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Add colour, pattern and personality to the hub of your home.
No longer reserved for cooking and washing, our kitchens are often the rooms where we spend most of our time with family and friends, so we must decorate accordingly. Wallpaper brings personality and fun to a room scheme, and we're seeing it used in kitchens more and more.
'Kitchens can be quite stark spaces, filled with hard surfaces and reflective finishes. Adding a wallpaper to a kitchen will create texture, softening hard surfaces, bringing pattern and design interest to a scheme,' says Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene.
So is it a good idea to wallpaper a kitchen? Yes! Wallpaper is a cost-effective decorating method – it's much easier to replace than tiles, cupboard fronts and splashbacks, and it's one of the easiest ways to bring colour and pattern to your kitchen due to the breadth of designs available. We'd recommend choosing a paper with a vinyl finish – these papers are strong and durable and acts as a barrier against moisture. Another consideration is how washable a wallpaper is: any wallpaper that is 'extra washable', 'scrubbable' or 'highly scrubbable' is ideal for a kitchen.
Check out 15 fabulous wallpaper kitchen ideas below...
This bold floral wallpaper complements the soft red kitchen cabinetry, while the contrast against the striking Calacatta marble splashback forms an eclectic and vibrant pattern clash.
Pictured: The Brambles wallpaper in Mulberry from Divine Savages
Enhance your kitchen's architectural features by wallpapering inside your panelling.
'Using a neutral wallpaper pattern in a kitchen will soften the hard surface finishes and integrate the kitchen space into your home's wider interior scheme,' says Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene. 'Our Briar Rose print in Green Stone is sophisticated, warm and easy to use — the perfect choice for a harmonious and considered interior.'
Pictured: Briar Rose wallpaper in Green Stone from Little Greene
Wallpaper a wall or splashback in this lookalike mural for an elegant and luxurious space at the fraction of the cost of real marble. The feature wall sets the tone for a sophisticated and tranquil dining area within the kitchen.
Pictured: Matilda luxury white marble wallpaper mural from Bobbi Beck
Achieve the cottagecore aesthetic in your kitchen
by layering up delicate patterns in your wallpaper, blinds and even tiles. Ensure your patterns are similar in tone for a cohesive and calm look.
'Our Borage wallpaper is a delicate two-tone floral pattern, in light-sage. It provides a soothing visual backdrop that’s perfect for any kitchen,' says Jessica Clayworth, lead designer of Morris & Co.
Pictured: Borage wallpaper in Leafy Arbour from Morris & Co
A simple way to ensure your kitchen wallpaper works with your scheme is to choose one colour from your wallpaper and use that across your cabinets and woodwork. Here, the pink of the flowers matches the rest of the room perfectly, creating a kitchen space that feels well put together.
Pictured: Opium Blush Sprint wallpaper from the Curious Department
Bringing instant contemporary, brave and confident vibes, a chunky diagonal stripe will change the feel of your kitchen instantly. Here, the mint green wallpaper adds a modern edge to the classic white shaker kitchen.
Pictured: Diagonal Ice Cream Stripe pastel wallpaper from Bobbi Beck
Match up the colour of your wallpaper, wall paint and ceiling paint for a cohesive scheme that is striking and fun.
'The Ditsy Block small scale print lends itself perfectly to busy kitchen environments, even when papering just a small section of wall,' says Ruth Mottershead.
Pictured: Ditsy Block Bombolone wallpaper from Little Greene
Using two different wallpaper prints above and below your picture rail brings added depth, interest, and warmth. This also encourages you to look up, which can make a room feel larger and more airy. Vary the scale of your patterns so they complement, rather than fight against, each other.
Pictured: Flower Press Glastonbury wallpaper from Graham & Brown
Don't be afraid to use a floral wallpaper on all four walls of your kitchen. Interior designer and House Beautiful columnist Sophie Robinson uses her own woodland-themed wallpaper design to great effect in her own kitchen.
'I love using wallpaper in kitchens, especially for a country house, and if you avoid papering around the hob and sink, there’s no reason not to,' says Sophie. 'If you’re worried about damage, you can apply a coat of decorator’s matt varnish to protect it and make it wipeable.'
Pictured: Harlequin x Sophie Robinson Woodland Floral Peridot Ruby Pearl wallpaper from La Redoute
If you want a kitchen that's energising and bold, choose a wallpaper in a colour that clashes with your units. Here, the mostly pink wallpaper combines with the mint green units for a fresh and fun space that doesn't take itself too seriously. Flecks of green in the wallpaper pattern help to draw the scheme together.
Be it navy and sky blue, burgundy and plaster pink, or forest green and sage, choosing a wallpaper that's on the same colour spectrum as your units is a failsafe way to ensure the colours will sit together harmoniously.
Pictured: V&A Flower Meadow wallpaper in Celeste Turquoise from 1838 Wallcoverings
A wall mural in a large scale design is a guaranteed talking point – choose a food-related motif for your kitchen, such as these oranges and lemons.
The curved edges and organic form of a botanical-inspired, leafy wallpaper will work to soften the hard lines of your kitchen and create a comforting space where you'll want to spend time.
Pictured: Crane Fonda wallpaper in Palm Green from Divine Savages
Let your kitchen's architecture lead the way and highlight your windows by framing them in a patterned wallpaper. This helps to draw the eye towards natural light sources, which makes your space feel brighter and bigger.
Here, the gold pattern contrasts beautifully against the anthracite grey window, creating a focal point for the scheme.
Patterns not for you? Technological advances mean that wallpaper can mimic other textures exceptionally well. From wood-effect, to stone-effect, and weft-effect as shown here, a faux-something wallpaper can dramatically alter the tone of a room.
Look closely here and you'll see that this weave pattern brings a rustic and earthy feel to this kitchen space. We love the strip of botanical pattern by the window too.
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