Wallpaper is one of the easiest ways to bring colour, pattern and personality into a home, but there’s no rule that says it has to cover every wall from floor to ceiling. In fact, some of the most interesting ways to decorate with wallpaper involve using it somewhere completely unexpected.

A beautiful print can transform the ceiling, brighten the back of a bookcase, revive an old chest of drawers or turn a forgotten alcove into a feature. Even a small leftover piece can become artwork or give the inside of a cupboard an unexpected decorative flourish.

This makes wallpaper particularly useful if you love pattern but aren’t ready to commit to a whole room. It’s also a clever way to make use of remnants from another decorating project. Whether you’re planning a major room makeover or looking for a relatively quick weekend project, here are 25 creative wallpaper ideas to inspire you.

Quick Answer: What Are Some Creative Ways to Use Wallpaper?

Wallpaper can be used on much more than the main walls of a room. Try wallpapering a ceiling, alcove, chimney breast, stair risers or the space above wall panelling. Smaller amounts of wallpaper can transform the back of a bookcase, cupboard interiors, wardrobe doors, drawers and other furniture. You can also frame wallpaper as artwork, create a decorative headboard or use it to define different zones within an open-plan room.

1. Wallpaper the Ceiling

If you’ve concentrated all your decorating efforts on the walls, look upwards. The ceiling – sometimes described as the fifth wall – provides a surprisingly large blank canvas.

A wallpapered ceiling can completely change the character of a room. Try a delicate trailing botanical design in a bedroom, an atmospheric print in a dining room or something more playful in a child’s bedroom. You don’t necessarily need an extremely bold design. A subtle pattern or softly textured paper can add interest without making the ceiling the dominant feature.

It’s an especially effective idea if the rest of the room is relatively simple, as your gaze is naturally drawn upwards when you enter. Wallpapering a ceiling is trickier than papering a wall, however, so this may be one decorating job where it’s worth calling in a professional.

2. Wrap the Whole Room in Wallpaper

For years, the default approach to patterned wallpaper was to choose one feature wall and paint everything else. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it’s far from the only option.

Taking wallpaper around all four walls can produce a much more cohesive and immersive room. The effect doesn’t necessarily have to be overwhelming. Small-scale prints, subtle stripes, soft botanical designs and wallpapers with muted backgrounds can work beautifully across an entire room.

For an even more enveloping look, you could continue the wallpaper onto the ceiling too. This approach can be particularly successful in bedrooms, dining rooms, snug living rooms and other spaces where you want to create a cosy atmosphere.

3. Create a Statement Feature Wall

The feature wall hasn’t disappeared – it has simply become more considered.

Rather than choosing a wall arbitrarily, look for a surface that already has a reason to attract attention. It could be the wall behind a bed, the chimney breast in a living room, the wall behind a dining table or the first wall you see as you enter the room. A bold wallpaper can then emphasise that natural focal point.

This is also a good option if you’ve fallen in love with an expensive wallpaper but can’t justify buying enough rolls to decorate an entire room.

4. Introduce a Wallpaper Mural

A large-scale wallpaper mural can turn an ordinary wall into a piece of art. Botanical scenes, landscapes, abstract designs, architectural imagery and painterly patterns can all create impressive results.

Unlike a conventional repeating wallpaper, a mural generally creates one large composition across the wall. That makes it particularly effective behind a sofa, dining table or bed where the design has enough uninterrupted space to be appreciated.

If you’re choosing a particularly detailed mural, keep furniture and accessories immediately around it relatively simple so the wall remains the star.

5. Highlight an Alcove

Alcoves are perfect places to experiment with wallpaper because they’re naturally separated from the rest of the wall. In a living room with a chimney breast, for example, you could wallpaper the two alcoves and paint the chimney breast. Alternatively, reverse the idea and wallpaper the chimney breast while keeping the recesses relatively simple.

Wallpaper is also a clever way to highlight a small reading nook, recessed shelving or an awkward architectural feature that might otherwise be overlooked. Because you’re decorating a relatively small area, you can afford to be more adventurous with pattern and colour.

