Home » Misc » Wallpaper small spaces

Wallpaper small spaces


The Best Wallpaper Ideas for a Small Space

Style

Design

Shopping

Small Spaces

by Kelsey Mulvey

updated Jun 7, 2021

We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.

SavePin It

See More Images

At the risk of sounding dramatic, a small space is the design equivalent to a house of cards. Its beauty relies on strategic thinking — one false move and the entire room will come tumbling down. (Metaphorically speaking, of course.)

For more content like this follow

You can spend a lot of time thinking about clever storage, space-efficient furniture, and paint colors that can create an optical illusion, but as it turns out, the right wallpaper can do wonders for a pint-sized pad. You just have to narrow in on the right repeats.

“With a small space, it’s so important to be very intentional and thoughtful when choosing a print and color, since it will be something you live with more consistently and spaces will typically serve as more than one use,” explains Elizabeth Rees, founder of Chasing Paper. “Think [about] a NYC apartment where the living room is also your kitchen, dining room, and so on.”

Rees says it’s important to find wallpaper that makes you feel joyful, calm, serene, and grounded. But, just every other design decision, beauty truly lies in the eye of the beholder. To help make your home shine — and match your personal taste — check out the best wallpaper for smaller spaces.

SavePin It

See More Images

1. Chasing Paper Semi Wallpaper

“Don’t let the size of the space intimidate your choice,” says Rees. “There’s no reason to not make a bold design choice, if that’s what you want — as long as you balance it with the other elements in the room! For instance, a bold wallpaper in a small bathroom can be like a surprising jewel in your home.”

To strike that happy medium between subtle and statement, try pairing a geometric pattern with neutral accents.

Buy: Chasing Paper Semi Wallpaper, from $6 to $120 per panel from Chasing Paper

SavePin It

See More Images

2.

Mlags Dark Moody Floral Jumbo Wallpaper

For a daintier take on the bold pattern trend, opt for oversized flowers. Thanks to the larger scale, this go-to pattern will take on an almost abstract look. With a moody backdrop and subtle pops of color, this option from Spoonflower is whimsical, not overwhelming.

Buy: Mlags Dark Moody Floral Jumbo, from $6 to $199 from Spoonflower

SavePin It

See More Images

3. Chasing Paper Stripes Wallpaper

Want to create the illusion of high ceilings? The only way to go is up. “Choosing the right bold pattern or color tricks the eye into focusing on the design aesthetic and impact, rather than the square footage,” says Rees. “For example, you can create an illusion of a larger space using a pattern with a vertical line that naturally draws the eye up and creates a loftier, taller space.”

Buy: Stripes Wallpaper, from $6 to $120 per panel from Chasing Paper

SavePin It

See More Images

4.

Serena & Lily Acadia Stripe Wallpaper

If bold stripes aren’t your thing, you’ll love this pared-back style from Serena & Lily. Between the subdued color palette and thin stripes, this repeat has the best of both worlds.

Buy: Serena & Lily Acadia Stripe Wallpaper, from $98 a roll from Serena & Lily

SavePin It

See More Images

5. Carrie Shryock x Chasing Paper Crossing Lines Wallpaper

Regardless of your home’s size, it’s important to consider the ambiance you’d like to create. Before adding a roll of wallpaper to your cart, think about the room’s overall purpose.

“Design for the space and how it will be used,” Rees explains. “Think about what type of impact you might want in the space — whether you just need to add texture or color.”

For example, in a bedroom, you may want a dark and moody vibe with a linear style like the above, or maybe you’d prefer a soothing, calm print to keep it zen.

Buy: Carrie Shryock x Chasing Paper Crossing Lines Wallpaper, from $6 to $120 per panel from Chasing Paper

SavePin It

See More Images

6. Serena & Lily Feather Wallpaper

If you’d rather turn your small bedroom into a light, airy oasis, Serena & Lily’s minimalist repeat will have you feeling like you’re on cloud nine. The wispy pattern and neutral palette is a considerable upgrade to your bare walls, but won’t make your space feel claustrophobic.

Buy: Serena & Lily Feather Wallpaper, $98 per roll from Serena & Lily

SavePin It

See More Images

7. Annie Selke Samoa Periwinkle Grasscloth Wallpaper

Patterns not quite your thing? You can always double down on texture. This grasscloth option from Annie Selke will add some depth to your space small, without cramping your minimalist aesthetic.

