In any home these days, wallpaper is the way to make a statement. With wallpaper, it’s as if you’re dressing up your space in a patterned ensemble that perfectly shows off your style, and it can make any room come alive.
But there’s something to be said for vintage wallpaper. After all, wallpaper was a thing all the way back to ancient China, and over the years, plenty of beautiful patterns were developed—some of which are still in favor today.
“There is an emotional resonance inspired by vintage wallpaper,” says Sophia deDomenico, owner and principal at Et Sal Interiors. “Aside from the emotions, wallpaper creates a layer of interest and drama that warms up a room and helps it feel curated.”
Denise Taylor, M.A. Allied ASID, design director and founder at Aspen Design House, has always had a love affair with wallpaper. She says, “Being British and growing up in England, wallpaper is part of our culture. In our homes growing up, when you were tired of a wallpaper, you added a new wallpaper on top and changed the look of a room. That is why sometimes in older homes you may find several layers of wallpaper.”
In current times, many designers, like deDomenico, use wallpaper as an accent (i.e. behind a wet bar or the upper half of a dining room), something you can keep in mind if you don’t want to go “all in.”
Whether you want to create a whimsical accent wall or drape an entire room in bold patterns, read on for the vintage wallpaper prints that are trending, according to designers.
1. Stripes
deDomenico calls stripes “an American classic revival trending in design right now.”“Stripes is a safe pattern that adds enough interest and can be easily adapted over a myriad of design styles,” she says. “I love using vertical stripes in small spaces like an entryway, powder bath, or nook. The linear vertical pattern helps visually open a space and feel larger than it is.”
2. Wooded Scenes
With nature-inspired design continuing to trend, it’s no wonder that bygone wallpapers spotlighting forest prints are in vogue. In particular, Taylor is leaning into the classic Cole & Son “Woods” wallpaper, hailing from 1959 and featuring gorgeous trees. Taylor says that this specific wallpaper may be popular due to viewers spotting it on the show Anatomy of a Scandal.
“Woods wallpaper has been around forever, and it is designed to make you feel like you are living in a forest,” Taylor says, and adds that a visually-busy pattern like this is an eye-catching choice for a small space such as a powder room.
3. Block Print
Before machines could create wallpaper, people designed their own “wallpaper” with blocks, resulting in charming prints like small flowers or artistic motifs. Today, you can buy the wallpaper version.
“Block print feels nostalgic without being obtrusive,” deDomenico says. “It's a bit more interesting than something like a stripe, but still easily adaptable should a design style morph.”
She says that block print is great above a chair rail in a hallway, dining room, or kids’ bedroom.
4. Art Deco Patterns
Art Deco, which rose to fame in the 1920s, frequently comes roaring back into the trends, and wallpaper is no exception. Think: geometric lines galore.
deDomenico observes, “It adds fun and beauty with structure. Geometric lines in design have long been a thing of this century, but we are seeing a gravitation away from an IKEA-type use toward the artistry of the past. Art Deco wallpaper is a perfect moment behind a bar or in a niche.”
5. Chintz Florals
Delicate chintz prints have been trending among linens and upholstery, and wallpaper is seeing its resurgence as well.
“It's a variation of the biophilic trend we've been seeing,” deDomenico says. “Pulling soft florals into a room brings our minds ease and helps us feel lighter, nostalgic, and whimsical.”
She recommends chintz for an office, bathroom, or living room, saying that when it’s balanced with furniture with clean lines, it looks ideal.
6. Botanical Prints
If you’d like to be a little more daring with florals, branch out beyond chintz and go for full-on botanical prints. Taylor is especially fond of the enduring Morris & Co. “Strawberry Thief” print, which was originally designed in 1881 by William Morris himself. She says that this pattern is often spotted in films and magazines, and believes it’s a lovely choice for a kitchen.
7. Modern Patterns
If you want your home to feel like an art exhibit, try trending painterly wallpaper patterns that look as if they were crafted by an actual artist. To accomplish this aesthetic, Taylor suggests using Christopher Farr’s Zig Zag Grasscloth Wallpaper, an abstract masterpiece of geometric shapes.
This modern wallpaper pattern follows suit with Taylor’s definitive advice: “Your home should be fun and playful and reflect you at this moment in time.”
Should You Hang Actual Vintage Wallpaper?
“Heck no!” deDomenico says. “Regular wallpaper is challenging even for professionals. Pair that with the delicate nature of vintage wallpaper, and get ready for a DIY headache where time and too many yards of materials are wasted.”
Instead, opt for archival patterns of old wallpapers or seek out companies that specialize in prints that look as if they’ve been pulled from the past.
Shelby Deering is a freelance lifestyle writer who frequently covers home design and decor for national publications. She has worked as a full-time freelance writer for over a decade, and has worked in the industry for nearly 20 years, writing home tours, interviewing top designers, and beautifying her own home. She holds a master's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and when she's not writing, you can find her at thrift stores and flea markets, running, or exploring local trails in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and corgi, Dolly.
