The return of wallpaper and pattern
Wallpaper is back – and it’s bolder than ever.
After years of minimalist, all-white interiors dominating the design world, pattern is making a confident comeback – and nowhere is it more expressive than on our walls. From lush botanicals to striking geometrics, wallpaper is once again a hero of interior styling, bringing drama, texture, and personality into Ōtautahi homes.
“People are ready to embrace more individuality in their spaces,” says local wall stylist Janis McDonald of wallpaper and interior styling company Perfect Patterns. “Your home reflects your personality, and wallpaper lets you make a statement without needing to fill a room with stuff – you’re putting art on the wall.”
The use of coloured and textured wallpaper and murals has grown massively in recent years, Janis says. With bold and bright designs, leather-look, metallics, art murals, luxe papers, textured paper, and more, the choices to complement your space can be overwhelming.
“If a room has an incredible view, the walls want to make that view pop – not compete with it. But if a room has no great outlook, it’s the walls that become the feature and set the tone of how people feel when entering that space. It’s an investment in your space and your wellbeing.”
Smaller, intimate spaces are part of the revival. These enclosed spaces become ideal canvases for bold colour and intricate prints. Bedrooms, too, are seeing wallpaper behind the headboard in mural-style layouts, adding instant luxury and warmth. In open-plan living spaces, one well-chosen feature wall can anchor a room and define its character. In bathrooms, water-resistant wallpaper could create the feel of, say, an underwater sea world.
New Zealand’s own designers are adding to the momentum. Wellington’s Aspiring Walls is the only wallpaper manufacturer in the southern hemisphere. Their designer collective of Aotearoa artists features wallpaper designs by Annah Stretton, Josephine Lorelle, Annabelle Taylor, Katherine Quinn, and more, available online and via stockists country-wide.
For a local twist, Christchurch business Sticky Ticky carries fun, fresh designs in peel-and-stick decal and wallpaper products that are perfect for renters, or interiors commitment-phobes who like to regularly switch up their décor.
Whether it’s oversized florals, Art Deco lines, vintage botanicals, or gold metallics, wallpaper is more than a passing trend, it’s a creative tool for personal expression. With improved application methods and removable options now widely available, committing to pattern has never been easier. If your walls are whispering for change, maybe it’s time to give them a little wow.
