What wallpaper makes a room look wider?

Author: Dominic Gleichner  |  Last update: Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Stripes can work wonders! Thin stripes give the appearance of stretching, vertical stripes will make a room appear taller and horizontal stripes will make a room look wider. Consider applying striped wallpaper to not only create an illusion of more space but also to create a simplistic feature wall.

What wallpaper makes a room feel wider?

Geometric patterns can make a room look bigger by creating the illusion of space. Choose patterns that have a lot of negative space. This helps the room look wider and gives the walls a sense of expansiveness. Be sure to choose a pattern that repeats itself across the wallpaper as well as up and down.

What color walls make a room look bigger?

White and light colors make a room look bigger and brighter. Dark warm colors make a room feel cozy and are often used in large rooms with high ceilings. Greens and blues are calming colors, good for doctor's offices. Reds, yellows and oranges are energetic and used in gyms and arenas.

Does panel wallpaper make a room look bigger?

Panelling can definitely add grandeur to a room as well as making a space look bigger. This can be achieved by applying vertical panelling to make a room feel taller.

Does striped wallpaper make a room look bigger?

Make Your Room Appear Bigger

Using striped wallpapers creates the illusion of space and draws your eye towards the ceiling, making it appear higher. This makes striped wallpaper the perfect choice for smaller spaces! Top tip: if you want to make your room appear wider, opt for horizontal stripes.

4 Techniques to Make a Room Look Bigger & 4 Biggest Mistakes to Avoid

Do vertical or horizontal stripes make a room look bigger?

Make a small room look larger

Stripes are the perfect choice for small rooms because they can create the illusion of space. Vertical stripes make ceilings look higher whereas the use of horizontal stripes can make a room look wider.

How to choose wallpaper for a small room?

If you have a smaller sized room, consider using a lighter shade of wallpaper like Flower Garden (Blues) to trick the mind into thinking the room is larger and the ceilings higher. Darker coloured wallpapers will tend to bring the walls in and make the room visually appear smaller in size.

What makes a room look more spacious?

Go big with accents. Many people think small when designing a small room. Instead, add a couple of oversized accessories, like a big piece of art or a single large chair. A lot of little objects make a room appear cluttered while one or two big ones make it feel more spacious.

Which wall should you wallpaper in a bedroom?

In master bedrooms, it is mostly the wall where the bed is positioned which is beautified with design wallpaper. The wall opposite the bed can also be integrated into the wallpaper design concept.

Should panelling be lighter or darker than walls?

Your panelling doesn't always need to be darker than your walls. In fact, having your wall a darker shade compared to the panelling, or painting both the same colour, can give any room a touch of depth and texture.

What color house looks the most expensive?

Colors that make your home look more expensive
  1. British green (Racing green) This is a color trend that is reflected in the increased popularity of indoor plants and the desire to spend more time outdoors. ...
  2. Pale pink. ...
  3. Sky blue. ...
  4. Accessible beige. ...
  5. Light coral.

How to make a narrow room look wider with paint?

6 Ways to Make a Small Room Look Bigger with Paint
  1. Use a Shade of White or Light Color. ...
  2. Know How to Use Bold Colors. ...
  3. Paint an Accent Wall to Draw the Eyes. ...
  4. Feature an Eye-Catching Pattern. ...
  5. Paint Your Ceiling Space for a Larger Room Feeling. ...
  6. Test Your Chosen Paint Color Before Applying.

What is the calmest color to paint a room?

A soft white or gray creates a peaceful and clean ambiance. They can make a small bedroom feel more spacious and airy, promoting a clutter-free mind. What's more, white and light gray are excellent for those who prefer a minimalist approach.

What kind of line makes a room look wider?

Horizontal lines in a room move your eyes outward helping to make the narrow side of a room feel larger. This effect isn't limited to lines like painted stripes on walls.

Can you get wider wallpaper?

Extra wide wallpaper is a premium alternative to standard wallpaper, featuring an expansive width of up to 1.4metres. This format enhances the visual impact of wallpaper designs and reduces the number of joins during application, offering a more seamless and luxurious finish.

What is the best wallpaper to make a room look bigger?

Metallic. Just like having a couple of mirrors scattered around your house helps to bounce light, metallic wallpaper works similarly. Instead of just light hitting the wallpaper, it is reflected off of it, which helps to make the room look lighter. Light and bright tend to make a room look bigger.

What color of wallpaper is best for bedroom?

The Best Wallpaper Colours For A Relaxing Bedroom Environment
  1. Soft blues. Soft, muted shades of blue are often the go-to choice for a relaxing bedroom. ...
  2. Muted greens. ...
  3. Warm neutrals. ...
  4. Lavender and light purples. ...
  5. Soft greys. ...
  6. Pale pinks.

What should you not do when choosing wallpaper?

What not to do when choosing wallpaper – 12 expert tips to consider when using wallpaper
  1. Buy before you try. ...
  2. Think pattern is the only option. ...
  3. Run into a mis-match. ...
  4. Think you have to paper the whole wall. ...
  5. Be tempted by taste over practicality. ...
  6. Think you can't hang it in humid rooms. ...
  7. Avoid pattern in small spaces.

Which color makes a room look bigger?

Lighter paint colors like off-whites, light neutrals, pales, and pastels give the illusion of larger, brighter rooms. Here, we dive deeper into this topic with 5 specific painting techniques to make rooms look bigger, brighter, and more beautiful.

How to make the inside of your house look expensive?

What makes a home look expensive? 11 tricks designers use that won't break the bank
  1. Pick Furniture With Character. ...
  2. Add Character And Texture With Paneling. ...
  3. Install Statement Lighting. ...
  4. Give Your Staircase An Update. ...
  5. Display Cut Flowers. ...
  6. Invest In Art You Love. ...
  7. Replace Carpets With Wood Flooring. ...
  8. Incorporate Luxury Materials.

Which wall should be the accent wall?

In general, the right wall to accent is usually the first one that you see when you enter a room. You and your guests will always have it in view. 2. Look for other architectural clues, such as a fireplace, built-in bookcases, or architectural nooks.

What is the best color wallpaper for a small room?

Opt for light-colored wallpapers such as white, beige, pastels, or other light shades. Pastels, such as pale blue, green, or pink, and other light shades can also help to make a small room look more spacious. These colors reflect light well and can create a sense of calm and relaxation.

What is the easiest wallpaper pattern to match?

Unlike other types that require precise matching, such as straight match or drop match, a random match pattern is designed to be more forgiving during installation. Examples of a random match include wallpaper designs like vertical stripes, grasscloth, or textured wallpaper.

Can you put a large pattern wallpaper in a small room?

The 'rules' depend on who you ask. A small print in a small room can look busy, while a large print in a small room can look overwhelming. A small print on a large wall can look lost, while a large print on a large wall can appear to shrink it down and diminish its power. There's no exact right or indisputable wrong.

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