Buy: Annie Selke Samoa Periwinkle Grasscloth Wallpaper, $200 per roll from Annie Selke

SavePin It

See More Images

8.

Kassa Large Chalkboard Contact Paper Roll

Anyone working with a small space knows how important it is to make the most of the limited square footage. Kassa’s chalkboard contact paper is perfect for both home offices and children’s bedrooms. (Yes, you can actually give your kiddos permission to draw on the walls.) Since there’s only so much doodling you can do, we don’t expect this to cover all four walls. Still, it makes a great accent for a small space.

SavePin It

See More Images

9. Moonlight Print Mid Century Modern Sun & Rainbow Wall Mural

Another accent wall idea that’s perfect for your small space? A funky mural, like this trendy option from Moonlight Print. (You know we’re totally here for the arch trend.) Not only does this style create the illusion of a larger space, but the white backdrop will also make your space feel light and airy. Oh, and did we mention it’ll double as artwork?

Buy: Moonlight Print Mid Century Modern Sun & Rainbow Wall Mural, $299. 99 from Society6

SavePin It

See More Images

10. Flavor Paper Bay Area Toile

At the end of the day, your wallpaper should be a reflection of you. This eclectic toile from Flavor Paper is packed with personality, plus the blue and white color palette offers a happy balance between subtle and statement. It’s the perfect combination for your itty, bitty space.

Buy: Flavor Paper Bay Area Toile, $200 per roll from Flavor Paper

How to Decorate a Small Space With Wallpaper

Style

Design

Interior Design

Small Spaces

by Marlen Komar

published Oct 22, 2018

SavePin It

See More Images

When it comes to tiny spaces, most people’s knee jerk reaction is to douse the room with as much white as possible to make it feel bigger and more airy. But that rule doesn’t always ring true. Rather than trying to black magic more square footage into a cramped space, why not go the other direction and have fun with the little room that you have? Make a small nook feel memorable with the use of playful and unexpected wallpaper, giving it character and letting you flex your creative muscles in a spot that won’t cost an arm and a leg to paper. Not completely convinced yet? Below are tiny spaces that pull off busy wallpaper, proving that sometimes more is more.

For more content like this follow

Wild Hallways

You can go minimalist with your narrow hallway to try and make it feel bigger, or you can lean into the small space and give it lots of personality with a bold, abstract print. The bonus of going this route is that any art or decor you put into the hallway will pop and take on a new life.

Patterned Entryways

Make your small entryway stand out with a panel of wallpaper. Here you can see that just the wall by the door was papered, whereas the rest of the space was painted a soft gray. This helped the geometric side table and white mirror stand out against the busy pattern.

Entryway Murals

SavePin It

See More Images

You can up the ante when it comes to wallpapered entryways by forgoing the repeating pattern route and instead opting for a look-at-me mural.

Papered Ceilings

SavePin It

See More Images

Do something unexpected with your hallway ceiling and add a playful wallpaper across its length. It will spice up white walls or add a contrast against wood paneling or a competing wall paint color.

A Bold Bathroom

SavePin It

See More Images

Rather than trying to make your small powder room seem light and airy, go the opposite route and let your creativity run wild in the shoebox space. A great way to do so is to choose a wallpaper with a large print, which will be the perfect backdrop for your mirror and lighting fixtures.

An Eclectic Entryway

SavePin It

See More Images

The fastest way to give your drab entryway some personality is to cover it in a large wallpaper pattern. But don’t stop there. Go completely maximalist in the narrow space and paint your stairs ombre to add even more interest to this patterned nook.

A Patterned Stairway

If you have a staircase right in your entryway, give your guests an unexpected design surprise by wallpapering the wall directly connected to the stairs. Bonus points if you have tiled floors in a complementary, but equally busy pattern.

A Negative Space Wallpaper

If you’re not comfortable with dark colors in your matchbox-sized powder room but want to try covering it in a print, try picking out wallpaper with some white, negative space. This particular floral arrangement has plenty of airy gaps in between the blooms, giving you the best of both worlds.

Add A Surprise From The Doorway

SavePin It

See More Images

If your dining or living room has a door leading into the hallway, add a playful surprise by papering said hall with an eye-catching print. It will spill into the other rooms, adding a dash of color and pattern into the space.

