The wallpaper market has seen tremendous growth over the past few years. With demand for trendy, customizable wall designs increasing, manufacturers have begun to offer an ever-growing range of wallpaper products and styles.
What was once considered a retro home decorating trend is now making a comeback as a stylish and versatile way to add personality to any room. And both buyers and sellers are starting to notice—by 2026, the global wallpaper and wallcoverings market is projected to grow to $39.41 billion, with a CAGR of 4.99%.
So what’s driving this growth? Let’s take a look at some of the most popular wallpaper trends over time, as well as a few potential future wallpaper trends.
Table of Contents
How did wallpaper become popular?
What are the top wallpaper design trends of today?
What can we expect from wallpaper trends in the future?
Wallpaper trends are new, exciting, and rapidly changing
How did wallpaper become popular?
To learn about the future, it’s often beneficial to first look at the past. Wallpaper has a long and colorful history that is often reflective of the times in which it was used.
First developed in China in the 7th century, wallpaper was brought to Europe by traders in the 12th century. At this time, it was seen as a luxurious and expensive way to decorate walls. Kings and queens would often have their walls adorned with intricate and expensive wallpaper designs showcasing their wealth and power, and good wallpapers were in high demand.
Fast forward to the 1800s, wallpaper became more popularized and available to the general public. This was largely due to advancements in printing technology, which allowed for more intricate and detailed designs to be printed on wallpaper.
Since then, the wallpaper market has experienced ups and downs, like any other trend. However, the last few years have seen a resurrection and explosion in wallpaper trends, and the low-cost nature of wallpaper as decor has been forecasted to significantly improve the CAGR (between 3%-5%). As today’s interior design styles often incorporate both the traditional and modern, wallpaper has proven to be an efficient, profitable industry to be in.
What are the top wallpaper design trends of today?
As art and design continue to progress, some wallpaper trends will fade in and out of popularity. A few of the current and upcoming trends you can capitalize on include:
Botanical and nature designs
One of the most popular wallpaper trends in recent years has been botanical and nature designs. From realistic prints of flowers and plants to abstract designs that evoke the natural world, these wallpapers add a touch of organic beauty to any room.
Buyers routinely use botanical designs to create soothing, calming spaces, making them perfect sells for bedrooms and other relaxation areas. And as the popularity of eco-friendly and sustainable designs grows, expect to see more of these nature-inspired wallpapers in homes and businesses alike.
Geometric and abstract designs
Geometric and abstract designs have also seen a surge in popularity in recent years. These bold, eye-catching patterns can add visual interest and personality to any room, making them perfect for buyers looking to modernize their home or office.
Geometric and abstract wallpapers can be used to create unique accent walls or to emphasize certain features in a room. For example, you may want specific accent colors noticed, and geometric wallpapers are a great way to do so. Their intricate designs are an effective way to add value to a home through color coordination, stylistic expression, and aesthetic beauty, and with embossed wallpapers also now available, they’re a solid choice.
As we move into the 2020s, buyers are continuously looking for new styles, and if modern geometric and abstract wallpapers can continue to innovate, they could become even more popular. You can even sell them in “themed” packages to create a certain style of room, like a modern art gallery or a retro ’70s disco.
Wallpaper murals
Wallpaper murals are one of the most popular trends in the wallpaper industry today. These large-scale designs are popular buys because of their potential to transform an entire room, making it feel like a completely different space.
Murals come in all shapes and sizes, with a wide range of themes to choose from. Most murals specifically include high-quality art with a distinct style imprinted on the wallpaper (like calligraphy, portrait work, drawings of cities, or trees, for example) and they can add a touch of artistic impression to many bedrooms, bathrooms, or living rooms.
These art styles range from natural landscapes to abstract designs and fit many types of rooms. They’re also a great way to add some personality to a room. If your buyers are looking for something unique and eye-catching, a mural is a perfect option.
One of the best things about wallpaper murals is that they can be customized to fit many types of spaces. If your buyer has a particularly large wall, or if they want to cover an entire room, there’s a mural out there that will work for them—just make sure they know how to measure carefully before they buy.
What can we expect from wallpaper trends in the future?
As we move further into the 21st century, it’s likely that we’ll see even more innovative wallpaper designs and technologies. Here are a few trends to watch out for in the near future:
Translucent wallpaper: Thanks to recent advancements in printing technology, it is now possible to create translucent wallpaper that allows light to pass through it. This creates an interesting 3D wallpaper effect and can be used to make small spaces feel larger or to add a touch of elegance to a room.
Interactive wallpaper: As technology improves, scientists are developing new, interactive designs that change depending on time of day, or heat-sensitive wallpapers that morph based on temperature. This will allow users to interact with their walls in new and exciting ways, like having the colors change over the course of a day, or placing heaters in such a way that changes the colors of a specific part of their wall.
Customizable wallpaper: Buyers are beginning to expect a wider variety of customizable wallpaper designs (with the aid of computer systems), as well as more options for personalizing them to suit individual tastes.
Sustainable wallpaper: As the world becomes increasingly environmentally conscious, we can expect to see more sustainable wallpaper designs increase in popularity. Consumers want environmentally friendly materials, and surveys show that on average they’re willing to spend up to 30% more to get them. Expect to see more sustainable wallpapers that use materials like bamboo or cork which are renewable and biodegradable.
Wallpaper trends: new and evolving
In summary, the wallpaper market has grown significantly over the last few years, with an emphasis on botanical and nature designs, geometric abstract designs, and wallpaper murals.
As the world continues to change, we’ll see new types of wallpapers emerge into the market, like translucent wallpapers, interactive wallpapers, and sustainable wallpapers, and this will change ideal market allocations.
Being at the forefront of wallpaper trends can help you stay ahead of the curve and grow your business.
