These wallpaper trends will give you plenty of inspiration for sprucing up your interior decor this year. Now's the perfect time to freshen up your walls and give them a breezy new lease of life, and our edit of the best trends of the moment is sure to be the very best starting point.
Overall, the wallpaper designs that are set to become bestsellers this year follow the predicted home decor trends of 2022 also. You can expect to see a lot of vivid colors and intricate patterns. Now is not the time for coy neutrals or safe stripy designs. Prepare to feast your eyes on fanciful and unusual designs – that will all still work in the majority of homes.
Wallpaper trends 2022 – the year of biophilia
If there's one way to summarize the wallpaper ideas and trends for 2022 it's with one word: biophilia. The term that no one really knew about until about a year ago is now widely used to describe interior design that is inspired by nature and borrows from nature to create a harmonious interior space. Wallpaper designs have followed suit.
Rebecca Drury, Co-Founder of MissPrint , says that 'nature inspired interiors come top of the list' of trends. According to Rebecca, this trend 'started with an increased demand for plants in the home' and 'we will now find that nature is inspiring numerous areas of interior design, from botanical prints and natural materials to colors and even shapes.'
From wallpaper designs that include flora and fauna to the dominance of natural colors like blue and green, the influence of nature in wallpaper design right now is undeniable.
Moreover, with this increased interest in nature also comes an increased awareness of sustainability. Beth Travers, the founder of maximalist design house Bobo1325, predicts that 'an increasing awareness about the fragility of the earth' will determine how people choose their wallpaper in 2022: 'homeowners are searching for more sustainable options – wallpaper suppliers who use FSC-sourced paper, paint brands that have eliminated toxins and furniture brands who use repurposed materials.'
1. Prints from the archives
So many of our favorite wallpaper brands, from Little Greene to Graham & Brown and Cole & Son, are using wallpaper patterns from literally hundreds of years ago as a key source of inspiration for new designs. The above Daisy wallpaper in Strawberry Fields from Sanderson Archive was one of the first William Morris wallpapers to ever be sold. And now with fresh, enhanced colors, it works in a modern setting too. The below Jasmine and Serin Symphony wallpaper by Cole & Son at Lime Lace is another modern up date of an arts and crafts style print, brimming with vine leaves, flowers and birds.
2. Geometric twist
Biophilic wallpapers don't have to be all dainty and elegant. Combine the soft, organic shape of leaves, with hard, angular geometric shapes for a dynamic spin on fauna and flora. This Perch Blush wallpaper from Graham & Brown showcases beautiful birds and butterflies against a statement geometric pattern, and we are here for it.
3. Quirky elements
If you think that biophilia is all about flowers and leaves, this again. This wallpaper design brings in some quirky, and somewhat unexpected elements of the natural world. From pine cones, to feathers and from fossils to insects, bringing nature into your home in a new and exciting way.
4. Abstract botanicals
Lucy Henderson, Head Designer at My Bespoke Room, told us that 'bold floral prints and botanical prints aren't going anywhere.' The botanical wallpaper trend has been strong for several years now, but this year, you can expect to see a more abstract take on botanical motifs. No more photo-realistic blooms and palm leaves – instead, we're seeing more stylized versions like Little Trees Emerald wallpaper from MissPrint and Averie 2.5m x 90cm Matte Peel & Stick Wallpaper Roll from Wayfair.
5. Animal wallpapers – for adults
Lucy says that she's seeing 'lots of striking animal and bird wallpapers' – we agree. Animal wallpapers are often seen in children's rooms, but the current trend is towards beautiful adult versions. Forest motifs featuring deer are especially popular and in keeping with the overall biophilic trend, like this NuWallpaper Escape to the Forest Peel & Stick Wallpaper Nav from Target. Expect animal-themed wallpapers to become a big part of living room ideas in 2022.
6. Intense blue
Blue is definitely having a moment, with blue room ideas dominating interior trends. It was only a matter of time before wallpaper caught up with the popularity of blue. If you want the trendiest shades, look for intense indigo and deep teal hues, like Arizome Collage wallpaper from MindtheGap and Layered Leaves Peel & Stick Wallpaper - Opalhouse, from Target. Failing that, a rich navy is set to be huge in the world of wallpapers in 2022.
7. Bathroom wallpaper
'Who said you can't wallpaper your bathroom?', wonders Lucy. She says that she is 'seeing more and more clients opt for wallpaper to add interesting colors, patterns or textures in their bathroom.' Bathroom wallpaper ideas also provide a cost-effective solution to bathroom tile. Just look at RoomMates Mediterranian Tile Peel & Stick Wallpaper Blue from Target for a tile effect without the hassle.