6. Wallpaper Behind Open Shelves

Open shelving becomes much more interesting when there’s a patterned backdrop behind it. Wallpaper adds another decorative layer while the shelves, books and accessories in front break up the pattern. It’s an effective way of using a bold print without allowing it to dominate the room.

For a cohesive scheme, choose a wallpaper containing one or two colours already used elsewhere in the room, then repeat those colours through ceramics, books or decorative accessories displayed on the shelves.

7. Wallpaper the Back of a Bookcase

A plain bookcase can be transformed with surprisingly little wallpaper.

Remove the shelves if possible and paper the back panel before putting everything back together. Once the books and decorative objects are returned, glimpses of pattern will appear between them. This works particularly well on large built-in bookcases, but it’s equally useful for upgrading an inexpensive freestanding piece.

It’s also an excellent project for leftover wallpaper because you may only need a small amount.

8. Add Wallpaper Inside a Glass-Fronted Cabinet

If you have a dresser or cabinet with glazed doors, wallpapering the inside creates a decorative background for whatever you display. A patterned paper behind white crockery can introduce colour into a dining room, while a dark botanical or geometric print can make glassware and ceramics stand out beautifully.

The wallpaper remains relatively protected behind the doors, so this is also somewhere you could use a more delicate paper.

9. Wallpaper the Inside of a Cupboard

Not every decorating detail has to be visible all the time. Wallpapering the inside of a cupboard creates a little surprise whenever you open the doors.

Try it inside a linen cupboard, pantry, wardrobe, drinks cabinet or kitchen cupboard. You could paper just the back panel or cover the entire interior for a stronger effect. It’s a lovely way to use an extravagant pattern that might feel too much across a whole room – and another excellent destination for leftover pieces.

10. Transform Wardrobe Doors

If a plain wardrobe feels a little uninspiring, wallpaper could give it a completely new identity. Flat wardrobe doors are particularly suitable, although wallpaper can also be inset within the panels of traditional doors.

For a more bespoke finish, add slim decorative moulding around the wallpapered sections and paint the surrounding framework in a colour taken from the design. You could even continue the same wallpaper from the surrounding wall across fitted wardrobe doors to help them visually recede into the room.

Before wallpapering furniture, always make sure the surface is clean, smooth and suitable for your chosen wallpaper and adhesive.

11. Give a Chest of Drawers a Makeover

Wallpaper is a clever alternative to paint when you’re upcycling furniture. Try covering the drawer fronts of a plain chest, wallpapering its side panels or adding pattern to the top. If you’re working with a strongly patterned design, you could paint the rest of the furniture in a complementary colour to prevent it becoming too busy.

Think about how much everyday wear the surface will receive too. Wallpaper used on a frequently handled or horizontal surface may require additional protection, so check the wallpaper and finishing-product manufacturer’s recommendations before starting.

12. Wallpaper the Sides of Drawers

Here’s a particularly lovely detail that isn’t immediately obvious. Rather than covering the drawer fronts, apply wallpaper to the outer sides of the drawers. When the furniture is closed, everything looks relatively conventional. Pull out a drawer and a flash of pattern appears.

It works particularly well on a bedside table, dressing table or chest of drawers. It’s subtle, inexpensive and ideal if you have small wallpaper remnants that are too good to throw away.

13. Line the Inside of Drawers

You can take the idea one step further by using wallpaper as a decorative drawer liner. Cut the paper carefully to fit the bottom of the drawer and you’ll create a colourful background for jewellery, stationery, clothes or other belongings.

If you don’t want to permanently attach the wallpaper, cut a piece of card to fit the drawer base and cover that instead. You can then lift it out or change the design in the future.

14. Decorate Stair Risers

Stair risers offer lots of opportunities for creative decorating. Use one wallpaper design on every riser for a consistent look, alternate two coordinating patterns or combine a collection of different designs. This is another project where wallpaper remnants can come in useful.

Remember that stairs are a hardworking part of the home, so durability matters. Measure every riser individually rather than assuming they’re identical, and consider how you’ll protect the wallpaper from shoes, knocks and cleaning. Protective finishes or coverings are sometimes used over wallpapered risers for precisely this reason. Keep wallpaper to the vertical risers rather than the treads you walk on.

