A Guide To Choosing The Best Floral Wallpaper

Floral wallpaper is a popular way to add some color to your walls. But there are many types of floral wallpaper and it can be hard to know which one will work best for you. So, how do you choose the perfect wallpaper? Here are some tips on how to pick the best floral wallpaper for your room.

 

What to consider when choosing your floral wallpaper

There are many factors you'll need to consider when choosing your floral wallpaper. If you're trying to find the best floral wallpaper, then the following are some things to keep in mind:

• Style - You'll need to know what style of decor is most appropriate for your room. Whether you want a wallpaper with bold colors or more muted tones, it's important to know which one will work best in your room. Whatever your interior design style you are sure to find a floral wallpaper which is the perfect pairing
• Color - The color of the patterns on your wallpaper can have a major impact on how well it matches your room's décor and look and feel. For example, if you want a neutral and natural looking room, then choose a light background and darker flowers. A top tip is to pick the wallpaper first and then to pick one or two colours from the flowers in the floral wallpaper to paint the walls and woodwork or to use as an accent colour.
• Pattern - Floral patterns come in all shapes and sizes; from tight designs such as those in traditional Morris & Co designs to large painterly blossoms. You'll want to pick a pattern that fits in with the size of your walls and complements other decor like artwork or furniture. A busy tight design can be very effective in a smaller room drwing the walls in for a cosy interior, whilst a larger maximalist floral wallpaper would work best on larger walls where a smaller design may be lost in the scale. 
• Material - There are two main types of material available when it comes to floral wallpaper: paper and vinyl backed paper. Wallpaper made out of paper is softer than vinyl backed paper but both products should last years if maintained correctly. There are also a number of luxury wallpaper manufacturers, such as Philip Jeffries, Arte, and Elitis, who also specialise in textile wallcoverings giving you even more creative freedom when shopping for floral wallpapers.

 

How wallpaper affects the mood of a room

 

Wallpaper has the ability to affect the mood of a room which is why our interior design team love working with floral wallpapers so much, adding floral wallpaper can be a very effective way to lift the ambience of a room. Whether you want to add delicate pastel blooms or bright and bold floral wallpaper, there is something special about the way a floral wallpaper evokes the lifting of spirits with their spring like charm. 
 
Using a floral wallpaper is also a great way to create calmness and serenity too, to achieve this look for delicate pastel floral wallpapers with colours which can add to a sense of calmness and well-being such as gentle blues and greys. If your goal is to have a vibrant atmosphere in your room, then a bright floral wallpaper might be perfect for you, or for an energising and revitalising feeling, look for floral wallpapers with realistic blooms and lots of foliage and greens.

The colours you choose on your paintwork, walls, curtains, floors and ceilings can alll be used to emphasise or tone down the feel of a wallpaper. To see how colours work with the design we recommend ordering some paint samples once you have settled on a wallpaper, then paint a decent patch on your wall and also paint sample on to a sheet of card or paper so you can hold them next to the wallpaper and test it in different lights and around the room. You may also want to try out two different colours in the floral wallpaper that way you can see how each colout can evoke a completely different feel. Choosing the right paint colour will be particularly important if you are using the wallpaper to create a feature wall.

Rememer, a lot goes into choosing the perfect floral wallpaper for your room, if you get it right you will want to live with the design for years, so take time to look at all of the different styles, order samples and take time to live with them and see how they work together in your room. 

 

 

 
Different types of floral wallpapers

The first thing you should do is decide what type of wallpaper you want. Floral wallpaper can be found in many different styles, from those with a more abstract pattern to those with a more realistic pattern, from photo realistic to pop-art, single flower to bouquet, from trails to murals and many more. Each of the different styles have something to offer so it is worth browsing a wide selection to discover what look you prefer, you might surprise yourself. To help you get started on your journey of discovery we have picked out some examples, but even this does not do justice to the sheer number of floral wallpapers available:

 

Traditional Floral Wallpaper

It is likely that when you hear the phrase floral wallpaper that you already have in mind some classic floral wallpaper designs. Whilst designs and trends may come and go there is always space for these traditional floral wallpaper designs. This type of wallpaper typically features large, colorful flowers with pink, purple and white flowers remaining a popular choice. If you're looking for a classic look to your room, then this floral wallpaper design is perfect for you. Sanderson's sommerville wallpaper shown below is a traditional floral wallpaper inspired by an earlier design from 1988.