Go Wild With Ferns

Channel your favorite tiki bar and wrap your small bathroom in a fern print. Help the green hues pop with brass or gold accents, and don’t be afraid of adding other citrusy colors in the mix with the help of bathroom accessories (like a small vase of flowers.)

best interior ideas, 60+ photos

What wallpaper color makes a room bigger?

A color or combination of certain colors can visually expand a small space.

For a bright room

If the room is bright, the walls can be saturated with bright colors - blue, turquoise or green. It is better for small rooms, even light ones, not to use dark shades of wallpaper.

The photo shows a bright nursery with a large window. Pink and blue wallpaper with floral motifs brought sophistication and comfort to a small room. nine0005


For a dark room

To make a dark small room seem larger, the ceiling and walls should be as light as possible. Sometimes the best design trick is to make them white. Then, against their background, the furniture will not seem bulky and may be dark.

Which pattern enlarges the room?

Wallpaper factories every year offer new collections with a variety of patterns and textures. With the help of some types of drawings, you can change the visual impression of the room. nine0005

The photo shows a successful use of wallpaper with a small geometric pattern to decorate the corridor of a small apartment. The white ceiling balances the proportions of the room and relieves the saturation of the walls. nine0005

Design ideas for rooms that expand space

There are several design techniques that allow you to visually increase the area of ​​\u200b\u200ba small room. One of these techniques is to paste over the view wall of the room with photo wallpaper or 3D wallpaper. High-quality photographic images that have appeared in recent years are not inferior to frescoes in terms of the impression they make, and win in price and speed of execution. 3d walls can change the premises of a small hall or studio beyond recognition.

Wallpaper for a small living room

The living room is the main room in the house and should be decorated in the most expressive way. To decorate and expand the space of a small room, you can use photo wallpapers. Most often, the wall next to the sofa is most suitable for this purpose.

In the photo, the wall of a small living room is effectively decorated with vintage photo wallpapers and images of predatory animals, which adds dynamics and originality to the interior.

In the photo, the end wall of a small hall is decorated with photo wallpapers, on which images of bright house facades look very attractive. Such a design technique will not leave indifferent any guest. nine0005

Wallpaper for a small children's room

For children's rooms, it is recommended to use finishing materials that are easy to replace. When children get older, it is easy to re-paste the wallpaper, changing the mood of the children's room with them.

Pictured is a nursery for a little princess. The walls are covered with wallpaper with birds. A small room looks tender, bright and sunny. nine0005

Wallpaper design in a small toilet

A small toilet is a characteristic feature of small Khrushchev houses. Wallpaper in such toilets is an interesting design technique that can refresh the room. In these small rooms there are no furniture and you can make the walls bright and expressive.

In the photo on the left is a toilet with exquisite patterns on the walls. The room gained style and expressiveness and won in visual impression.

Visually expand a small bathroom

The use of wallpaper in bathrooms is becoming more and more popular. From such a bold decision, these small rooms only benefit. Here, the wallpaper on the walls looks like frescoes or art painting.

Designing a small dining room

When you want to decorate your dining room in an unusual way, but there is not enough space in a small apartment, you can use images that will expand the space and effectively highlight the dining area. The dining area covered with expressive wallpaper in studio apartments looks very nice. nine0005

Dressing room designs

Even a dressing room can be styled. Interesting patterns will expand the space of a small room reserved for cabinets and shelves. Bright wallpapers are suitable for this purpose, light or dark depends on the designer's idea.

Wallpaper that enlarges the kitchen

Small kitchens, especially kitchens in Khrushchev, can be visually enlarged in square, if you do not limit yourself to traditional tiles in the design of the walls, but use expressive bright wallpapers. Geometric patterns, stripes or figures perfectly emphasize the geometry of kitchen appliances and appliances. And bright accents add dynamics and a small room seems larger. nine0005

Ways to visually enlarge the entrance hall

The entrance hall in the house is the first room that welcomes the hosts and guests. To visually enlarge the hallway, the pattern on the walls can be chosen with horizontal stripes or a small pattern. To make the corridor seem larger, the design technique using horizontal stripes will lower the height and push the walls apart.

How to visually enlarge a small bedroom?

When choosing wallpaper for a small bedroom, it is better to decorate it in unobtrusive colors and patterns that are pleasing to the eye and promote relaxation and restful sleep.