15. Create a Wallpaper Headboard

Don’t have a headboard? Create one with wallpaper. One of the simplest approaches is to mark out a large rectangular or curved shape on the wall behind the bed and wallpaper inside it. Alternatively, wallpaper a large lightweight panel and position it behind the bed. Add decorative moulding around the edges if you want the effect to feel more architectural.

A large-scale floral, abstract or landscape design can work especially well here, turning the bed into a strong focal point without taking up any additional floor space.

16. Frame Wallpaper as Artwork

Some wallpapers are almost artworks in their own right, so why not treat them that way? Choose an interesting section of the design and put it into a picture frame. One large framed piece can create a strong focal point, or several smaller pieces can form a gallery wall.

You could also create a pair of matching panels above bedside tables or divide one design across three frames to make a triptych. This is particularly useful for leftover wallpaper or costly designer designs where buying enough for an entire wall would be impractical.

17. Create Decorative Wallpaper Panels

For something more architectural, combine wallpaper with wall mouldings. Create rectangular sections using decorative moulding and hang wallpaper inside each one. Paint the mouldings and surrounding wall in a colour that complements the pattern. The result falls somewhere between wallpaper and artwork and can look especially effective in dining rooms, bedrooms and hallways.

It’s also a useful technique if you love a dramatic wallpaper but don’t want it to dominate the room.

18. Combine Wallpaper With Wall Panelling

Wallpaper and panelling make excellent decorating partners. Use painted tongue-and-groove, shaker-style panelling or decorative moulding across the lower portion of the wall, then wallpaper above it. As well as adding architectural interest, this arrangement gives you the freedom to use a stronger wallpaper because the pattern doesn’t cover the full height of the room.

Try picking one colour from the wallpaper for the panelling below. This helps visually connect the two halves of the scheme.

19. Put Wallpaper Below a Dado Rail

There’s no rule saying the wallpaper has to go above your panelling or dado rail. Reverse the usual arrangement and use wallpaper on the lower section of the wall with paint above. A stripe, small geometric or densely patterned design can look particularly effective used this way.

It’s an unexpected twist on a traditional decorating technique and works especially well in hallways, dining rooms and bedrooms.

20. Highlight a Fireplace or Chimney Breast

A chimney breast provides a natural focal point and is an obvious place to introduce wallpaper. You might choose a dramatic print for the chimney breast itself and paint the adjoining alcoves, or keep the fireplace wall quiet and use wallpaper within the recesses on either side. Wallpaper can also help connect a fireplace with the rest of the colour scheme – pick out a shade from the design for surrounding walls, upholstery or accessories.

If you have a working fire, stove or other heat source, however, don’t simply wallpaper close to it without checking suitability. Follow the appliance and wallpaper manufacturers’ instructions regarding heat, surfaces and required clearances.

21. Wallpaper a Door

Doors are often treated purely as practical features, but they can become part of the decorating scheme too. Wallpaper one side of an internal door to introduce an unexpected pattern into a room. Alternatively, continue the wallpaper from the surrounding wall across a flush door. With carefully matched pattern, the door can almost disappear into the wall.

For a more decorative effect, use wallpaper inside the individual panels of a traditional panelled door. Again, choose your materials carefully because doors are regularly touched and can be prone to knocks and scuffs.

22. Define a Home-Office Nook

As more rooms have to perform several functions, wallpaper can be used as a simple visual zoning tool. If a small desk occupies one corner of a bedroom, living room or dining space, wallpaper the wall directly behind it.

The change in colour or pattern helps the workspace feel like a distinct area even though there isn’t a physical partition. It also provides an opportunity to be slightly bolder than you might be across the rest of the room.

23. Use Wallpaper to Zone an Open-Plan Room

The same principle can be applied on a larger scale. Open-plan rooms sometimes need visual clues to distinguish one activity from another. Wallpaper can help establish these zones without building walls or installing screens. For example, wallpaper behind the dining table to visually separate the eating area from the kitchen, or introduce pattern behind a sofa to establish the living zone.

