per 10m roll) is taken from the original 1787 plates published in the first issue of the Botanical Magazine by the botanist William Curtis. It would make the perfect paper for a country kitchen or utility room.
Nautical but nice

This black ‘blueprint’ wallpaper (£29.95 per 10m roll) puts a smart, masculine spin on the nautical look. Use it as part of a cosy study scheme or along one wall of a narrow hallway, creating the illusion of extra width.
Modern trad

Anaglypta, the textured, paintable wallpaper most commonly spotted in Victorian pubs and 1980s living rooms, is making a comeback. The Maxwell (£12.98 per 10m roll) comes from the company’s heritage collection of late 19th-century designs. A contemporary colour – such as this vibrant red – will bring it in line with 21st-century tastes.
Wallpaper for dog lovers

Thibaut’s charming Best in Show wallpaper (£62 per 8.2m roll) is a must for dog lovers. It comes in six different colourways, including the aqua hue shown here, and would be perfect for a back porch or boot room, where you can enjoy it every time you go for ‘walkies’.
Bold dark florals

Dark florals continue to be popular, and wallpaper is a dramatic way to work them into a scheme. At just £12 per 10m roll, Fine Décor’s still life-inspired design will give you the look for less. Pick out the paler floral tones in your fabrics and accessories so the room doesn’t feel too dark.
Witty wallpaper

Scottish wallpaper-makers Timorous Beasties are well-known for their witty takes on classic designs. Their London Toile (£90 per 10m roll) reinvents the historic pictorial wallpaper with irreverent snapshots of the modern-day capital, including famous landmarks, oblivious commuters and someone being held at gunpoint. Glasgow, Edinburgh and New York also have their own unique toiles.
Watercolour wallpaper

Another of Scotland’s finest, bluebellgray specialise in abstract, painterly designs that really pack a punch when blown up to large scale. The Treslaig wallpaper (£165 for a 10m roll) started out as a watercolour painting and is one of the company’s most vivacious prints. Use it in alcoves on either side of a chimneybreast to create an eye-catching focal point in a living room.
A place in the pines

Inspired by traditional, Oriental designs, this ethereal wallpaper (£74 per 10m roll) would make a dreamy addition to a bedroom or dressing room. It comes in four colourways – Silver (pictured), Golden, Ash and Blue – all of which evoke a sense of calm and serenity.
Dream of dragons

Looking for the perfect wallpaper for a children’s bedroom? This dragon design (£60 per 10m roll) will fuel your little one’s imagination. We love this vivid orange colourway, but it also comes in red, green and blue.
Put the world on your walls

Treat your kids to a safari without leaving the comfort of their own bedroom with this fun – and educational – wallpaper map (£36 per m2). You can order the exact height to fit your room and the wallpaper arrives in numbered drops to help you fit the image together correctly.
All about animal print

House of Hackney take you on a grown-up safari with their zebra-striped Equus wallpaper (£165 per 9m roll). The hand-painted design makes a striking backdrop to white furniture. Clash with other monochrome patterns for chic, eclectic look.
Welcome to the jungle

House of Hackney is perhaps best known for its lush, tropical designs – the company was among the first the re-popularise the palm print when it launched in 2011. Its Limerence wallpaper in Ink (£185 per 12m roll) taps into the trend for ever-darker jungle prints, incorporating midnight hues as well as rich greens.
Glam greenery

You don’t have to spend a fortune to get the dusky jungle look. This dense palm print by Graham & Brown costs just £17.99 per 10m roll and would look beautiful combined with indigo linen sheets in a moody bedroom scheme.
Call on concrete

This concrete-effect wallpaper (£14.99 per 10m roll) is an easy way to inject a bit of warehouse chic into a space. While the paper itself is smooth, it creates the illusion of texture, adding depth and interest to a scheme while still retaining a stripped-back, minimal feel.
A dash of Art Deco

Mind the Gap’s Metropolis wallpaper collection harks back to the glamour of the art deco era by calling on streamlined, geometric shapes and luxurious copper accents. Obsession (£150 per 9m roll) is perhaps the most glamorous pattern of all, with its distinguishing fan-shaped design. Use it to make a bold opening statement in a hallway or to add drama to a dining room.
Pick pineapples

It is impossible to have missed the profusion of pineapples that have popped up in interior design of late. But this exotic fruit is not new to our homes. Brought back from the then recently-discovered America, it became a symbol of wealth and hospitality in Georgian England. Laura Ashley’s subtle, pewter wallpaper design (£44 per 10m roll) offers a sophisticated way to work the pineapple into a scheme.
Bold borders

This unusual design (£112 per 10m roll) gives the impression of a mural or oversized border rather than a standard wallpaper, thanks to the way the grass pattern seems to grow from the skirting, leaving plain, unpatterned paper above. It’s available in six colourways, most in neutral or nearly-neutral hues, with this dark blue and teal option for those who like to make more of an impact.
Cool country style

This atmospheric wallpaper (£18.99 per 10m roll) evokes the misty Scottish Highlands, with its hazy tree and stag motif. The plank trompe l’oeil effect adds to its rustic appeal. It would make the perfect finishing touch to a cosy, country living room.
Very vintage

Mini Moderns produce so many astonishing designs that it’s impossible to choose a favourite, but perhaps their P.L.U.T.O. wallpaper (£55 per 10m roll) presents the neatest summary of the company’s ethos. It’s based on a Second World War under-sea pipeline that runs from France to Dungeness, where the company’s founders own a beachside home and which inspires many of its creations. The mid-century shapes and colour palette are also typical of the brand’s style.
Get gilded

This gilded wallpaper will add affordable luxury to any scheme. It looks at lot more expensive than its £15.99 per 10m roll would suggest and comes in three colourways – blue (pictured), cream and charcoal. Better still, it’s made in England using sustainable materials, so has strong green credentials too.
Coastal vibes

Bright beach huts line this cheerful wallpaper (£14.99 per 10m roll), evoking breezy coastal charm. It’s the perfect choice for a seaside-themed bathroom or utility room, especially since it has the added benefit of being splash-proof.
Pattern to dye for

Something of a design classic, the late 18th-century ikat design uses dye to create beautiful inky patterns on cloth and paper. It looks as fresh as it did 250 years ago and works equally well combined with antique or modern furniture. Pierre Frey’s Toile de Nantes wallpaper manages to feel both traditional and contemporary at the same time and at £180 per 3.65m roll it’s a bit of a luxury but it would work a treat in a small room such as a snug or cloakroom.
Pack a punch

Map it out

Maps always make an intriguing addition to a wall. One for New York-lovers, this intricate map wallpaper (£9 per 10m roll) invites you to explore Brooklyn and some of the Hudson River’s other neighbouring territories with your eyes. It would make a great feature wall in a home office.
Mesmerising marble

Woodchip and Magnolia's Flow Marble Effect Blush & White Wallpaper, £75 per roll, has tapped into the hot marble trend with this feminine and ambient design. The inky hypnotising swirls have a fluid feel that lends itself so well to bathrooms.
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