A simple, thoughtful guide to help you choose the perfect wallpaper for your space, with easy tips on color, mood, placement and where to start from my home to yours.

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Begin with the Mood

Before you start scrolling or heading to the store, pause and ask: How do I want this space to feel?

In our baby girl’s room, I wanted something soft, dainty, and quietly beautiful—something that felt like a lullaby. I chose a Rosaria in Pearl Pink. A gentle floral pattern that adds just the right amount of whimsy. Every time I walk into her room, it feels calm, like a little cottage garden tucked away from the world.

When the mood is clear, the pattern will find you.

Ask yourself: “What do I want to feel when I walk into this room?”

Consider the First Impression

Our entryway was the first space I ever wallpapered. It’s also the first thing people see when they walk in, and I wanted it to set the tone of my style and the entire home. Vintage inspired, with nods to botanical and traditional elements. When I was figuring out how to choose the right wallpaper for the space, I went with a sage-colored scrolling leaf print called ‘Willow’—something statement-worthy, but cohesive enough to say, “This home has layers.” It gives that moment of pause when you walk through the door and immediately evokes the personality of my home. If you’re not sure where to start, consider the entryway. Even the smallest hallway can become a little welcome statement.

Live with the Samples

I know it’s tempting to just hit “add to cart,” but living with samples up on your wall for a few days can change everything.

I tried multiple swatches in our bedroom before committing to Vintea in Burlap. It was not even what I initially pictured for the space, it was one of my ‘safeties!’ But once I put the samples up on the wall, I began to put the pieces together and started to gather the concrete design of what I had only just imagined in my head. Then early one evening, I saw how the golden hour light played with the pattern and I knew that it was the clear winner for my bedroom.

Lighting and time of day—may contribute to your decision once you see a sample in the actual space. Give yourself permission to wait and feel it out.

Don’t Let Room Size Limit You

I used to worry that wallpaper would shrink a room or make it feel “too much.” But in our cavern of an entryway, I took a leap with a wallpaper that had movement in the pattern—and I don’t regret it one bit.

It completely transformed the room. It made it feel intentional even with the size that it is. Modest furniture and simple decorative elements can be enough for a smaller-scale room.

So don’t shy away from bigger patterns in small rooms. Sometimes a little drama is exactly what the space needs.

Build Around What You Love

Some of the most inviting rooms come together slowly—layered with the pieces you’ve gathered over time.

When choosing wallpaper, I like to ask: What do I already love in this space? A favorite vase, a floral quilt, a furniture piece with history. That becomes the foundation, and the wallpaper just enhances it.

In our main bedroom, the wallpaper plays beautifully with our upholstered and traditional bedframe, floral bedding, and vintage-inspired artwork—not by matching, but by speaking the same quiet language of cozy and traditional, with a vintage romantic touch.

Identifying your main source of inspiration will help when you inevitably play the game of this or that. Take note of the accents woven throughout your home that can help you decide on a wallpaper that feels appropriate and cohesive, yet enhances and elevates the space as well.

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Final Thoughts on How to Choose the Right Wallpaper

Wallpaper should never feel intimidating. Whether you’re just exploring or ready to transform a whole room, it’s one of the easiest ways to bring charm, depth, and emotion into your home.

Explore more patterns that inspire at Artza.