 

Chinoiserie Wallpapers

Although there is no strict requirement for them to be floral many chinoiserie wallpapers often feature floral designs. The Porcelain Garden wallpaper from Sanderson, shown below, is a classic chinoiserie wallpaper inspired by earlier 19th century hand painted chinese wallpapers. 

 

 

Floral Trail Wallpapers

Closely aligned with Chinoiserie wallpapers are trail wallpapers, but in these trailing branch wallpapers the flora and fauna have been inspired by animals and foliage from across the world, with designs inspired by Indian, African, Japanese, American and European flora and fauna, and are designed in styles which do not take their cues from the 18th and 19th century Chinese wallpapers. 

 

Damask Floral Wallpapers

Another classic wallpaper design which commonly containst a floral element are damask wallpapers. 

 

 

Arts & Crafts Floral Wallpapers

Morris & Co. wallpapers are almost in a class of their own when it comes to floral wallpaper designs, their unmistakeably Arts & Crafts inspired designs hold true to the original William Morris designs and the unique style is ever-popular. 

Textile Floral Wallpaper

For a contemporary floral wallpaper you could look for a textile wallpaper with a floral design such as this magnificent velvet floral wallpaper, Wildflower, from Arte part of their Lush collection. The widlflower design is printed on a ribbed soft-velvet for an almost corduroy appearance and is available in two wonderful colourways. 

 

Trellis and Formal Garden Inspired Floral Wallpapers

Another popular floral wallpaper takes its design influences from formal gardens with their intricate formal layout which are often pictured in a trellis style design. 

Contemporary Floral Wallpaper

In contrast to traditional floral wallpapers there are now a wide range of modern contemporary floral wallpapers which offer a fresh new take on the classic design. These range from designs with bold graphic styles and strong confident colours, like the fantastic Peg Art Roses wallpaper from Kirkby Design shown below with an almost pop-art style, to wonderful painterly bouquets with almost photo-realistic designs. Contemporary floral wallpapers also make use of developments in printing techniques incorporating metal foils as well as a much wider range of colours.

 

Painterly Floral Wallpapers

 

Some of the most visually stunning floral wallpapers have a painterly style, celebrating the medium in which the original design was painted in, whether this was oil paint, acrylics, pastels, gouache, or watercolours. A painterly wallpaper design style is particularly suited to floral wallpapers, flowers are an ideal subject matter and the technique can really add depth to the design. 

 

Scenic and Mural Floral Wallpapers

If you are looking for a breathtaking mural or scenic wallpaper for your room there are an abundance of scenic floral wallpapers available, from trailing flowers to large scale motifs. These visually stunning floral wallpapers, such as Yulan from Designers Guild (shown below) are almost works of art, perfect for feature walls.

Luxury floral wallpaper brands

Almost all luxury wallpaper brands will have a floral wallpaper to offer but you will find some brands have a greater choice of floral offerings, as a starting point consider the following:

• Sanderson - Sanderson can trace their rich tradition of producing beautiful floral wallpaper designs back 160 years and are known today for their matching fabric and wallpaper collections. 
• Liberty - Liberty is a brand which is famous for its floral designs many of which can be found in both fabric and wallpaper form.
• Anna French - Anna French first made her name producing fine lace but since joining with Thibaut her collections often feature beautiful floral wallpapers which combine contemporary and timeless designs.
• Designers Guild - established in 1970 Desginers Guild have an extensive range of thousands of wallpapers and fabrics including many stunning floral designs.
• Morris & Co - founded by William Morris an Arts and Crafts pioneer in 1861 the company has stayed true to its origins and still produced many floral wallpapers in the traditional Morris style today. 
• Osborne & Little - founded in 1968 this famous luxury London wallpaper brand has a wide choice of papers including some stunning floral designs.
• Thibaut - America's oldest wallpaper company have a rich tradition in offering floral wallpapers which can be traced back to their origins importing floral wallpapers from England.
• Cole & Son - founded in 1875 Cole & Son have an extensive catalogue of wallpapers to choose from including a wide selection of floral papers.
• Ohpopsi- this relatively new luxury wallpaper brand have already made a name for themselves with their wonderfully bright wallpapers including some stunning florals.

Conclusion

If we have convinced you that there is a floral wallpaper for every room and every interior decor why not browse our full floral range to find the perfect paper for your home.