Wallpaper that gives one wall the whole room's character

Usually one wall, chosen for what faces it

In the homes on this page, wallpaper goes on a single wall that the room is arranged around. In a Prestige Shantiniketan living room it is the TV wall, where a beige and gold striped texture runs behind the screen under a row of spotlights. In a Sobha Royal Pavilion bedroom it is the headboard wall, where a pale blue leaf pattern fills an arched niche. In the foyer of the same home, a silver circle pattern sits behind a sunburst mirror. Smaller walls take it too: a silver damask behind a gold lattice bar shelf, confetti dots around a window in a kids’ room, a floral panel behind a dining table. In one bedroom a peacock-and-blossom mural covers the whole wall behind the bed.

The rest of each room stays plain or panelled, so the one patterned surface stands out.

Wallpaper or paint: what each is good at

Paint is the familiar choice, and some people still prefer it. Wallpaper has these advantages:

• It lasts. Wallpaper is highly durable.
• It wipes clean. Marks on the wall are easier to clean off.
• It hides the wall. Small imperfections in the plaster do not show through.
• It comes off. It is easy to put up and easy to remove when you want something new.

If you cannot decide, a paintable wallpaper settles it. The texture goes up as paper and the colour goes on as paint, so you can repaint it later, and any damage during installation is covered with paint.

Six kinds of roll and how each goes up

• Non-adhesive. The traditional roll with no glue on the back. Paste is applied separately, then the sheet is stuck to the wall. The most economical type.
• Self-adhesive. Comes with glue already applied under a backing paper. Peel the backing off and press the sheet to the wall.
• Paper. Also called lining paper, and the first kind of wallpaper used, because designs look best on paper. Easy to apply and easy to remove.
• Fabric. One of the premium types. It needs a lot of paste and real effort to hang, and as much effort to take down, so it suits a wall you intend to keep.
• Paintable. Paper that takes a coat of paint over the top, so the pattern stays and the colour can change.
• Moisture-resistant. Made for damp areas such as kitchens and bathrooms, where water would otherwise damage the wall. It also makes clean-up easier.

Pattern, texture and the light that falls on it

In these photos the textured walls are lit, not left flat. The Shantiniketan TV wall has spotlights in the ceiling directly above the stripes. The leaf-pattern headboard in Sobha Royal Pavilion sits inside an arched niche with an LED strip running around its edge. The cream arch with gold curved lines in the gallery has a concealed LED edge, so the pattern reads from across the room.

If you are planning a false ceiling or lighting for the same room, decide it alongside the wallpaper wall.

Wallpaper beside panelling and upholstery

In these homes the wallpaper sits next to other finishes. In the Sobha bedroom it is framed by white fluted panels. In the Shantiniketan living room the TV wall faces a fluted partition with a crescent mirror. In the kids’ room the dots stop at a pink padded panel that runs behind the bed. Look at the panelling and furniture around the wall when you choose the pattern.

Choosing the right roll

Wallpaper comes in a great many designs, and the trends change. Choosing the right one for your home is hard on your own. We keep up with the latest designs and suggest what suits your space and your budget, then install it.