Until relatively recently, the walls of the modern home were painted in bold swathes of color and accented with artwork. That has changed. The antithesis of the modern wall, wallpaper, has made a huge come back. Even Granny’s chintz wallpaper could fit perfectly well in the modern home – in moderation – and, of course paired with modern furniture and accessories.

There are so many different design styles to choose from. Modern stalwart, mid century design has been honed and boosted with a little pop / op style. Still sophisticated, but a little more fun. Vintage isn’t just about pre-90’s anymore. Traditional Victorian and Regency prints have been scaled up, simplified and recolored in a vibrant modern palette.

Medallion Mix

The medallion motif is everywhere! Whether it’s looks modern or not, there is always a modern twist. Look closely.
Dan Funderburgh’s Central Park wallpaper includes fire hydrants, rats and parking meters. a wry nod to New York style - past and present. Paul Loebach on the other hand pays homage to the oil baron / cowboy. (Don’t know what that is - watch James Dean in Giant).

Nama Rococo and Ferm living give this classic design a modern look - bold, graphic & gorgeous.

Border Patrol

For those not quite ready to paper a whole wall, try a border. Twenty2’s line of wall bands are easy to apply and can be placed horizontally, vertically or diagonally. Oh, yes, and they’re superbly modern touch and who can resist racing stripes?

Texturize

If you are a 100% minimalist - try texture. It’s bold and minimal; some can be painted to give a splash of color. You could also go white on white for an 2001 space odyssey effect.
Inhabits’ paintable wall flat are not only gorgeous, but are made out of eco-friendly molded bamboo paper. They are considered semi-permanent, but can be carefully removed, re-placed and painted.

Don’t look now - but flock is back. Enough said.

Mural Admiration

Murals can be custom sized for your wall. These can be modern, classic or kitsch. Yes, you can get that romantic sunset photo mural for your bedroom. Warning: kitsch is good, but when you actually start accessorizing the rest of you pad to go with the unicorn mural in you living room, you MUST remove it and seek professional help.
Doing kitsch, classic and modern right is Surface View out of the UK. They have even teamed up with the Victoria and Albert museum in the UK to reproduce some of their collections which include blow ups of classic sculptures and fabulous botanicals. Plus the website has a wonderful feature that allows you to see the murals in different, thoroughly modern, settings. Ever wanted to know what the 7 foot head of a sultry siren looks like….well, you can find out. People, this is kitsch with class!

Wallpaper by Numbers

“Do not draw on the walls!”. Parents have been saying this forever, but now you can let your inner rebel out with the Wallpaper By Numbers line by Jenny Wilkinson. There are both wallpapers and borders to choose from. It’s easy to see how this would work in a kids room, but don’t feel the need to stop there. The designs are wonderful in their own right and can be used on any wall in any room.

Smell It

Finally, if it’s not enough to feel the flock and draw on your walls, Flavor Paper is suggesting that you might like to…erm…smell it. The line include warholesque bananas, cherries and tutti frutti.
(Flavor Paper has yet to confirm, or deny, that they plan to release Dan Funderburgh’s Central Park wallpaper as scratch ‘n sniff in the future.)

*Lesley Taylor writes the WHAT blog and is the founder of WHAT designers, a website that sells and promotes the work of independent designers.