10 Bathroom Wallpaper Trends (with Pictures)
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Kristin Hitchcock
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The bathroom is not just the room where you bathe, it’s where you get ready for the day and prepare for a night’s sleep. It’s also one room in the house that most visitors will visit. As well as being highly functional, the bathroom needs to look attractive. Bathroom trends change over time, although a combination of bath, shower, sink, and toilet remains constant. You will also benefit from having decent storage for your toiletries as well as other essentials.
Tiles are easy to clean and less likely to suffer from the damp and humid environment of the bathroom, so they are ideal for placement in the shower and above the bath, but wallpaper is popular in bathroom design, and there are a lot of options to choose from.
As is typical in décor design, there are a lot of contradictions in popular bathroom wallpaper trends. So, while small prints are on trend, so too are large prints. Below, we look at some of the most popular bathroom wallpaper trends this year.
The 10 Bathroom Wallpaper Trends
1. Small Prints
Small print is usually used to create a feeling of uniformity and consistency. It is used on narrow walls, which can be commonplace in a smaller bathroom. But, as with any design, the rules can be bent. If you want small print but you don’t necessarily want the uniformity it is associated with, opt for an uneven pattern. Choose colors that you like and don’t be afraid to go dark with the print because most of a bathroom is white or light colored so the dark color will contrast well.
2. Large Prints
Alternatively, go for big prints that really pack a punch and make an impact. This is especially popular when combined with the current trend of floral print, but it’s your bathroom, so you can opt for any design you like.
3. Boho Wallpaper
Boho design draws on bohemian culture. It combines different genres and cultures, as well as artistic styles, but usually concentrates on natural materials. Combine a floral or natural print with wood and other natural materials in the bathroom to create a boho look. Add some nicknacks you’ve picked up while traveling abroad and maybe a piece or two from art festivals and you will have a bathroom design that stands out.
4. Art Deco Style
Art Deco, which simply means decorative arts, stems from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. It combines symmetrical prints with bold shapes. It can be used to create a really bold-looking bathroom décor, although you do need to take care that the finished room isn’t so dark as to be imposing or mildly threatening.
5. Striped Paper
Striped wallpaper can take many forms. Vertical stripes in muted colors have a country cottage feel while horizontal gray stripes on a white background can look sleek and modern. In any case, striped wallpaper is popular in 2023 and it can be used to accentuate space or to draw the eye to certain features like the rolltop bath or the large, lit mirror.
6. Vintage Wallpaper
Vintage décor never really goes away, and if you are going to opt for a vintage look, you really need to lean into it. Strictly speaking, vintage means anything between 20 and 100 years ago, and that is a really wide timespan that means you really do have a lot of choice. You can aim for Art Deco from the 1920s, pop art from the 1950s and 1960s, or something kitsch from the 1980s.
7. Maximalist Prints
Maximalism means going over the top in almost every way. Opt for many different colors, shapes, and designs, and combine this type of wallpaper with similarly bold features in the room. This is another style where you have to really go for it, as this is the point of the whole maximalist movement.
8. Floral Wallpaper
Floral wallpaper can bring the outside in but, as with many styles of wallpaper, there are different types. Delicate floral print can be quite dainty and does well when combined with some bold statements. Bigger and bolder floral print can dominate the room and it may make a small bathroom seem even smaller, so take care when choosing this type of print.
9. Tropical Prints
Tropical prints can include floral features, generally including large leaves and being very colorful. You can almost hear the birds singing and the heavy rain falling from the palm trees. The colors are vibrant, and this type of print is often associated with positive thoughts of distant lands, favorite holiday spots, or dream destinations. A tropical print could give you the aspirations you need for a long day’s work.
10. Faux Materials
Materials like silk, wood, and cork can look great fitted to your wall, but they can also be highly impractical and very expensive. Faux alternatives offer a similar look but without the potential pitfalls so you can enjoy the great looks without the slimy wood or damp cork.
What Type of Wallpaper Is Best for a Bathroom?
The bathroom is a challenging environment for wallpaper. It can get really hot, very humid, and especially damp, and wallpaper does not tend to do well with any of these environmental conditions. Whatever paper you buy, make sure it is good quality, and opt for wallpaper designed specifically for the bathroom. This usually means vinyl wallpaper because it won’t degrade over time, and it shouldn’t develop mold even in the damp bathroom.
Do You Need Special Wallpaper for Bathrooms?
You can buy wallpaper designed specifically for the bathroom. It has high moisture resistance and mold won’t develop. 100% vinyl wallpaper is the preferred choice, although fiberglass wallpaper is another option.
Does Bathroom Wallpaper Have to Be Waterproof?
Wallpaper for the bathroom has to withstand a variety of conditions that wallpaper is not generally designed for. It needs to handle high humidity and it should be waterproof. If the paper isn’t waterproof, it won’t take long before it starts to wear or degrade, and you will have to redecorate.
Conclusion
Although many people shy away from using wallpaper in the bathroom because it is the dampest and most humid room of the house, modern wallpapers designed for this purpose can withstand these conditions well for several years. As well as ensuring that the wallpaper will stay on the wall and resist mold, you need to find a paper that looks good and matches your desired décor for the room.
Above are bathroom wallpaper trends popular this year to help you create an ideal bathroom setting.
Featured Image Credit: Philipp Shuruev, Shutterstock
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