- While painted walls in bold colors and eye-catching treatments have recently been a design darling, fabric and upholstery could overtake them soon.
- Fabric and upholstered walls are a way to add warmth and coziness to a room.
- Style these walls by pairing them with clean-lined, curated decor and creating a one-of-a-kind accent wall.
Between color drenching and “Colors of the Year,” we know that paint isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. But there’s a new trend that’s quietly entering the world of walls, and it might surprise you. In fact, we’ll venture to say that it’s not only a new way to present an accent wall, but to cover all the walls throughout a space.
Designers are increasingly turning to fabric and upholstery to add life to walls. “We’re seeing a shift away from traditional painted accent walls, because homeowners are craving spaces that feel more layered, personal, and experiential,” shares Lindsie Davis, founder and principal designer of Blueberry Jones Design. “Paint can certainly transform a room, but wallcoverings and upholstered walls introduce another level of depth through texture, pattern, and dimension that simply can’t be achieved with color alone.”
Fabric Options to Consider
“Rather than hanging a single piece of artwork on a painted wall, homeowners are treating the wall itself as a design feature,” says Glenna Stone, Principal of Glenna Stone Interiors. “Upholstered panels behind a bed create a luxurious, hotel-inspired backdrop, while framed fabric panels can add architectural interest in living rooms or
dining spaces.”
Stone is seeing homeowners increasingly apply grasscloth-inspired textiles to walls as a replacement for wallpaper, along with linen wall panels and even tailored channel-upholstered installations.
Additionally, Davis says that you can “never go wrong with a beautiful, textured solid fabric,” but for a more expressive approach, you can go with bold patterns, organic motifs, and color “that can transform an upholstered wall into a true statement piece.”
Davis adds that if you really want to go for a rich, sumptuous feel, you can apply velvet to your walls.
If you want to hang the fabric on the walls yourself, you’ll treat it a lot like wallpaper and use a heavy-duty paste, smoothing as you go. Otherwise, this is when tutorials on YouTube come in very handy! For an upholstered wall that goes beyond basic fabric (think: on-trend channels), it’s best installed by a professional (i.e. a pro upholsterer).
How to Style Fabric and Upholstered Walls
✔️ Use the walls as a foundation. “Style an upholstered wall the same way you would any other wall, as a foundation to build upon,” Davis says. “The fabric creates warmth, texture, and depth, but the room comes to life through the layers added on top, whether that’s artwork, lighting, mirrors, or meaningful objects.”
✔️ Create an unexpected accent wall. We’re here to say that fabric and upholstered walls just might be the new kid on the block when it comes to traditional painted accent walls—in fact, they may replace painted accent walls altogether someday. Davis says that an upholstered accent wall can be a beautiful choice when it is thoughtfully curated within the overall design of the room. “The key is that it should feel connected to the space rather than like a standalone feature,” she notes.
✔️ Keep everything else simple. Stone says, “When you introduce a richly-textured wall, it's important to let it breathe. I like pairing upholstered walls with clean-lined furnishings, natural materials like wood and stone, and layered lighting that highlights the fabric's texture throughout the day.”
✔️ Curate artwork. Additionally, Stone says that artwork should be thoughtfully curated rather than excessive, since the wall is already doing much of the visual work. “Incorporating textiles that complement, rather than perfectly match, the wall helps create a collected, bespoke look,” she says.
✔️ Choose it for the right room. Although you can certainly add fabric and upholstery to all the rooms in your home, there are spaces that might be better suited for it. For instance, Davis says that in a home office, upholstered walls can serve as both artwork and a functional design element by adding visual interest while helping with acoustics.
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.
