Modern wallpaper ideas for your walls

Modern wallpaper may sound like an oxymoron if you associate wallcoverings with that outdated, stuffy, impossible-to-remove chintz from your great grandmother's house. But wallpaper, and perhaps the design industry in general, is simultaneously loosening up and embracing nostalgia. Translation: Modern wallpaper is trending (maybe it never even went away), and we're here for it. As Manhattan designer and wallpaper extraordinaire Danielle Colding tells House Beautiful, “everything that’s old is new again,” and “there are no rules anymore.” Learn how to freshen up any old wallpaper with some clever styling tips and get inspired by gorgeous rooms that revolve around modern wallpaper with the twenty examples below.

1 Pick a Repeating Motif

Paired with traditional cotton bedding and an ultra-modern silver mushroom lamp, this trippy, kaleidoscopic wallpaper in a Studio DB-designed bedroom is a stunning and innovative backdrop. The wallpaper, Nimbo in Noctilucent by Flat Vernacular, was inspired by something as eternal as clouds moving across the sky, yet it feels decidedly modern.

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2 Get Bold and Graphic

When you want a wallpaper that's 100% modern, a graphic print is your best bet. The linear lines and perceived three dimensional effect make it look like its from the future (or at least inspired by some kind of digitized blue print). Case in point? This space designed by Studio Razavi Architecture, which features a mesmerizing wallpaper with a cubic print that draws upon the the shapes of the herringbone floors and painted wall in the dining room.

3 Capture a Mood With Ombré

Designed by Space Exploration Design, this bathroom is a serious mood. The ombré design of the wallpaper from Calico's Aurora collection is inspired by twilight skies. Paired with a moody marble vanity, rose cold fittings and modern light fixture, and a frameless mirror, it captures that beautiful, hard-to-pin-down, in-between moment of dusk when the light begins to fade.

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4 Spotlight a Cheeky Print

You can always count on Fornasetti for a fun, cheeky wallpaper print. This one (Tema e Variazioni ) is both a classic and a youthful statement, thanks to the bright minty green hue with that iconic portrait. It livens up the small dining space designed by Jeff Andrews, even though the Craftsmen-style architecture isn't particularly modern.

5 Try the Tonal Trend

Two words: Tonal perfection. How could you not want to crawl right into this fluffy pink cloud dream of a bed? The abstract rose quartz wallpaper by Flat Vernacular sets the scene for a heavenly atmosphere, dancing and interacting with the light. And while it isn't necessarily that rigid, austere beauty of modern interiors, the tonal approach is definitely on-trend. We also love the Art Deco-inspired bed frame for a retro accent.

6 Display It as Artwork

you don't need to cover the entire wall to make a statement. In fact, framing your favorite wallpaper print can be a more affordable and less labor-intensive optoin. In this living room, 2LG Studio framed a panel of Calico Wallpaper's Bone collection in Wabi, which "speaks to time immemorial" (and just adds a fun splash of gold). .

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7 Focus On Modern Accents

While the wallpaper itself is pretty neutral in this bathroom designed by Studio DB, the modern mirror above the sink as well as the contemporary blush pink bulb make it feel like the perfect blend between elegant and on-trend. If you're drawn to this vignette, consider an understated yet slightly whimsical print with sophisticated materials like marble in more permanent features (like the counters) and then add modern accents.

8 Make a Statement With Large-Scale Prints


With a super large-scale print that looks more like a work of art than your everyday wallpaper, this dining room designed by Regan Baker Design is a force to be reckoned with. Because the olive and forest greens as well as the swirls of gold assert an intensity, Baker chose to more casual furniture to ground the space as family-friendly and approachable.

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9 Be Matchy-Matchy

The graphic navy wallpaper and matching upholstered headboard along with the chrome table lamp assert a modern sensibility to the antique pieces throughout the dapper bedroom designed by Nick Olsen. If you're wondering how to mix in old family heirlooms or flea market finds, take note.

10 Freshen Up Original Features

Here's proof that original elements can age well given the right design treatment. As the designers from 2LG Studio describe, "this house already had charm and great bones, with period features including the stunning original tiles in the entrance hall." They achieved that super lived-in vibe by keeping the original colorful tiles but then added a cloud-print, pale mint-hued wallpaper that brings the whole space up to speed.

11 Pair Classic Prints With Modern Furniture

Hello, mural wallpaper of our dreams. It doesn't get more elegant than a de Gournay wallpaper. But there are also tons of ways to make it feel new again, as done fabulously in this dining room designed by Studio DB. The chairs from The Socialite Family are a modern interpretation of a retro design as is the light fixture from Ladies and Gentlemen Studio. The blooms also look like they're blossoming out of the paper itself.

12 Make What's Old New Again

This bedroom designed by Emily Henderson is a great example of how to make something as timeless as toile feel contemporary. Paired with midcentury-inspired accents, modern artwork, and simple blue bedding, it's a great mix of eras and trends to create something totally unique. A black and white toile like this one is a great way to incorporates florals without going overboard.

13 Make Traditional Art Feel Fresh

Interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard was tasked with giving the 1820s Victorian in Rhode Island a "mad old aunt" aesthetic with a modern twist. The hand-painted, agate-like -wallcovering by Robert Crowder & Co brings dimension and life to the hallway, and even makes the pair of 19th-century lithographs of etchings by Giovanni Battista Piranesi look cool and edgy.

14 Dress Up Your Corners

This Catherine Kwong-designed space proves that monochrome interiors have endless potential. With a painterly-inspired black and white wallpaper, this awkward corner is transformed into a comfortable and stylish reading nook.

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15 Cover Every Nook and Cranny

According to 2LG Studio, the former owners of this house had covered all the walls in pink. Using that as inspiration, they maintained the light pink theme throughout, covering the walls in a gorgeous geode-meets-brutalism wallpaper. The gorgeous blue carpet is a bold and modern play on classic design motifs. This, along with the baby pink walls, baby blue accent chair, and modern lighting are all it takes to set the tone of the home.

16 Make Unexpected Design Decisions

While the palm leaf print wallpaper isn't necessarily a new trend, there are countless ways to reimagine it. For example, in this bedroom at Hotel Henriette in Paris, the floors are painted black to give the room a more intimate, romantic, and grounded sensibility while the mint green linens introduce a laidback country chic vibe. It's the perfect blend of breezy island vibes and a moody urban oasis.

17 Work With Existing Pieces

The splatter paint-inspired wallpaper both complements and complicates the classic Mediterranean-style tiles. It, along with the mirror, give this tiny bathroom a 21st century spin. "We wanted to maintain the strong heritage of the architecture, whilst bringing it up to date with our new take," say the designers of 2LG Studio.

18 Play With Texture and Embrace Quirks

In this little dining nook designed by 2LG Studio, what could have been an awkward eyesore becomes the striking focal point. That's thanks to the texture-rich wallpaper, which looks like torn paper up close. Stretching from floor the ceiling, it doubles as artwork.
19 Rethink Traditional Patterns

Modern, photorealist interpretations of classic designs are popping up everywhere. In this dining room designed by Leanne Ford Interiors, the walls are covered in a contemporized botanical print that gives the romantic, old-school floral look a new spin. But the dining room still feels timeless, thanks to the linen slipcover chairs and reclaimed wood table.

20 Brin the Outdoors in (But Digitize Them)

Like the space above, a digitalized geometric or nature-inspired pattern can bring so much intrigue to a room that just can't be executed with paint or artwork. In this bedroom designed by 2LG studio, the wallpaper mimics wood grain swirls for a nature-inspired twist. Think of it as a new way to bring the outdoors in.