Choose a wallpaper that connects with colours used throughout the larger space so that the zones feel distinct but not disconnected.

24. Go Bold in a Tiny Room

Small rooms don’t necessarily need small patterns, pale colours and restrained decorating. A cloakroom, downstairs WC or tiny box room can be a brilliant place to experiment with wallpaper you might hesitate to use elsewhere. Try a dramatic botanical, oversized floral, colourful geometric or deep, enveloping pattern.

Rather than fighting the room’s dimensions, embracing them can create a deliberate jewel-box effect. Cloakrooms are particularly suitable because they’re small enough to decorate boldly without having to live with the pattern for hours at a time.

If you’re wallpapering a bathroom containing a bath or shower, however, there are additional practical considerations. Humidity, ventilation and direct splashing all matter, and the wallpaper needs to be suitable for its intended location. Wallpaper shouldn’t simply be treated as a substitute for a properly waterproofed surface in wet zones.

25. Try Removable Wallpaper

If you’re renting, prone to changing your mind or simply nervous about making a long-term commitment to pattern, removable wallpaper provides another option. Peel-and-stick designs can be used to experiment with a feature wall, home-office nook, shelving or certain pieces of furniture without necessarily making a permanent change. They’re also useful in children’s and teenagers’ bedrooms, where tastes may change considerably over a relatively short period.

Don’t assume that every removable wallpaper will work on every surface, however. Check the manufacturer’s instructions carefully, particularly if you’re renting. Test a discreet area first and make sure removal isn’t likely to damage the existing paint or finish.

What Can You Do With Leftover Wallpaper?

If you’ve finished decorating and have half a roll sitting in the cupboard, don’t automatically throw it away.

Wallpaper remnants are ideal for small creative projects because even quite tiny pieces can add colour and character. They can also be a lovely way to repeat a pattern elsewhere in a room without committing to another wallpapered surface.

You could use leftover wallpaper to:

• cover notebooks and journals
• transform plain magazine files
• cover a pinboard or noticeboard
• decorate picture-frame mounts
• cover desk organisers or pen pots
• make decorative gift tags
• create bookmarks
• line shelves with removable wallpaper-covered card
• decorate the back of a pegboard
• make bunting or decorative garlands

Keep a few useful offcuts after decorating, too. Aside from craft projects, having some of the original wallpaper tucked away can be invaluable if you need to repair a damaged section in the future.

Where Should You Avoid Using Wallpaper?

Wallpaper is versatile, but it isn’t suitable for absolutely every surface.

Be cautious in areas that are regularly exposed to water, high levels of moisture, heat, grease or heavy wear.

Bathrooms are a good example. Wallpaper can work extremely well in the right bathroom, but suitable materials, good ventilation and careful positioning are important. Areas that receive direct water need appropriate waterproofing rather than relying on ordinary wallpaper to provide protection.

Likewise, avoid placing wallpaper too close to open flames or significant heat sources unless the relevant manufacturers confirm that the proposed installation is suitable.

The condition of the surface underneath matters too. Wallpaper isn’t a magic solution for hiding damp, damaged plaster or serious imperfections. Deal with the underlying problem first and prepare the surface properly before decorating.

How Do You Decide Where to Put Wallpaper?

With so many possibilities, the hardest part can be deciding where pattern will have the most impact.

Start by looking at the room as a whole rather than choosing a wallpaper in isolation.

Find the natural focal point

What do you notice when you walk into the room?

It might be a fireplace, bed, window, dining area or interesting architectural feature. Wallpaper can strengthen an existing focal point rather than trying to create competition elsewhere.

Consider the scale of the pattern

Large patterns generally need enough uninterrupted space to be appreciated. A beautiful oversized botanical design may lose much of its impact if it’s repeatedly broken up by doors, shelves and furniture.

Smaller repeating patterns can be easier to use across awkward or fragmented surfaces.

Look at the room’s existing colours

You don’t need to match everything perfectly, but your wallpaper shouldn’t feel as though it belongs to a completely different room.

Pull one or two colours from the design and repeat them elsewhere through paint, upholstery, rugs or accessories.

Think about how long you want to live with it

There’s nothing wrong with falling in love with an adventurous design, but consider where you use it.

