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Five Creative Wallpaper Ideas for Summer 2018

Claude Monets Bathers at Grenouillère
Claude Monet's 'Bathers at Grenouillère' | © Andrew Martin

Wallpaper is no longer about simple repeat patterns. The interiors industry has got a lot more creative with its designs this year, from highly convincing trompe l’oeil to personalised backdrops. Here’s our pick of the best.

Fake a secret doorway

Cole & Son’s latest collaboration with designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard has an East-meets-West vibe that focuses on the unique craftsmanship of cultures from around the world. This particular design, Bahia, named after the stunning Bahia Palace in Marrakech, is a hand-painted design that takes inspiration from both the palace and the Durbar Room of Osborne House, the holiday home of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. What’s great about this particular wallpaper is that you can hang one standalone panel to create the illusion of a secret doorway – great for creating a sense of space and also an element of fun and intrigue to a small hallway. The 10-metre-high panel costs £450 ($619), available from John Lewis.

Cole & Son’s Bahia wallpaper design

Design a custom wedding photo-booth backdrop

With wedding season fast approaching and Instagrammable photo booths becoming a more popular trend, Murals Wallpaper has created customisable backdrops especially for the occasion. You can personalise the Confetti design with the bride and groom’s names and the date of the special day, or choose from one of the brand’s on-trend floral prints, the Anemone Floral, Rosa Blue Floral, Wildflower Floral or Tulipa Floral. They cost £36 ($50) per square metre, making it an affordable alternative to hiring a photo booth for the big day. See the range here.

Give your wedding the royal treatment with your own personalised photo backdrop

Go retro with Anaglypta

Not long ago we were all ripping this off our walls with a vengeance, but this once-unpopular patterned wallpaper is having a resurgence. Homeowners are now seeking out textured materials in order to add character to their homes and Anaglypta is great for creating interest in an otherwise minimalist space. Go for the original white paper for a subtle look, or really embrace the embossed pattern and enhance it with a bold paint colour. Check out the Anaglypta site for inspiration.

Anaglypta’s Egon wallpaper design has been enhanced by a bold teal hue

Turn your wall into a masterpiece

Whether it’s Monet’s famous Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies or Michelangelo’s dramatic Leda and the Swan, you can now live among your favourite artworks, as interior designer Andrew Martin has just been granted permission by The National Gallery to reproduce any painting from its permanent collection. Use your chosen design to inform the rest of your decorating scheme in order to create a cohesive look, picking out flashes of accent colour through accessories and textiles. Find out more about commissioning a wallpaper design here.

Peter Paul Reubens’ ‘A Lion Hunt’, £139.90 per square metre from Andrew Martin

Opt for a statement ceiling

Feel your room is too small for statement wallpaper, but still want to make an impact? Consider the fifth wall: your ceiling. The ‘statement ceiling’ is having a comeback, with Pinterest reporting that this search term is up 310 percent as more and more homeowners are embracing this often-ignored valuable space. Think more bold graphic prints than stately frescoes; this Muriva Aztec Diamond Wallpaper from iwantwallpaper.co.uk is an affordable £12.49 ($17.18) per roll, making it a quick update with maximum impact.

Muriva Aztec Diamond wallpaper transforms the ceiling in this living room

Looking for more interiors inspiration? Check out these top trends from London Design Week and find out how to achieve the on-trend country look, regardless of whether you’ve got a rural retreat or London pad.

About the author

As Culture Trip's architecture and design expert, Charlotte has more than 12 years' industry experience, working for an array of national publications. Prior to joining Culture Trip, Charlotte was the editor of Grand Designs Magazine, steering the magazine in a new direction and overseeing a new look for the title. She has also worked for mass media organisation TI Media, providing content for Livingetc, Ideal Home, Country Homes & Interiors and Homes & Gardens. Charlotte has always had a passion for design and is also a qualified interior designer, having completed a diploma in her spare time. At Culture Trip, Charlotte has worked closely with institutions including the Design Museum and London Design Festival, as well as interviewing design heroes such as Thomas Heatherwick and Sir Terence Conran.

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