No matter your style or the size of your home, there really are wallpaper ideas for everyone, from traditional florals and trompe l’oeil to contemporary geometric and tropical patterns or animal motifs and architectural designs. Wallpaper can beautifully transform a room with impactful color, dynamic pattern and inviting texture, allowing for you to curate and design a space that truly reflects your personal style. The progress in new wallpaper printing techniques and finishes is constantly pushing boundaries, making wallpaper trends more exciting than ever.

David Harris, design director at Andrew Martin (opens in new tab) explains just how much wallpaper has changed over the years, ‘gone are the days of just printing on paper. You can now embellish corks, grass-cloths and silks with pretty much any design. The usage is also bolder and braver. If you have the confidence, there are endless possibilities,’ See our top wallpaper trends below for some beautiful inspiration for your home in 2023.

1. Choose a design with an unique, artistic scene 

Wallpaper works just like a piece of art hung proudly on the wall. It can enrich your space with interesting color, shape and pattern, and provide an eye-catching talking point when people first set foot inside a room.  To elevate this artistic connection even further, choose a wallpaper print that shows a unique, artistic scene. As shown by this beautiful mural, Bodegones Room, designed by Patricia Urquiola (opens in new tab) for Jannelli & Volpi for Altfield (opens in new tab), the modern, abstract take on a still life table scene adds a unique intrigue and an artistic statement to this hallway.

2. Add elegant detail with a wallpaper border

Wallpaper borders are back, and they are set to be a big trend for 2023.  Historically, wallpaper borders were used to hide imperfections and tacks on walls, rather than being used for decoration. With a resurgence of borders used in homes in the 1980s, often featuring floral and botanical prints, borders became more decorative rather than practical, and now they’re back again, with a variety of stylish and unique prints to choose from. Above, the Adonis wallpaper border in Mole by Susie Atkinson (opens in new tab) not only creates a beautiful contrast with the blue painted walls, it elegantly enhances the door and baseboard, as well as complementing the dark wood and brown palette used across the furniture, carpet and lighting. Atkinson says, ‘borders have been used for many years to elevate the simplest of rooms, adding detail and delight in an easy way. They are less of a commitment than wallpapering the whole room but still bring that color and interest to walls, adding an accent to contrast or complement a room. The possibilities with them are endless.’

3. Style with stripes

Decorating with stripes will always establish a timeless look, however, over the last few years there has been a huge resurgence in classic, simple patterns, such as stripes and decorating with checks, across interior design industries, from wallpaper to upholstery, rugs and carpet.  Still going strong for 2023, striped wallpaper can create a sophisticated, elegant look in the home. Louisa Tratalos, Colours of Arley (opens in new tab) founder says, ‘stripes have a rich history and go beyond trends within interiors and fashion alike. For 2023, especially, consumers are becoming more considered and conscious with how and where they shop, as well as what they purchase – opting for a more sustainable approach and investing in quality, timeless design pieces.  As a result, stripes will continue to grow in popularity and sit firmly as an interior staple, much like the Breton stripe within our wardrobes.’ Using a striped wallpaper can be a great place to begin if you want to introduce a more subtle pattern into your space, rather than a busy print – wonderfully shown above with the uplifting palette of pinks used on this striped design.

4. Add a tactile touch with textured wallpaper

Gone are the days when wallpaper was a one-dimensional piece of paper on the wall. As printing techniques develop, the number of surfaces that can be printed on increase, and the variety of materials used to create wallpaper everchanging. One of the most comforting wallpaper trends is introducing texture to the walls. Ed O’Donnell, co-founder of Angel O’Donnell (opens in new tab) says, ‘densely patterned wallpapers and fabrics, nubbly wools, brushed fringes – textures will abound in 2023. Anything that beckons us to reach out and touch it, that feels good against our skin, will be top of our list.’ The Synamay Chalk design by Mark Alexander (opens in new tab) shown above, handcrafted from natural leaf fibers, creates an organic, rustic look that feels simple, natural and beautifully calming.

5. Take wallpaper to the fifth wall

A trend that we have seen more and more of throughout 2022, and that is set to continue well into 2023, is ceiling wallpaper ideas. Enhancing the fifth wall with wallpaper can make for a dynamic and immersive look. For so long, ceilings have been ignored when it comes to wallpaper and paint, but transforming this surface with interesting visual interest, ceiling paint ideas and pattern can establish a stylish design that feels utterly luxurious, ‘A small space is actually the perfect place to be bold and adventurous with paint and wallpaper,’ says Lucy Searle, Homes & Gardens’ global editor in chief, ‘whether it be a small bathroom, walk-in closet or boot room, these areas of our homes are ideal for experimenting with more unique and impactful designs.’ As shown in this striking small bathroom, designed by Beata Heuman (opens in new tab), the space has been covered top to bottom in her own cotton linen print design, which is paper backed, so it can be applied just like regular wallpaper.

6. Embrace moody metallics 

Dark colors used to be avoided, as often this would be misinterpreted as making a room seem dark and dingy – however, they are making a desired comeback. However, with an eclectic use of space, the right accent colors, furniture and good lighting, deep royal blues, moody metallics and luxurious emerald greens can establish an opulent effect. The Forbidden Bloom wallpaper print by Divine Savages (opens in new tab), shown above, embodies a beautifully illustrated large-scale print of floral blooms intertwined with sweeping serpents, with the design luxuriously embellished with stunning gold leaf.  Jamie Watkins, co-founder, Divine Savages says, ‘architectural details have been embellished using gold leaf for centuries and gilded interiors are certainly having a renaissance. Gold as a color holds a raw, organic connection with the earth, helping to create interiors that are warm, reassuring and uplifting with a decadent, luxurious twist. Our new gold leaf wallpapers evoke the romance of long-standing tradition with a wink to our passion for playful pattern’.

7. Escape with a scenic wall mural

Scenic landscape wall mural ideas are one of the biggest stories in wallpaper trends for 2023 – wonderfully atmospheric and evocative, a stunning wall mural will transform and capture the imagination. You don’t have to put your artistic nature to the test when it comes to picture walls. There are plenty of wallpapers that are designed to do just that with trompe l’oeil illustrations that can quickly add an extra dimension even in small spaces.  A panoramic mural can not only transport you to another space (figuratively as well as literally!), but by choosing a nature-inspired design, the boundaries between indoors and out can become blurred. For a relaxing bedroom wallpaper scheme, turn to images of escapism, like this tropical pictorial wallpaper that evokes the memory of faraway shores. Complete the look by choosing furniture, bedding and cushions in earthy ochre and a pinch of ginger for a fully immersive design.

8. Max out with full-scale pattern

Maximalism is an interior design trend that’s back in a big way, and we predict that this daring look is here to stay. In bold contrast to the understated, this living room decor idea reveals the design world’s wild side. An arresting mix of leopard prints, pleating and patchworks, together with stars, stripes and metallic hides, demonstrates that more can be more. 

9. Factor in an abundance of florals

Floral room decor can be adapted to suit any space, whether it’s vintage, retro or contemporary. These new season designs have upped the style stakes and make it easy to work beautiful flowers into your décor. Start off by thinking about color. The palette you choose will guide your decisions when it comes to choosing floral designs and will act as the basis for pulling your scheme together. When working floral prints into your home, think about the scale of the flowers in the patterns. Large prints can make small rooms appear even smaller so stick to daintier designs to create an illusion of space.

10. Surround yourself with botanicals

Sustainability and being ‘happier at home’ is at the forefront of our minds for 2023, and it will only escalate further as time goes on. An increased awareness of the finitude of our natural resources has led to an increased desire to repair, repurpose and recycle.  Visible repairs are celebrated and emphasized, and durable, natural, and woven materials are championed. Bolder greens are also taking over from the midnight blue bringing in the biophilic trend of wellness through plants and foliage.  ‘Any reference to bringing the outside in will have an impact on wellbeing with the plant trend that just keeps on growing,’ explains Maryanne Cartwright, Design Manager at Graham & Brown (opens in new tab).

11. Go for dramatic graphics

This year has seen us all searching for security and structure amid the turbulent times of the last few years, and an escalating need to impose systems of order and control in all facets of life has seen a rise in popularity for more simplified, structured design.  Interiors referencing elemental geometric arrangements, subtle raised relief and monochrome palettes channel the comfort found in pattern and routine.

12. Hark back with archival designs

Craftsmanship and heritage designs can be beautifully celebrated in homes both classic and contemporary.  Shown wonderfully in this master bedroom and master bathroom, both spaces have been decorated in an iconic, green William Morris print, establishing a united and grounding design. Nostalgic and familiar designs can bring great comfort, and we are more willing to invest in designs that have meaning and have been lovingly created than mass produced products. 

13. Create a picture-perfect scheme with wall panels

Panels have been big when it comes to bedroom wallpaper ideas for 2022. It’s not overly common to have paneling in a bedroom, but if you live in a period property – or got them built in to add character to a plain space – you have plenty of space to play with wallpaper. Previously a living room trend, adding a statement paper in slices allows you to go bold with color and pattern without overwhelming the room. Choosing a natural inspired scheme and colorway keeps things calming, too.

14. Add charm with Chinoiserie

Chinoiserie is another wallpaper trend which has been in and out of fashion for many years. Historically associated with grand country manor homes, this technique has been modernized and updated is a fresh new way. Characterized by fantastical oriental scenes and sinuous, stylized flower and bird motifs, the Chinoiserie trend has witnessed a surge in popularity in recent years, with today’s wallpaper and fabric houses offering a wealth of ornate decorative designs to bring wow-factor to your interior design choices.

It’s hard to pin-point an exact style or pattern that is the most popular wallpaper of all time, as we have been discussing in this piece, so many trends fall in and out of fashion! However, there will always be curtain styles and instantly recognizable patterns that seem to stand the test of time. From whimsical florals, and botanicals, to stripes and damasks, there are many enduring wallpaper trends that are always popular throughout interior design.  When it comes to choosing wallpaper for your space, it’s always worth exploring classic designs as well as the latest trends so you can make the perfect decision for your space that is reflective of your style.