8. Emerald green
Green is another color that's huge right now, and green wallpaper is guaranteed to give any room in your home an on-trend look. The green of the moment is vibrant and jewel-like, not too pale and not too dark. Intricate abstract and botanical prints are the trendiest accompaniments to the emerald shades, like the Skylark wallpaper from MissPrint or the Emperor's Labyrinth Greenlake Wallpaper from MindtheGap.
Rebecca Drury said of the green trend that it is 'a direct result of the trend for nature inspired interiors' and that. green 'continues to be one of the most popular colors in interior design. This colour will add a sense of cosiness, calmness and wellbeing into the home.' Green living room ideas are set to be a rich emerald in the year to come.
9. Chinoiserie
Chinoiserie wallpaper is nothing new – in fact, wallpapers inspired by Chinese and Japanese art first came into fashion in Europe in the eighteenth century. As it turns out, Chinoiserie designs are a perfect match for the current biophilic craze in interior design.
From delicate cherry blossoms to koi carp to herons, there's a wide range of nature-inspired motifs and looks to choose from. These wallpapers make great companions to modern bathroom ideas. We're swooning over Chinoiserie Garden wallpaper mural from Wallsauce and The Swoop wallpaper in Terracotta from Feathr.
10. Chateau-core
Move over, Cottagecore! Chateaucore is coming to steal the limelight. Wallpaper that looks like an expensive tapestry or patterned upholstery with antique motifs is what you're looking for. With Le Manoir Dancing Graces wallpaper from MindtheGap being a fine example, this look is best suited to French bedroom ideas and historic homes.
11. Nautical abstract
The coastal look is being reinvented in the coming year – with the help of wallpaper designs. Forget stripes, though – the beach house interior of 2022 features more subtle and natural-looking references to the sea. Wavy designs will be more popular than angular ones, and as for colors, look for brighter blues over pastels.
12. Mediterranean tile
Wallpaper that looks like brightly painted Mediterranean tile, like this Sundance Villa wallpaper from MindtheGap is having a big moment. Maybe it's to do with the fact that many of us missed out on holidays during the summer, but we're seeing these cheerful designs (more often than not featuring yellow details and especially lemons) everywhere. They're not just for bathrooms and kitchens, either – try a tiled motif in a home office or conservatory.
13. Beautiful birds
The epitome of the current trend for maximalism, wallpaper with bird patterns is enjoying a huge resurgence. Rebecca Dagless, Textile Designer at Ashley Wilde Group, explains that the appeal of bird wallpaper is that it 'creates a real WOW factor', 'featuring elegant songbirds perched amid the elaborate gates of a secret orchard garden, flourishing with lemon trees and blossom against a deep navy blue backdrop.'
We personally think this Bird And Gate wallpaper mural from Sara Miller is made for an opulent bedroom design, but it can also work in a maximalist living room.
What is the most popular wallpaper for 2022?
We'll have to say: anything that has a biophilic or natural motif. From birdlife to forests and from bold florals to delicate Japanese-style heron and koi carp prints, nature is everywhere in wallpaper design for the new season. Rebecca Drury calls nature-inspired wallpaper 'a prevalent trend that shows no sign of fading.'
In connection with this abiding love of nature in wallpaper design, chinoiserie will rise in popularity like never before. Rachel Kenny, studio manager at Wallsauce, told us that 'Stemming off the back of Japandi, we’re expecting to see a demand for chinoiserie design. A much softer approach to East Asian influences, chinoiserie has a romance to it, whereas Japandi has always been about pin-sharp styling.'
What is the most popular wallpaper color for 2022?
It has to be emerald green. We're seeing emerald green wallpaper in multiple wallpaper collections this season and can't think of a better way to revitalize an interior decorating scheme for spring 2022. Etsy Trend Expert, Dayna Isom Johnson, confirms that emerald green is the color to watch, saying that 'emerald green is the perfect color to remind us to find balance this year. We’re already seeing shoppers looking for ways to incorporate this hue, with searches for emerald green items up 64 percent and emerald green decor up 60 percent.'
And it's easy to work with, which helps. As Dayna points out, 'this rich and grounding shade compliments a variety of other popular colorways – from earthy terracottas and neutrals to luxe golds and silvers – making it easy to add into existing decor.'
Rachel Kenny adds that blue will also be huge in wallpaper design in the coming year, although the days of navy are likely numbered. instead, she expects that dark blue will be 'making way for a therapeutic shade such as cornflower blue and duck egg blue.'