Five Creative Wallpaper Ideas for Summer 2018

Claude Monets Bathers at Grenouillère
Claude Monet's 'Bathers at Grenouillère' | © Andrew Martin

Architecture & Design Editor

Wallpaper is no longer about simple repeat patterns. The interiors industry has got a lot more creative with its designs this year, from highly convincing trompe l’oeil to personalised backdrops. Here’s our pick of the best.

Fake a secret doorway

Cole & Son’s latest collaboration with designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard has an East-meets-West vibe that focuses on the unique craftsmanship of cultures from around the world. This particular design, Bahia, named after the stunning Bahia Palace in Marrakech, is a hand-painted design that takes inspiration from both the palace and the Durbar Room of Osborne House, the holiday home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. What’s great about this particular wallpaper is that you can hang one standalone panel to create the illusion of a secret doorway – great for creating a sense of space and also an element of fun and intrigue to a small hallway. The 10-metre-high panel costs £450 ($619), available from John Lewis.

Cole & Son’s Bahia wallpaper design

Design a custom wedding photo-booth backdrop

Give your wedding the royal treatment with your own personalised photo backdrop

Go retro with Anaglypta

Not long ago we were all ripping this off our walls with a vengeance, but this once-unpopular patterned wallpaper is having a resurgence. Homeowners are now seeking out textured materials in order to add character to their homes and Anaglypta is great for creating interest in an otherwise minimalist space. Go for the original white paper for a subtle look, or really embrace the embossed pattern and enhance it with a bold paint colour. Check out the Anaglypta site for inspiration.

Anaglypta’s Egon wallpaper design has been enhanced by a bold teal hue

Turn your wall into a masterpiece

Whether it’s Monet’s famous Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies or Michelangelo’s dramatic Leda and the Swan, you can now live among your favourite artworks, as interior designer Andrew Martin has just been granted permission by The National Gallery to reproduce any painting from its permanent collection. Use your chosen design to inform the rest of your decorating scheme in order to create a cohesive look, picking out flashes of accent colour through accessories and textiles. Find out more about commissioning a wallpaper design here.

Peter Paul Reubens’ ‘A Lion Hunt’, £139.90 per square metre from Andrew Martin

Opt for a statement ceiling

Feel your room is too small for statement wallpaper, but still want to make an impact? Consider the fifth wall: your ceiling. The ‘statement ceiling’ is having a comeback, with Pinterest reporting that this search term is up 310 percent as more and more homeowners are embracing this often-ignored valuable space. Think more bold graphic prints than stately frescoes; this Muriva Aztec Diamond Wallpaper from iwantwallpaper.co.uk is an affordable £12.49 ($17.18) per roll, making it a quick update with maximum impact.

Muriva Aztec Diamond wallpaper transforms the ceiling in this living room

Looking for more interiors inspiration? Check out these top trends from London Design Week and find out how to achieve the on-trend country look, regardless of whether you’ve got a rural retreat or London pad.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.

Culture Trip Spring Sale

Save up to $1,100 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.

X
close-ad
Edit article