Bathroom Wallpaper: Top Ideas & Tips

In the Spotlight: Bonito

 

Showering and getting ready aren’t mere routine; for many of us they’re the only quiet minutes of the day, so the room they happen in deserves more than plain tiles and paint. Bathroom wallpaper brings colour, pattern and a touch of softness to a room built of hard surfaces, and it works well as long as you choose a moisture-resistant, non-woven paper, keep it away from direct splashes and make sure the room is well ventilated. From there, pick a palette for the mood you want, a pattern that tells your design story and a scale that suits the size of the room. Read ahead for our pro tips.

 

SHOP NOW: THE WHITE WINDOW WALLPAPER COLLECTION

Wallpapered Bathroom Walls: A Design Masterstroke or a Faux Pas?

In the Spotlight: Netsuke

 

The design story of bathrooms is usually confined to stone, metal, and tile. Wallpaper flips this oft-repeated script of neutral tones and hardy surfaces, lending a colourful accent and a touch of softness. But, despite wallpaper’s aesthetic potential, some would hesitate to introduce it to a bathroom due to practical concerns. Hence, we’d like to dwell on that aspect for a moment.

The White Window’s wallpaper collection is designed to withstand humid conditions. It features a non-woven moisture-resistant base that makes it a carefree addition to kitchens, laundry rooms, and bathrooms. Here are three traits of our wallpapers that make them well-suited to water-prone areas:

DIMENSIONALLY STABLE: Being non-woven guarantees dimensional stability to the wallpaper. When brought in contact with moisture or water, our wallpapers do not stretch or shrink. Hence, they do not warp or tear, making them a durable wall dressing for a bathroom.

BREATHABLE & ODOURLESS: Printed on a breathable material, our wallpaper does not emit chemical odours or trap smells. That’s especially helpful in small bathrooms with few windows where air circulation is already quite challenged.

REQUIRES MINIMAL UPKEEP: You don’t need strong chemicals or hard scrubbing to clean this wallpaper. A gentle wipe with a damp cloth does the job. So, you can make more time for a movie night after all that deep-cleaning that felt like a breeze.

At The White Window, wallpaper is not merely a cosmetic addition, it is built from the foundation up with the singular goal to weather through a humid environment. Without a doubt, it is an ingenious design move, whether you’re decorating the downstairs toilet or your en suite bathroom. Just keep it out of the shower and away from direct splashes behind a bath or basin, where tiles are the better choice, and run an extractor fan so steam clears quickly.

From a Designer’s Diary: Top Tips for Bathroom Wallpaper

Self-grooming can easily end up as yet another boring ritual of the day. But not so in a bathroom that’s thoughtfully designed, and wrapped in colours and patterns that feel like an extension of your personality. Wallpaper does not merely decorate the walls, it creates an atmosphere. So, when it comes to choosing one, let this styling guide work as your road map:

Create a Mood: Choose Palette with Intention

In the Spotlight: Aspen Grove

 

Bathrooms are a big part of both the start and end of our day. The colours you choose for this space truly matter because they shape the ambiance, and especially so when they wrap entire walls. While the palette is entirely a matter of personal taste, here’s what we suggest to ensure that it goes with the desired mood:

• Think of the wallpaper’s palette as the regulator of light. If you like an airy, light-kissed bathroom, go for light neutral or pastel tones that bounce light around, making the space feel more expansive. Conversely, if you’re aiming to create a sensuous experience, go for inky tones that absorb the light and cocoon the space with a sense of intimacy.

• If you’d prefer an ambiance that lends a jolt of energy, consider bold shades of red, orange, or yellow. These colours borrow the warmth and energy of sunshine, lending your bathroom a touch of freshness that can make your mornings feel more vitalised. Conversely, if you’re looking for colours that calm the mind and maintain a sense of serenity, turn to the cooler side of the colour wheel, where the serenity of blue seas and green woods resides. These colours are soothing to the eye, making the most rushed-up mornings a touch more peaceful.

Tell your Design Story: Pick the Right Pattern

In the Spotlight: Cibao Valley

 

Patterns are tell-alls of your decor style. They don’t hide your aesthetic - they spell it outright. So take advantage of the vast choice spectrum and choose a wallpaper pattern that expresses your decor language.

For a cottagey look, consider a nostalgic floral wallpaper like Frosty Berry that sprawls the walls with its romantic rose posies. Or, go for an earthy plaid like Cheryl or a blue ticking striped wallpaper like Meltem that keeps the space tailored with a rustic flair.

In an eclectic-style bathroom where the decor feels gradually curated and personal, consider a paisley like Medusa, whose embellished teardrop motifs lend a soulful oriental beauty. And if you like the idea of a whimsical story greeting you on the wall every morning, consider a modern chinoiserie like Cibao Valley, whose artistic presentation of Moroccan landscapes briefly turns the space into a fantasy land.

 

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Keep it Tasteful: Scale to Bathroom’s Dimensions

In the Spotlight: Ajrakh

 

For a pattern to shine in any space, it must be scaled correctly. Overscale it and it will overpower the space; go too small, and it will fail to strike a note. Let the scale of the motif be informed by the size of the bathroom.