Photo wallpapers that increase space

One of the design techniques for expanding space in small apartments and studio apartments is the use of photo wallpapers. When it is not possible to purchase a finished fresco or invite an artist to paint, you can paste over the view wall with photo wallpaper.

A perspective picture of nature or a panorama of the city with plans of different sizes will create a certain mood in the room. In a studio apartment, competent zoning with photo wallpapers will help to avoid clutter. nine0005

Style features for visually enlarging a room

Different interior styles have their own peculiarities of using wallpaper to visually enlarge a small space

Provence

To make a small room in the Provence style seem larger, you can use light furniture. If the walls are pasted over with dark wallpaper, it will be correct to complement them with a white ceiling cornice.

The photo shows a Provence-style office, the walls are successfully combined with furniture and a white ceiling. The room does not look small and cramped. nine0005

Classic

The classic style is characterized by the use of wallpaper. Silky wallpaper with patterns, monograms and floral designs adorn this style.

The photo shows a bedroom in a classic style. The color of the walls repeats the color of the furniture, which creates unity and adds sophistication to the interior. In small rooms, this technique will always be relevant.

Minimalism

Style is also complete without such decorative material as wallpaper. For the design of accent walls, to highlight important surfaces, this coating is perfect. nine0005

Pictured is a bedroom with an accent wall imitating mosaics. This technique creates a feeling of greater depth and dimensions of the room.

Modern

Modern or Art Nouveau is just the style in which wallpaper is used in almost all areas of the house. Light pastel colors on the walls create a feeling of airiness and lightness, which increases the size of a small room.

In the photo, light furniture in Art Nouveau style is harmoniously combined with wallpaper of the same shade in calm geometric patterns. The absence of disturbing lines and colors creates a feeling of spaciousness and transparency. nine0005

Design options for a long narrow room

Long narrow rooms can be enhanced for perception by applying the right color and pattern on the walls. Geometry, especially with clear graphic contours, can create a feeling of freedom and permeability in a small room. Light walls with a glossy surface add light and space.

In the photo, the wall at the head of the bed is covered with wide striped wallpaper. This design technique made it possible to visually expand the narrow space of a small room. nine0005

In the photo you can see an interesting solution for expanding a narrow small room for a child. The long boring wall of a small room is decorated with expressive 3D wallpaper imitating bookshelves in cheerful colors.

In the photo in a narrow arch, bright inserts in certain places serve both as a visual accent and to widen a long narrow passage. The use of expressive, sunny wallpaper adds light and joy to a small room. nine0005

Wallpaper for low ceilings

To visually raise the height of ceilings, there are some design tricks. Wallpaper with vertical stripes and a dark wide cornice between the wall and the white ceiling will help to achieve the desired effect.

The photo shows a small bedroom with a low ceiling. The stripes on the walls evened out the proportions of the room and added lightness and comfort to it.

The photo shows an example of using wallpaper in a small room with a low ceiling. On the white walls, maps were highlighted and filled with colored wallpaper. The vertical arrangement of the cards added height and originality to the room. nine0005

How to combine wallpapers for visual magnification?

It is impossible to ignore such a design technique of visual expansion of space as a combination of different wallpapers

There are several ways to combine:

Ideas for combining two colors

You can expand a small room by using two types of wallpaper for wall decoration. Most often, a good result is obtained from a combination of plain and colored or contrasting coatings.

The photo shows an example of a small room with combined wallpapers from the same collection on the walls. The accent wall is highlighted with ornamental wallpaper. nine0005

Photo Gallery

Using Walls, you can experiment with the interior of a small room, originally design the walls and visually expand the space. Below are photo examples of using wallpaper on the walls in rooms of various functional purposes.

12 tips - the choice of wallpaper for a small office and other small rooms

It is believed that owners of small -meters are limited in the choice of finishing materials, including wallpaper. And those shades, patterns and drawings that look beautiful on the walls of spacious interiors will visually reduce the already insignificant volumes of typical apartments. Is it really? Not really! With a thoughtful approach, use can be found not only with smooth, familiar beige canvases, but also or ornamental, as well as coloristically saturated coatings. We analyze the main tips that will help you choose wallpaper for a small office and other premises

1. Turn up the heat
North-facing rooms need additional "heating". Here, wall coverings of warm shades will come to the rescue. They should be chosen carefully - only whitened golden, lemon or orange canvases will give the desired result. Dense and saturated red and even yellow wallpapers, of course, will bring a little warmth to the “atmosphere”, but at the same time they will optically reduce the area of ​​​​the room.

