Does Wallpaper Make A Room Look Bigger Or Smaller?

Putting up wallpaper in a room is an excellent way to change up your sense of style without too much commitment. If you love trending wallpaper styles you may be wondering if your wallpaper can make your room look bigger or smaller. We researched design suggestions regarding wallpaper and how to best apply this century-old wall treatment. Experiment with different colors and textures of wallpaper to make a smaller room look larger or a spacious room feel more cozy.

Your choice of wallpaper will visually impact how a room appears and feels when you step inside. You can transform how a room looks placing wallpaper on only one wall and leaving the rest unadorned. Wallpapers that are in a lighter, pastel color are more likely to make a room look wider and raise the ceilings. Darker wallpapers often make a room appear smaller than they are.

In this guide, we'll talk more about how wallpaper is useful for adding a touch of visual drama, texture, and visually altering a room's size. Without further ado, let's get into it, shall we?

Optical Illusions With Wallpaper

Instead of settling for a coat of paint on your walls to make a room appear bigger or smaller, why not cover them with wallpaper? Many modern wallpapers are also easy to clean because they have a coating that can handle routine maintenance via a sponge bath or light scrubbing.

Covering a room in wallpaper instantly adds more depth, color, and texture, and it can make a room appear either larger or smaller depending on the approach you decide to take. Before you choose a wallpaper, consider how it fits your lifestyle, if you have kids or pets, and how the pattern used will exist in its new room.

Using the attributes of texture, color, pattern, and proportion, the right wallpaper can readily make a cozy room appear to have higher ceilings. Placing a darker wallpaper on one wall and leaving the remaining walls bright white can make the room feel like it is moving in space. When you need a creative and practical way to work with an odd-shaped room, a smaller living room, or a spacious bedroom, cover those walls with trending, tasteful wallpaper patterns.

Make A Room Look Smaller

One design trick to make a room look smaller is to only install wallpaper on one main wall. You can choose a lighter patterned wallpaper that provides high contrast to walls that are a dark, solid color.

Or, opt for a darker wallpaper on one wall and keep the remaining walls a bright white, or a soft pastel so they move outward visually, away from the wallpapered wall. Be mindful of the proportions of any designs, textures, and ornamentation on the wallpaper. Choose wallpaper that consists of highly detailed, delicate repeating patterns.

Check out this herringbone pattern wallpaper on Amazon.

How Do You Make Your Room Look Bigger With Wallpaper?

Make a room look bigger by using the details in wallpaper to create a path for the eyes to follow. Wallpaper with a vertical design or orientation such as stripes can make it seem like the walls are farther apart.

Choose wallpapers with strong vertical lines and details to make the ceiling look like it is higher than it is. Play around with color and texture, and commit to enveloping an entire room with the same style and pattern of wallpaper to look large and in charge.

Check out this faux brick pattern wallpaper on Amazon.

Using Colors

Do not be afraid to embrace more colorful wallpapers to make a room appear larger or smaller. Darker colors can make a room feel more closed in, while lighter colors bounce more light and make the room seem like it is expanding.

There is more to wallpaper than neutral whites, grays, or tans. Experiment with sunny yellows, cool greens, warm reds, and electric hues too. Remember to seek visual harmony and balance using the color of your wallpaper so that it complements your furniture, accessories, lighting, and design theme.

Check out this colorful vintage-inspired garden wallpaper on Amazon.

What Patterns Make A Room Look Bigger?

Big floral patterns make a room appear larger. Install wallpaper with horizontal stripes to make a room seem wider, or commit to vertical stripes to stretch the room visually and raise the ceiling. A busy pattern featuring chevrons, simple geometric designs, or a texture that mimics marble can make a room seem bigger. Stick to a simple repeating pattern in a lighter color that is small or large, and make sure to cover the entire room in wallpaper to create a uniform but spacious look.

Check out this marble texture wallpaper on Amazon.

What Are The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Wallpaper?

Wallpaper is a winning interior decor choice for homes because it lasts longer than paint. Compared to old-school wallpapers, the range of styles is expansive, and it is easy to install and remove.

Most wallpapers when properly installed and maintained can last 10 to 15 years. Unlike paint, current wallpapers are built to withstand scrubbing and are water-resistant. If you are looking for an easy way to hide any blemishes on walls such as cracks, chipped paint, or unsightly stains, rolling on some wallpaper is a good design solution.

There are certainly some downsides to using wallpaper. Rooms that experience a lot of moisture, such as kitchens and bathrooms, may end up with wallpaper peeling away from the wall over time.

What's more, trends come and go, so wallpaper might seem lackluster in personality and style after enough years pass, requiring an updated look and a new wall treatment. Older wallpapers may be hard to remove than recent releases, and installing wallpaper is more time-consuming than painting. Otherwise, there are plenty of wallpapers in a variety of colors, textures, and patterns to meet every budget.

Which Type Of Wallpaper Is Best For A Living Room?

The type of wallpaper you choose for a living room should complement the furniture, accessories, and your personal style. Choose bold, large geometric patterns that look best in a modern, contemporary living room. Opt for classic vintage designs, floral, toile, or faux wood patterns for a farmhouse-style living room. Focus on using color, texture, and the size of patterns and details on wallpaper to enhance a living room.

Should You Wallpaper A Whole Room?

Before you decide to wallpaper an entire room, first you need to focus on how the space will be used. Consider the type of furniture in the room, the dimensions, layout, and what you want to accomplish visually. If you have a room with traditional, formal details, look for equally fitting wallpapers with a toile, damask, matte solid color without patterns or a floral treatment. Make sure to keep all of the walls uniform and coated with the same paper and avoid mixing and matching.

Contemporary rooms look amazing with wallpaper that mimics the look and texture of brick, marble, or even wood. One solid design treatment is to only install wallpaper on one wall, creating a strong visual focal point that either recedes or comes forward in space.

The remaining walls that are left bare and without wallpaper appear larger as they move away from the point of visual interest. Keep in mind that darker colors make a room appear smaller and brighter, and lighter colors make a space feel more open. Create a farmhouse look, urban glam, or a Victorian vibe with wallpaper.

In Closing

We hope you learned a lot about how wallpaper can shape your perception of a room. Choose a larger, repeating geometric or floral pattern to make a room appear larger. Use vertical stripes to make the eye move upward and push up the ceiling. Choose vertical stripes or a lighter color to make a room feel wider.

Create a room that appears smaller in size with wallpaper that is darker in color, or only install wallpaper on one wall. The texture and color of wallpaper can work together to make a room feel cozy and warm or more spacious and open. Choose a wallpaper that fits your tastes and preferences, while also optimizing how a room appears to the eye for comfort and style.

Before you go, do check out the following helpful articles: