Thankfully, trends in wallpaper designs tend not to be a flash in the pan. Unlike changing your wall color, picking a wall covering isn't only more of an expense, it's a more involved application (and removal process) too.
That means that wallpaper trends are often broader, capturing a mood in interiors more than a color, or particular pattern, as such. So, what are the styles that are appealing in 2025?
"Where we saw contemporary, abstract designs take over a little while ago, there's definitely a shift to the use of classic motifs, even in modern homes," says Hugh Metcalf, an editor for Livingetc. "These vary from detailed frescoes to heritage botanical prints, but there's a move towards this interior design trend."
Below, we break down some of the looks in wallpaper inspiring designers (and us) for the year ahead.
1. The Application — Wallpapered Ceilings
Ceiling wallpaper ideas are continuing in popularity in 2025. It's something we've been seeing more and more of in recent years, but this year they'll reached new heights with bold, eye-catching designs that draw your attention to the fifth wall.
This dinng room by Widell + Boschetti captures the trending way to use prints on a ceiling in this way. 'This dining room was a challenge due to the oddly shaped room and low ceiling height,' says designer Barette Widell. 'The scale and unexpected shapes of this wallpaper made this space feel much more grand than it was.'
Look for oversized patterns, like the abstract lines in Hovia’s Freeflow Red Clay, or Wallshoppe’s Buka Patchwork wallpaper.
2. The Color — Monochrome
3. The Mural — Scenic Landscapes
Wall mural ideas are one of the biggest trends of last year, and they're continuing into 2025, too. "I've been using murals since I was a Junior Designer in the 90s and I'm seeing more of my clients becoming open to the ideas," says NYC-based designer Eddie Lee, who designed the dining room pictured above. "I feel like now more than ever, we have better access to artisan makers and brands with original designs."
According to Christine Carney, director of design at Blackberry Farm Design, scenic mural wallpapers have been a deeply sought-after design luxury since their origin in 18th-century France. "And they aren’t going anywhere anytime soon," she says. Transportive vistas in particular - especially those with exotic botanicals or picturesque waters - are favored by A-list designers.
Priced from: $428
Combining trends for frescoes and black-and-white scenes, this design from Woodchip & Magnolia is punctuated with accent butterflies in color that make for focal points in the design.
4. The Print — Heritage Craft
Famed heritage designers such as William Morris and Ronald Redding have seen a huge resurgence in recent years. Naturally, they've found their way into this year's wallpaper trends, too, and if you're still deciding between paint vs wallpaper, we're convinced these might sway you.
"Drawing inspiration from famous design eras, heritage prints deliver nostalgic charm, rooted in English history, and have become increasingly popular," says Caroline Woolmer of Henderson Design Group. "These timeless patterns embrace traditional, repeating motifs and colors to offer time-honored designs relevant to modern-day homes. Comprising classic patterns, colors, and motifs, ranging from 16th-century-inspired Chinoiserie to Arts & Crafts-inspired designs of the late Victorian era, heritage patterns blend seamlessly with contemporary décor and are guaranteed to add character and depth to any home."
These dynamic designs can really bring walls to life and they offer a great foundation for pattern layering. 'For a more traditional feel, pair heritage prints with complementary painted paneling and woodwork to create a cohesive look that celebrates your home's period features,' adds Caroline.
Priced from: $274 / roll
This classic design is timeless, and can be dressed to suit a traditional space, or used with a more contemporary color palette for a room that feels a little more modern.
4. The Pattern — Stripes
Bold, wide stripes or alternating ticking styles work brilliantly as wallpaper and are perfect for playful spaces such as kids' rooms. There's also no risk involved with wallpaper, unlike painting stripes onto the which won't guarantee a clean, crisp line.
"We all know striped walls are achingly in right now, but for every zeitgeist moment there is also a genuine longevity to the stripe and the ways it can change the dynamics in a room," says Patrick of Farrow & Ball. "Bold stripes in joyful combinations, like our Block Print Stripe in Stiffkey Blue overlaid with Arsenic and Vardo, create a vibrant and playful look. Vertical stripes are a great way to add the illusion of height for those rooms with slightly lower ceilings."
On the other end of the spectrum, soft, imperfect stripes are also enjoying a moment among 2024's wallpaper trends. Los Angeles-based designer Peter Dunham - who designed the playful wallcovering above - says he's seeing notably softer patterns that are less ruler-straight than traditional designs. "Stripes are always in style, but the latest trend is in colorful, enveloping stripes that are inspired by handwoven vintage textiles, versus more graphic and preppy versions," he says.
Think milky lines that look expertly painted with a shaky hand, like these stitched lines up and down St. Frank’s Candy Stripe Frazada Wallpaper that would make a fantastic living room wallpaper idea. But be careful not to go overboard, warns Peter. "One thing I would avoid is to incorporate more stripes," he says, noting that colorfully striped wallpaper is more than enough. "It could work, but it could more easily go very wrong."
5. The Method —Traditional Crafts
At a time when even 3D wallpaper isn’t out of the ordinary, there’s nevertheless a longing for the classics. So is the case for block-printed designs, an age-old process where patterns are stamped onto rolls with intricately carved wooden blocks. Wallpaper designers often favor archival designs with a handmade touch, and their often beautifully simple designs resonate with contemporary interiors.
"I think we're seeing a revival of all traditional crafts, block printing included, as a reaction against how easily things in our world are not only fabricated but also disposed of," says Regina Perez Montemayor, founder of San Francisco design firm, Studio Montemayor.
