Wallpaper is by no means a thing of the past, with many designers incorporating it into most if not all of their projects. However, when picking a wallpaper style, not all options are created equal in the eyes of the pros.
Here, three interior designers share their views on wallpaper patterns and applications that they consider to no longer be on trend. They suggest that you forgo these once-popular looks in order to ensure that your home looks as elegant and up-to-date as possible.
Zig Zag or Chevron Patterns
Gone are the days when zig zags and chevron patterns, which were everywhere in the 2010s, are seen as being in vogue, Kristina Phillips, the founder of Kristina Phillips Interior Design, explains.
“While chevrons were once a bold, trendy choice, they’ve become ubiquitous to the point of being overly familiar,” Phillips says. “This pattern tends to feel more kitschy than stylish now, so it’s time to move on to something more unique.”
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Oversized Florals
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Display your oversized flowers in a vase, not on the walls. Phillips finds this style of wallpaper to be a bit too chaotic visually. The designer explains how bold, oversized blooms can easily overwhelmingly dominate a space, turning a room into more of a costume than a living environment.
However, if you love a floral pattern, opt for something more minimal or less busy so it can create a charming statement instead of a chaotic one.
Birch Tree Designs
Other nature-inspired prints have fallen out of favor as well in Phillips’s eyes—in particular, she is tired of seeing birch tree patterns on the walls.
“They can feel overly nostalgic and no longer offer that fresh, modern appeal,” she says.
Tiny Prints
Lisa Simopoulous, the founder of Simopoulos Designs, doesn’t like it when a wallpaper print is so small in scale that it isn’t easily recognizable.
“I find it problematic if you have to get up close to actually discern what the pattern is,” she says, noting that if you can’t fully appreciate a specific pattern, you may as well just opt for paint.
Papered Accent Walls
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Designers have mixed feelings on accent walls, whether painted or papered, and many, such as Phillips, are of the belief that they have fallen out of style.
Wallpapering the ceiling, however, as mentioned in further detail below, is something that designers have been enjoying doing in recent years—we’ve seen this at play in entryways, bathrooms, closets, and beyond.
Mixing Patterned Wallpaper With a Busy Border
A few decades ago, wallpaper borders were all the rage. However, Madison Massaro, the founder of Madison Lea Interiors, urges people to forgo using a border entirely—particularly if it’s going to be paired with an already intricate wallpaper design.
“I can’t tell you how many wallpaper borders I’ve seen ripped off in my years of renovating spaces,” Massaro says. “It’s an extra step that doesn’t visually add to the space in any other way other than making it look like the room hasn’t been updated since the 1980s.”
Simopoulous is also happy to steer clear of wallpaper borders since she believes one long strip of a pattern across the top or halfway of a wall isn’t attractive.
Going All in With a Geometric Paper
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If you’re going to use geometric wallpaper in your home, consider keeping it just to the ceiling.
“I’m all for eclectic funky spaces, but inducing a headache for your guests is the last thing you want to happen when entertaining,” Massaro says, noting that installing a busy pattern on all four (or five!) walls can simply be too much.
Massaro explains how although one wall in a funky wallpaper can create a character-filled space, it can be obvious when a space hasn’t been updated in ages when it’s all over a room and looks outdated.
