Wallpaper in small spaces in your home can be an excellent decision. It has made a comeback in recent years. One of the most exciting aspects of using wallpaper is its ability to enhance small spaces, adding depth, personality, and visual interest.
If you are worried about having to strip it later on (we’ve all gone through that nightmare), today’s more porous wallpapers are installed over primed surfaces that require less cleanup and wall repair after removal.
Recently, I visited Kris’ Driven By Decor’s home in Wilmington, NC. Kris is an expert in achieving a statement with wallpaper in small spaces as I will show you. She is renovating her home with a fresh classic appeal. You can sign up for her newsletter here.
Here are some of the ways Kris and I have used wallpaper to make a small room feel chic.
1. Create An Illusion of Space
Small rooms like bathrooms can often feel closed-in. Wallpaper with vertical stripes or patterns can visually elongate the walls, making the room appear taller and more spacious.
This guest bath in Kris’ home is lovely. Read how she did it here.
2. Define Zones Such As Your Foyer
In open-plan layouts or studio apartments, wallpaper can be used to define different functional areas within the same space. Here we used a neutral pattern in our small foyer.
3. Create An Element Of Surprise In A Powder Room
In a small room, a well-chosen wallpaper can serve as a striking focal point. Opt for a bold patterned wallpaper or a wall mural-style. Read more about Kris’ powder room here.
Our small powder room below the stairs has a jewel box vibe with a palm tree print. Read more about this room here.
4. Use Wallpaper in Unexpected Places
Don’t limit yourself to just walls when using wallpaper in small spaces. Consider applying wallpaper to ceilings or the backs of bookshelves to add a surprising and element to your decor. These unexpected touches can elevate the overall design of your space.
Read more about Kris’ shelves here.
Grasscloth is also a nice textural look in back of a bookcase layered with artwork.
You may like: How We Styled My Friend’s Family Room Shelves.
5. Consider Temporary Options
For renters or those hesitant to commit to permanent wallpaper, temporary options such as peel-and-stick wallpapers offer a practical solution.
We did this in our San Francisco rental. You may like Five Steps To Organize A Rental Pantry.
Wallpaper can be a game-changer when it comes to decorating small spaces. By strategically choosing patterns, colors, and textures, you can transform a cramped room into a stylish and welcoming oasis.
Shop Wallpaper
Hi Mary Ann,
I am determined to use a large scale wallpaper in the guest bath, I jjust need to narrow down the choices. Funny how wallpaper is “in”again! I stripped so many horrible patterns and tacky borders off nearly every wall in this house when we first moved in. Ribbons and baskets, boats, plaid, toy soldiers. Oh my, it was a mess! But something bold and colorful in a small space would be really exciting I think ,like your guest bath. I’ve used fabric to line book shelves and the inside of my hutch, wallpaper is the logical next step!
Xo Heidi
Hi Mary Ann, I papered the back of my white bookshelves with a light blue grass cloth. I love it so much, as it is subtle but refreshing. I am considering papering the back walls in my two pantries. I like the idea of having something a little private and special. My kitchen and attached sunroom are very white with splashes of green and blue. Being in Florida it is always so sunny and airy. Thanks for the beautiful wallpaper options.
Great post, Mary Ann. As we consider leaving our “new” home in the MW (only 5 years in the home after several working on it!) to retire in the Southeast in the next year/s, I am thinking of all the potential uses of wallpaper again!
That’s great. Have fun with it, Joan.
I LOVE these wallpapers. I live in Florida and have had my eye on many lovely prints that bring me joy but…. Our walls our “orange peel” and “knockdown” and the texture would show thru the wallpaper I think. Other than wallpapering back of bookcases/framing as art, any other suggestions to making an impact?
Thx
That is tough…but you could talk to a wallpaper hanger about using a wall paper liner..double the work though and I’m not sure if it will be as easily removable.
Colorful or graphic art can make a great impact on your walls.
Having removed many room & layers of wallpaper, I m not convinced!
Ha! You have been scarred, Nancy. I once spent days removing wallpaper from a stairwell.
This was a great post and so much fun to see Kris’ home! I love grasscloth in built in shelves. Would love to do it in my great room, but I doubt I could convince Steve!! I love that striking blue palm paper in your home. It makes such a statement!!
We put grasscloth behind shelves in a client’s office and it looked great. I think it would in yours, too, Cindy. I can’t wait to see how your island turned out.
My cousin wanted to do grasscloth on the backs of her built-in shelves but her husband wasn’t supporting the idea. She got some very stiff poster-type board, cut it to the size of each shelfback, covered the “boards” with her grasspaper and pushed it up against the back of the shelves. The grasspaper provides just enough friction to keep the boards in place and with books and decor in front, you can’t tell that the grasspaper isn’t adhered directly to the backs of the shelves. It could be fun to do just one shelf and see what kind of reaction you get from hubs!!
Is it .wise to try peel and stick wallpaper in a smallish bathroom when you get steam from a shower? I would love to try this but have been hesitant
I’m not sure if any wall paper is good in a damp location…but you could try getting a stronger moisture exhaust fan.