How to Choose A Wallpaper Pattern

Make a Room Look Bigger, Taller and More

Wallpaper adds instant style, texture, and color to any room, creating visual interest and definition to your space. Choosing the right wallpaper pattern can completely transform a room’s look, from subtle elegance to bold drama.

Modern wallpaper with a striking abstract or geometric print instantly creates a contemporary vibe, while small floral wallpaper or classic damask wallpaper designs bring traditional, country, or vintage charm. Stripes, plaid, and botanical wallpaper offer versatile options for both walls and borders, making it easy to achieve your desired style.

Have questions? Our wallpaper experts are here to help. With 50 years of experience, Wallpapers To Go is proud to be America’s online wallpaper store, offering peel and stick wallpaper, prepasted wallpaper, paste the wall wallpaper, and designer wallpaper collections for every style.

example of bold, modern wallpaper pattern
example of traditional wallpaper pattern

How to Choose Wallpaper Patterns

Small Prints

small print wallpaper pattern with Ziggurat Seaglass Wallpaper
small print wallpaper with Petal Slate Geometric Wallpaper
small print wallpaper pattern with Magnolia home Pick Up Sticks Black Wallpaper

Wallpaper with small prints adds subtle pattern and texture to your walls, creating a gentle backdrop that complements your room’s color scheme. Mini print wallpaper in light, cool tones and delicate textures can make small rooms feel larger and more open, while darker, warmer mini prints create a cozy, intimate atmosphere. Small print patterns are perfect for kitchens, bathrooms, and other compact spaces, providing visual interest without overwhelming the room. Choose from floral wallpaper, geometric wallpaper, or traditional patterns to add charm and sophistication to even the tiniest areas.

Large Prints

large print wallpaper with bristol wallpaper
large print wallpaper pattern with damask wallpaper
large print wallpaper with fish wallpaper

Ready to make a statement? Large wallpaper prints bring maximum visual impact to any room, creating bold, memorable walls that leave a lasting impression on guests. These dramatic designs can function like wall art, adding style and flair to bedrooms, living rooms, or even bathrooms. Large print wallpaper also works beautifully to make a space feel cozier and more intimate while showcasing your personal style. Choose from modern wallpaper, floral wallpaper, geometric patterns, or bold graphic designs to transform any room with a single wallcovering.

 

Large Open Patterns

chair and lamp in front of wall with large open pattern wall covering
large open pattern wallpaper with Lineanna Blue Floral Wallpaper
large open pattern wallpaper with Bouquets Wallpaper

Time for a breath of fresh air. Open pattern wallpaper features designs spaced widely over a light background, creating a sense of openness and harmony in any room. These subtle, airy patterns act like lighter colors, brightening and warming your space while adding visual interest. Combine open pattern wallpaper on the walls with a light-colored ceiling to maintain a sense of height, especially in rooms with vertical design elements. Perfect for bedrooms, living rooms, or bathrooms, open patterns bring elegance and a spacious feel to your interiors.

Geometric Prints

wall with teal and green geometric print wallpaper
light beige patterned wallpaper
entrance hall with black and white geometric print wall covering

Bring order to your design with geometric wallpaper. Perfect for creating a focal point, geometric wallpaper patterns add structure, style, and visual rhythm to any room. These designs give a sense of continuous space when applied to all walls, making them ideal for both large and small rooms. This category includes bold shapes, sharp angles, grids, and plaid wallpaper. Large geometric patterns make a dramatic statement, while smaller geometric designs offer a subtle, calming effect. Use geometric wallpaper in bedrooms, living rooms, or even bathrooms to define your space with modern style.

 

Vertical Lines

chair and table in front of wall with vertical striped wallpaper
hallway and stairs showing vertical stripes on the walls
living room couch in front of a wall with blue vertical striped wall covering

Wallpaper patterns with strong vertical lines or stripes are a classic and versatile choice. From bold, wide stripes to elegant pinstripes, vertical striped wallpaper creates a striking backdrop for any room. Choose from traditional two-tone stripes, multicolored designs, or unique, modern variations to suit your style. Vertical stripes are especially effective for making low ceilings feel taller, while adding visual interest to bedrooms, living rooms, or bathrooms. Pair striped wallpaper with complementary colors and textures to enhance depth and sophistication in your space.

Horizontal Stripes

swinging chair in front of a wall with blue horizontal stripes wallpaper
chair and mirror in a corner of a room with wallpaper that features horizontal lines
living room fireplace surrounded by wall coverings that have wide horizontal stripes

Horizontal striped wallpaper is a smart way to make a room feel wider and more open. Available in a wide range of colors, tones, and patterns, horizontal stripes allow you to match your wallpaper to the mood and style of your space. The right horizontal striped wallpaper can highlight architectural features, furniture, or accent walls. Fun tip: vertical striped wallpaper can also be installed horizontally—a technique called “railroading”—to achieve a unique and striking effect in bedrooms, living rooms, or bathrooms.

 

Diagonal Stripes

dining room with diagonal stripes on wall covering
diagonal striped wallpaper
modern dining room with diagonal striped wallpaper on walls

Want to create a dynamic accent wall wallpaper? Diagonal stripes direct the eye and bring a playful sense of motion to any room. If you love stripes but want something different, diagonal striped wallpaper offers a bold, creative twist. Just like vertical wallpaper can be hung horizontally, many striped wallpapers can be carefully installed at an angle to create dramatic diagonal lines. Perfect for accent walls in bedrooms, living rooms, or bathrooms, diagonal wallpaper adds energy, style, and visual interest to your space.

Textured Wallpaper

textured grasscloth wallpaper
paintable wallpaper with embossed texture
living room with grasscloth wall coverings

Bring life and character to a room with textured wallpaper. Textures like raised grasscloth wallpaper or expanded vinyl create dimension, interest, and tactile surfaces. Textured wallpaper is a clever way to introduces subtle shadows and color variations, adding richness and depth to your space. For a customizable touch paintable wallpaper with a raised texture can add both tactile depth and a custom color creating a unique, personalized look. Use textured wallpaper in living rooms, bedrooms, or bathrooms to give walls warmth, and character.