Following interior design trends can feel like a never-ending marathon. But the most important part of creating your space is ensuring it is a space that you love.
The wallpaper of my youth was fussy and outdated, and when my parents finally took it down and painted, our whole house felt like it was filled with new life.
But open any design catalogue and you will be wowed by the beauty of wallpaper on every page. The past few years have taken a turn away from the minimalism that dominated the aughts and headed directly into maximalism – patterns, colors, and a commitment to bold design.
While some wallpaper patterns are outdated, wallpaper as a trend never left. Some patterns have defied trends and have established themselves as wallpaper brands and looks that have become timeless.
The traditional Bowood wallpaper offered by Colefax and Fowler has endured as a pattern of choice since 1938. The design was taken from a mid-19th-century fragment found at Bowood House in Wiltshire, England, and all its florals offer a nod to the beauty of the English countryside.
A bit bolder, but just as iconic, Scalamandre’s zebra paper has withstood the ups and downs of trends from the days of Sinatra to the walls of Wes Anderson’s latest film. And who can fail to be instantly transported to a California state of mind when they see CW Stockwell’s tropical banana leaf print, Martinique, made famous in 1942?
Today, large-scale prints are dominating TikTok videos and infusing our homes with bright colors and happiness that instill optimism. Designers suspect that retro ’70s patterns may surge in popularity; earthy tones like terracotta and stipes are just some of the patterns to look out for this season.
An easy way to dabble your toe in the wallpaper pond is to test out peel-and-stick alternatives. Now available in very high-end options, you can try out a design without the looming pain of scraping it all away and having to rehabilitate your wall if you change your mind.
From chinoiseries to stripes, botanicals to abstracts, there is beauty and endless options to choose from. Wallpaper is here to stay, and if you’re looking to shake up your home, be bold and take on a wallpaper design.