In the home above, Regina applied a block-printed pattern, Ipswich Sprig, a wallcovering by Adelphi Paper Hangings, which fabricates an array of historic reproductions. Also new on the block is the latest collection by Chicago’s Mitchell Black, which created a capsule of block-printed, country-inspired patterns with a contemporary twist that achieves that ‘collected’ aesthetic found in eclectic style interiors.
6. The Floral — Fantastical Flowers
Floral prints are as classic as it gets, but the latest floral wallcoverings are full of exciting colors and curiosity, taking nature in an almost supernatural direction — think dramatic, vampy and glamorous flower designs with a sense of edge. "We’ve definitely seen a rise in interest in people wanting to bring color and nature into their home," says wallpaper designer Niki Bergen, co-founder of the aptly named Superflower Studio. "Of course, patterned and floral wallpaper isn’t new, but the quest for beauty and bringing the outdoors into our interiors has recently been on the rise."
Niki’s Cannonball print, which she used even for her own home, is proof enough – as if pulled from a botanist’s textbook, their fantastic designs twist about the wallcovering, no doubt bringing a sense of joy and wonder. "We immediately understood the impact and joy it brings,' adds Niki. 'Balance is always key and we find that interiors kept minimal allows the walls to envelope the space with warmth."
Priced from: $136 / roll
A little more contemporary in approach than Niki's choice, this wallpaper still has the dramatic swirls of this bedroom, bringing a sense of movement to your walls.
7. The Finish — Illuminating Metallics
While even a dull pattern can add visual interest to your walls, the latest illuminating wallpapers can light up your whole room. "Illuminating wallpapers work with the light," notes Lisa Donohoe of Los Angeles-based wallpaper brand Londubh Studio. "They have a warming glow effect and look different throughout the day as the light evolves."
In this bedroom, with a wallcovering by luxury brand De Gournay, the walls almost act like a light source, reflecting the natural light from the window. "For one, think about layered and soft lighting options in addition to sunlight – the resulting vibes are rich and nurturing, whether entertaining or having a solo wind-down after a long day," says Londubh Studio. "Regardless of whether you cover all surfaces or just the ceiling, a popular option for our clients, materials that are rich but not shimmering themselves, such as warm woods or velvets, make for divine compliments."
8. The Scale — Large Prints
Larger prints that make an impact are in favor for dramatic schemes. "Larger-scale prints are a popular wallpaper design, adding a real statement to a room," says Patrick of Farrow & Ball. "These eye-catching prints are great for creating a contemporary look in a room and offer an almost mural-style effect in the space. They can also help to make small spaces feel more intimate, as well as adding interest to larger rooms by creating another layer of pattern."
While using this type of bedroom or kitchen wallpaper remember to choose scaled-down prints to complement the other elements in the room. You don't want the room to look overwhelming. Use the wallpaper as the anchor, and design around it.
9. The Era — 70s prints
Retro is back. 70s-inspired interiors in rich colors like orange, green, brown, and yellow are trending in home design, so it's no surprise it's appearing in interiors, too. Consider adding these designs to unexpected places such as entryways and kitchen wallpapers.
"One of the trends we are most looking forward to is a resurgence of the 70s," says Ross Taylor, co-founder of design studio The Curious Department. "Although 70s wallpaper prints can be incredibly bold, what we often see is that revived eras often express themselves in completely new color palettes."
"The revival of the 70s is n full swing right now," Livingetc Editor Hugh Metcalf explains. "We've seen this particular led from the Italian design brands in Milan each year, which are embracing these so-wrong-they're-right color palettes and retro textures."
10. Wallpaper in joinery
As well as accent walls, wallpaper is being used more and more to add design details to the interiors of built-in millwork and luxury freestanding cabinets. This trend with wallpaper finds its stride in surprising uses - to lift corners, areas, and even unseen spaces.
Interior designer Victoria Holly used it to upgrade basic-looking shelving in the re-design of this LA home. "These shelves were existing and they were just outdated and boring," Victoria explains. "We swapped out the hardware and decided to wallpaper the backs with a fun and playful wallpaper."
Priced from: $178 / double roll
Picked a fun graphic wallpaper to bring character to millwork like this broken stripe from Lulu & Georgia.
11. Wallpapering Doors
As well as wallpapering inside of cabinets and shelving, we're also seeing designers wallpapering doors to turn standard millwork into exciting feature walls.
"Using wallpaper to cover doors is an inspiring idea because it transforms a typically overlooked element into a focal point," agrees interior designer Marie Flanigan. "It adds a layer of unexpected texture and pattern, creating a cohesive design flow between walls and doors."
It works particularly well in spaces like hallways or bedroom, when big banks of cabinetry can feel like they're sapping the character from your space.
FAQs
Is wallpapering still a trend?
Wallpapers have been a bigger trend in 2024 than we've seen in a long time, and we expect it to continue into 2025, too. However, more than just accent walls, we're seeing wallcoverings used in 'unexpected' ways.
Think papered cabinet interiors, dimensional alcoves, or panel effects. "When wallpaper is used in unexpected ways and in unexpected places, it’s exciting and it piques your interest," notes Jill Steinberg. "Whether it’s scale, texture, pattern, metallic, wrapping a room, or jewel-boxing an entire space, it provides an opportunity to add another layer, tell a story, and add a backdrop to the room."
The opportunities for this idea are endless. Simply think of an unconventional use for wallpaper and you're there. It doesn't have to be large-scale, either. "Think of creative ways in which you can use wallpaper in smaller areas, such as creating a decorative "headboard" which acts as a subtle focal point and brings in some whimsical humor," suggests Patrick O'Donnell of paint and wallpaper brand, Farrow & Ball.
Floral or abstract prints apart, wallpapers also showcase mural designs and even Renaissance art. These help anchor the design theme of a space and add oodles of style to the home.