Rebecca Hayes Interiors

2. Lower 9 degrees0271
If the windows of the room to be renovated are facing south or west, then in the morning hours or, conversely, in the afternoon, at sunset, there is probably an excess of sunlight in the room. You can “reduce the temperature” in the room using wallpaper in cold shades, say, gray, blue or light green. Along the way, they will "work" on the space - they will correct it by visually pushing the walls apart and increasing the footage.

You don't have to choose a wallpaper with a blue background - a similar effect can be easily achieved with a light base coat with a blue ornament. nine0005

Liz Miller Interiors

3. Play with Contrast
Decorators call this technique an accent wall - use contrasting (in relation to the coverings of the other three walls) wallpapers for pasting one wall out of four. Then this vertical plane will dominate the rest, and the boundaries of the room will be blurred (example in the photo).

Michael Robert Construction

4. Smooth - Ugly
It is better to stop sticking smooth uniform canvases right away - the walls will look dull, and therefore require the active use of paintings, posters, photographs. The abundance of wall decor will not benefit a small room - it will "become" even smaller. Therefore, we advise you to abandon the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bsuch a design. nine0005

SPACE Architects + Planners

5. Bet on texture
In the case of small rooms, relief paintings are considered a win-win option. Moreover, regardless of how many colors are used to "print" them - one or more. The "frankness" of the texture is not important at all: even a slight, barely noticeable relief has a positive effect on the visual perception of small volumes.

At the same time, the more noticeable the latter is, the more obvious the play of light and shadow will appear and, of course, the more spacious the room will look. nine0005

Fotograf Lisbet Spörndly

6. More shine!
With a lack of footage, preference should not be given to matte, light-absorbing coatings, but to wallpaper with at least a minimum reflectivity. It is quite enough if individual fragments of the patterns covering the canvas will moderately “shine”.

Thorp Design

7. Not only the size of the ornament is important, but its saturation
There is an opinion that large ornaments are not shown in small-sized rooms. Let me disagree! It's not about the size of the pattern, but about its color and "presence" in the room. If we are talking about canvases that are neutral in tone (white, beige, etc.), decorated with a low-contrast pattern, then they can be safely used for pasting all the walls of the room. nine0005

LUX Design | Interior Design Build

8. Restrict active patterns
apply them in "homeopathic doses", combine with other coatings. So we will be able to "put" a semantic point, focusing on the most important part of the room. In addition, the colorful vertical plane will visually move away, and the footage of the room will appear larger.

gosto design & lifestyle

9. Geometry is strength
One more thing, I will immediately note that it is erroneous, an opinion is often expressed in relation to canvases with a geometric pattern. Say, stripes, cages, ikats, lattices, chevrons, different circles and squares negatively affect the well-being of those who are in their environment. This statement is only partly correct. Indeed, in a small room, where all the walls are “lined” - from floor to ceiling, fatigue is guaranteed, and almost immediately.

But if, say, a “stripe” or an image resembling it, was used to decorate only one vertical plane, then the positive aspects of this type of wallpaper will appear, as in the office with the photo above. A vertically located pattern will raise the ceiling, oriented horizontally will correct the geometry of the room for the better. nine0005

Hoi Ning Wong

10. Build a "palisade"
It provides exactly the same effect as striped wallpaper. At the same time, this technique allows the combination of different canvases, differing not only in color and plot, but also in width. In addition, among its strengths is the ability to vary the “step” of the canvases involved in the combination. In other words, the wall covering will no longer turn out to be tediously monotonous, and therefore it can be used to decorate absolutely all the walls in the room. nine0005

Tip: The more contrast the canvases that make up the composition, the higher the ceilings will appear.

Sophie Burke Design

11. Divide and Conquer
If the main disadvantage of the room is a low ceiling, "break" the walls in height. To implement the idea, you will need wallpaper of two options. The main condition for the harmony of the selected "tandem": the colors and plots of the canvases used must be combined with each other. More often, the lower third or half of the wall is pasted over with darker wallpaper, and the rest with light coatings. The reverse option - light bottom, dark top - is also quite viable. nine0005

SEE ALSO…
Combination of wallpaper in two colors in the living room

Along with this, photo coatings radically transform the existing volume, making it larger, lighter, brighter, more fun and more diverse.

Learn more