How to Choose Bathroom Wallpaper for your Ensuite or Powder Room

There are many ways in which you can add interest and texture to the walls of your bathroom, en-suite or washroom.

Where tiling or limewash isn’t possible, wallpaper and murals are one of the most cost-effective ways you can bring fresh colour, pattern and texture to your space. Wallpaper can be installed yourself, it can conceal imperfections and even protect walls from moisture. However, when choosing bathroom wallpaper for your en-suite or powder room consider these factors….

Moisture resistant

Bathroom conditions with water splashes, extra heat and humidity can jar with the use of wallpaper. It can therefore be tricky to wallpaper due to the high levels of moisture and humidity. Some potential pitfalls include the wallpaper peeling or bubbling, mold growth, and difficulty in removing the wallpaper in the future.

To do it well and ensure you save time and money it’s really important to choose a wallpaper or mural which is specifically designed for bathrooms, with a vinyl or moisture-resistant coating. We would also recommend you prime the walls with a moisture-resistant primer before applying the wallpaper. 

Don’t ignore the power of an extractor fan as this introduction can certainly help with excess steam. Ventilation is important to note during the application to prevent any peeling or lifting.

Image above: Airy by Wall&Deco

Style and theme

Opt for a design that compliments the overall style of your bathroom and appeals to your personal taste. For many of us bathrooms, especially an en-suite are a sanctuary – a place to escape the world and completely switch off. 

This makes them the ideal space to get creative and indulge in luxurious papers which offer a moment of calm or bolder, stand out designs that some people may shy away from in other rooms in the house.

Equally the washroom or downstairs loo, whatever you call it, has become one of those rooms that wow. Feel free to express your personality here. They are often small spaces and so oversized flowers, or intricate scenes or themes work well. You can take some further thougfhts from our inspiration section of the website.

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Image above: Fauna print Raven wallcovering, Menagerie of Extinct Animals by Moooi that’s hiding 10 fantastic extinct animals within. We have teamed this with brushed black brassware, glorious orange wood paneling and the ever so beautiful Kast Elm basin in Golden.

Colour and pattern

Biophillia – the integration and inclusion of nature as a focal point – isn’t going anywhere. The goal of creating a rich, sensory connotation with nature is still growing in popularity. A biophilic bathroom design will boast certain patterns that reduce stress and improve creativity while featuring forms and materials that emulate those found in the great outdoors. 

This can either be paired back with neutrals, blush pinks and mint colourways or for the bolder home owner, perhaps warmer and richer colours such as mulberry, inky black, mahogany and terracotta offer a cocooning feeling. An emerging trend we’ve noticed this year is to elevate biophilic bathrooms further, adorning walls with biophilic blooms, serene oriental scenes or rich green foliage.

Ease of cleaning

Look for washable or scrubbable wallpaper options to make cleaning easier. In en-suites in particular, splashes of product can end up on your walls. Downstairs WC’s are often in heavy footfall areas so investing well in wallpaper works for the long run.

Placement

Keeping wallpaper out of the splash zone is a great way to protect it and that’s why a lot of schemes have paneling or tiling on the lower portion of the wall painted in a dark or bold colour and then a statement wallpaper using an accent colour or tone is added above giving it a co-ordinated feel.

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Image above: Mulberry Home Game Birds wallpaper in the muted stone

Lighting

Keep in mind that lighting can impact your chosen wallpaper design. What may seem like the right colour and pattern in artificial lighting could look a lot brighter or shiny in natural light. Or, if you are renovating a downstairs bathroom and there is no window, perhaps you need to add further lighting to showcase the wall rather than it feeling a little flat and lost.
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Image above: RVB bathroom featuring Melville by Cole and Son

Sample testing

Most websites and brands allow you to order a sample of wallcovering before committing to purchasing. Don’t neglect this initial bathroom design step. Select a few designs you are drawn to in your chosen colour palettes and we’d also advocate adding a couple of samples you wouldn’t normally choose too. For example, you may love a floral pattern but a contrasting stripe taken up to the ceiling might offer a luxurious visual effect to make the room feel bigger.

Image above: Bathroom at Chateau La Durantie, France with striking vertical stripes

To truly ensure you receive expert guidance tailored to your specific space and requirements, give us a call today on 01200 440000 or email hello@ribblevalleybathrooms.co.uk

Image above: Airy by Wall&Deco

rvb wallpaper image 2

Image above: Fauna print Raven wallcovering, Menagerie of Extinct Animals by Moooi that’s hiding 10 fantastic extinct animals within. We have teamed this with brushed black brassware, glorious orange wood paneling and the ever so beautiful Kast Elm basin in Golden.

Image above: Bathroom at Chateau La Durantie, France with striking vertical stripes

rvb wallpaper black 8

Image above: Mulberry Home Game Birds wallpaper in the muted stone

We're at the Northern Design Awards! We'll be closed today & back tomorrow

We’re closed today (Thursday 16th November) as we’re finalists at the Northern Design Awards!

We’ll be back open as usual tomorrow – Friday 17th November

Wish us luck!