If you’re uncertain about a very bold or trend-led wallpaper, try it in an alcove, cloakroom, inside a cupboard or as framed panels first.

You can still enjoy the design without committing an entire living room to it.

Order a sample

Computer and phone screens aren’t reliable guides to colour, scale or texture.

Order a wallpaper sample and look at it in the actual room at different times of day. Hold it vertically against the wall – or overhead if you’re considering wallpapering the ceiling – and see how it works with the room’s natural and artificial light.

Is Wallpaper Still in Style?

Absolutely. Wallpaper remains an effective way to introduce colour, pattern, texture and individuality into an interior.

What has changed is the way we use it.

Wallpaper doesn’t have to mean one patterned feature wall surrounded by three painted ones. It can cover entire rooms, highlight architectural features, decorate ceilings, define zones or appear in much smaller and less expected places.

That flexibility is arguably one of wallpaper’s greatest strengths.

You can create an immersive room with pattern on every wall or use half a roll to transform an old bookcase. Neither approach is more correct than the other.

The best wallpaper ideas are the ones that make sense for your home, your decorating style and the amount of pattern you enjoy living with.

Wallpaper Ideas: Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Wallpaper Over Painted Walls?

In many cases, yes, but the wall needs to be sound, clean, dry and appropriately prepared. The exact preparation will depend on the existing paint finish and the wallpaper you’re using.

Don’t skip the wallpaper manufacturer’s preparation instructions. A few extra hours spent preparing the wall can make a considerable difference to the finished result.

Can You Put Wallpaper on Furniture?

Yes, wallpaper can be used to update many pieces of furniture, including wardrobes, cabinets, bookcases, drawers and bedside tables.

The surface needs to be suitable for the adhesive, and high-wear areas may require additional protection. Always check that your chosen wallpaper, adhesive and any protective finish are compatible with the furniture surface.

Can You Wallpaper a Ceiling?

Yes. A wallpapered ceiling can add pattern, texture and colour and is a particularly effective way to make a room feel more distinctive.

Installation is naturally more challenging than wallpapering a vertical wall, especially where pattern matching is involved, so you may prefer to use a professional decorator.

What Can I Do With One Roll of Wallpaper?

Quite a lot.

Depending on the dimensions and pattern repeat, one roll could be enough for a small feature area, alcove, furniture makeover, cupboard interior, bookcase backing, decorative wall panels or a collection of smaller projects.

If you’re buying wallpaper specifically for a project rather than using leftovers, calculate the amount required carefully and allow for pattern matching and wastage.

Can You Use Wallpaper in a Bathroom?

Yes, but choose the wallpaper and its location carefully.

Good ventilation is important, and wallpaper used in a humid room needs to be appropriate for those conditions. Keep ordinary wallpaper away from areas exposed to regular direct splashing and don’t rely on it in place of proper waterproofing. Manufacturers may recommend particular wallcoverings, adhesives or protective finishes for bathrooms.

A downstairs cloakroom without a bath or shower is generally a much easier place to experiment with wallpaper than a steamy family bathroom.

For more details, check out our guide to using wallpaper in a bathroom.

Do You Have to Wallpaper a Whole Wall?

Not at all.

Some of the most effective wallpaper ideas use surprisingly small amounts. An alcove, section above panelling, chimney breast or framed panel can introduce plenty of pattern without covering the whole wall.

And if even that feels like too much, start with the back of a bookcase, a drawer or a framed wallpaper sample.

Final Thoughts

Wallpaper offers far more possibilities than simply deciding which four walls to cover. Look around your home and you’ll probably find plenty of surfaces that could benefit from colour or pattern – from an overlooked ceiling or alcove to a tired wardrobe or the backs of your bookshelves.

The key is to use wallpaper with purpose. Highlight an interesting architectural feature, define an area within an open-plan room, bring an old piece of furniture back to life or simply introduce a pattern that makes you smile.

And don’t throw those offcuts away. Sometimes the smallest wallpaper projects are the ones that add the most personality to a home.

Do you have any other great ways to use wallpaper? Let us know in the comments below.

 

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