Inspiration: Lush Botanical Wallpapers and Fabrics

Bamboo Botanical Designs 

Bamboo is a popular subject matter for botanical wallpapers and fabrics, as well as being found amongst a rich foliage of tropical plants it is often used in a design on its own because of the unmistakable stem and leaves.

A Bamboo botanical wallpaper makes a great backdrop to an overall botanical styled room not only because the design is delicate and uncluttered but also because it can easily be complimented with bamboo furniture and accessories. The bamboo plant itself can also be used to create garden screening because of its height although you should grow it in a pot to prevent it spreading out of control.  

As an option for extra styling opt for a bamboo wallpaper with texture or metallic highlights. Below is Nobilis' Sagano wallpaper, a bamboo design printed on a textured cotton and raffia base, together with Bambou, a flock bamboo wallpaper by Arte which is available in four colourways.

Botanical Studies Fabric & Wallpaper

Nature studies and scientific journals provide a rich source of inspiration for botantical wallpapers and fabrics. The designs typically feature earlier scientific studies of plants, sometimes displayed in a gallery style as if pages from the original journals are on show. Shown below is Lewis & Wood's Curtis Botanical wallpaper which showcases 18th century plates from celebrated botanist William Curtis, with a collection of prints published in the very first issue of the Botanical Magazine in 1787.

A modern novel twist on this design can be found in the Terrariums wallpaper by Sanderson, at first glance you might think this is a collection of individual plant studies but on closer inspection you can see it is a series of terrariums. This fabtastic design is available as both a fabric and wallpaper in two colourways.

Single Plant Botanical Designs

Some plants are more common in single plant botanical designs than others, with the top three probably being, bamboo, palms and ferns. Although recent years have also seen an expansion to this with the inclusion of banana leaves, pineapples, and even corals. The key feature for all of these designs is the plants, leaves or subject matter are instantly recognisable, it is this recognition which perhaps explains the popularity of these plants for individually spaced botanical designs. One fantastic recent example is Fernery from Sanderson shows an arrangement of ferns, in a nod to the Victorian trend for collecting ferns. It is available as both a fabric and matching wallpaper, the wallpapers are both set against a white backgroung but the fabric also offers a black background option. Whilst Seafern wallpaper from Cole & Son offers a novel twist on the traditional fern with the use of Seaferns set against a background which is reminiscent of a coral texture.

Tropical Botanical Wallpapers & Fabrics

If you want to create a botanical interior which will transport you to a tropical paradice, look for palm and exotic flora prints such as the wonderfully vibrant Palm Botanical wallpaper and matching fabric from America's oldest wallpaper house Thibaut. Shown below in the lush and vibrant green there are six colourways available as part of their Tropics collection. The Tropics collection also includes a range of complimentary fabrics and wallpapers in matching colourways so you can mix and match designs with confidence, in the image below the Palm Botanical wallpaper is complimented by matching curtains as well as a chair covered in the Rain Water fabric. Another great choice for a tropical palm is the Mauritius fabric from Pierre Frey (also shown below), this fantastic fabric is full of palm tree tops set against a sky blue background and is printed on a 100% linen.

Japanese and Chinese Botanical Fabrics and Wallpaper

Japanese and Chinese botanicals tend to either feature heavily with native plants such as bonsai trees and cherry blossoms, common in Japanese botanicals, and bamboo and lotus flowers, popular in Chinese botanical designs. The Bonsai wallpaper, from Tektura, shown below features shadowy bamboo leaves on a fabric on a grasscloth texture in a style which has a Japanese feel. Alongside it is Lotus wallpaper by Sanderson which was released earlier this year as part of their Water Garden collection of fabrics and papers. 

Decorative Botanicals

In amongst the vibrant botanical wallpapers and fabrics you can also find more delicate and decorative botanicals which are almost floral in their design. A typical delicate and decorative botanical design will feature a study of a full plant in bloom, such as the Botanical Studies fabric from Iliv, shown in its Olive colourway below. But an alternate approach is to arrange foliage and succulants in an almost floral arrangement, Botanica Tissu Echeveria fabric and matching wallpaper from Casadeco is one such botanical. Due to the delicate arrangement of the echeveria, succulents, crassula, and aloe vera the design the overall impression is of a plant wall which is almost floral. Both the fabric and wallpaper version of Botanica Tissu Echeveria is available in five colourways, each rich with dazzling colours, including the Vert Jungle colourway shown below. 

Botanical Murals & Wallpaper Panels

Using botanical wallpaper as a mural wallpaper, or a feature wall wallpaper, is a great way to introduce the botanical look in your room which can be used as a backdrop for a full botanical inspired theme or simply to provide contrast or interest, such as in the room below which includes a feature wall with Valles de Viñales wall covering from Arte, with its exotic panorama drawn in a botanical style and printed on a natural jute mounted on a non-woven backing. 

Conclusion

There are so many botanical wallpapers and fabrics on the market but with such a vast range of choices this is just a glimpse at the many different ways plants and foliage can be used to create unique and interesting fabrics and wallpapers. Botanical wallpapers and fabrics can easily be used to create a complete botanical styled interior, but the versatility is such that you can also use them in other interior designs. So, what are you waiting for? Get inspired with these botanical interior design ideas and go green in your own home!