A generous sized damask floral like Zambezi looks right in a lavish traditional bath decked up with long drapes screening a wide arched window in the backdrop—here the oversized motif plays to the scale of the bathroom and flatters it.

In a space-compromised bathroom, opt for a small-scale print like Ajrakh or a medium-sized one like Upper Lake that will add interest without overwhelming the small space. Remember that any pattern gathers more power as it gains in size, so avoid large motifs in small bathrooms.

Paint a Picture: Bring Everything Together in a Theme

In the Spotlight: Vantaa

 

If your bathroom is going to be designed around a theme, use wallpaper to lay the foundation for it. For instance, consider Vantaa for a coastal-themed bath, letting its wide sea blue stripes nod to laidback cabanas on the beachside. And for a tropical theme, turn to a botanical wallpaper like Pinchote that transports you to Hawaiian islands with its well-arrayed palms, arecas and plantain trees.

If you’re working on a bohemian-style bath with bold graphics and fiery hues, consider the ethnic prints of Art Director and Paelina, which makes a bold statement of heritage charm with their embellished elephants and Mughal-style ornate windows. Meanwhile, a wallpaper like Surmai brings a whimsical note to kid-friendly baths with its playful elephants and horses on a beautiful countryside, the perfect backdrop for a forest theme.

Considering the limited scope for decor in a bathroom, using the wallpaper to set the theme is a clever move. So, explore our collection and find the piece that feels right at home in your thematic bathroom.

Solve the Small Bathroom Issue: Use Wallpaper to Fake Space & Span

In the Spotlight: Barley Cove

 

On some occasions, wallpaper rises above its decorative role to camouflage architectural defects—and a small bathroom does present a case. A well-considered print can make the bath ‘feel’ more roomy. Here are some recommendations from our collection.

• Soft-Toned Textured Wallpapers: One way to bring a sense of space to a small bathroom is to wrap it in airy neutral-toned prints. Wallpapers like Barley Cove and Pale Gemstone reflect light, add depth with a quiet demeanour, and make the space feel expansive rather than cluttered and cramped.
• Striped Wallpapers: When it comes to expanding the visual line, stripes do it best. Add Serengeti or Artifact to a bathroom with a low ceiling, and their vertical stripes will make it look taller by guiding the eye upward. Similarly, lean on to horizontal striped wallpapers like Meridian and Lauren to make a compact bathroom feel larger by moving the eye laterally.
• Floral Vines: Just like stripes, upward-bound floral vines also make the eye gravitate toward the ceiling, making a low-ceiling bathroom look taller as a result. Turn to pieces like Sand Motif and  Manzini that portray slender vines climbing skyward against an airy white backdrop—no heavy colours, just gorgeous botanicals with an upward momentum—perfect for a small bathroom that wants to look tall as much as infused with nature’s timeless charm.

Bathroom Wallpaper: FAQs

Can you put wallpaper in a bathroom?

Yes, if it’s a moisture-resistant paper. Our non-woven wallpaper won’t stretch, shrink or warp in humid rooms; hang it away from the shower and direct splashes, and keep the room well ventilated.

Is there waterproof wallpaper for bathrooms?

Wallpaper isn’t fully waterproof. A non-woven, moisture-resistant paper like ours copes well with steam, but tiles or glass are still the right choice inside a shower or right behind the taps.

Where should you not put wallpaper in a bathroom?

Inside the shower, directly behind taps and anywhere that is regularly splashed. Above a tiled splashback or half-tiled wall it’s fine.

How do you stop bathroom wallpaper peeling?

Hang it on clean, dry, primed walls, use a little extra adhesive at the seams and edges, and clear steam quickly with an extractor fan or an open window.

What wallpaper makes a small bathroom look bigger?

Light, airy colours and soft textured prints, or stripes: vertical stripes make a low ceiling look taller and horizontal stripes make a narrow room feel wider.

Can you use a bold pattern in a bathroom?

Yes. Bathrooms are small and you don’t linger long, so they suit drama: a chinoiserie, paisley or large botanical. Scale it to the room, with smaller motifs in a small bathroom.

Which wallpapers suit a themed bathroom?

Wide blue stripes for a coastal look, palms and banana leaves for a tropical one, ethnic prints for a bohemian bath and toile or chinoiserie for a storybook feel.

Shop Bathroom Wallpapers at The White Window

In the Spotlight: Sycuan Valley

 

A bathroom deserves every bit of attention as any other space of the home. And what better way to lend it a touch of cosy, elegant couture-decor magic than with wallpaper covering every inch of its walls with dynamic prints. To make it even more alluring, at The White Window, we’ve made sure this bathroom upgrade comes with no compromise on practical ease. So, head straight to our aisles and pick the piece that can elevate your bathroom into an atmospheric space—part sanctuary, part style statement, and wholly a space worth lingering in. Order a few samples first and look at them by daylight and lamplight; ours arrive in 7–10 days. And if the window needs dressing too, our sister store, The White Window Blinds, has ideas for bathroom roman blinds. If you need help, email us at info@thewhitewindowcurtains.co.uk.

 

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