We love a vintage floral but we don’t want a noisy and crowded living room! Here’s how to pick the right wallpaper for your small living space.

Interior design trends with a nod to the 70s is on the rise and steadily growing in popularity. At the same time, vintage pieces and accents emphasizing décor from the 1800s and early 1900s are making a strong comeback – especially with antique and heirloom furniture.

It’s no surprise that you’re seeing a combination of these interior design trends through the use of wallpaper – this mimics both the floral wallpapers of the 70s that remind you of your grandparent’s living room, as well as the vintage patterns of the 1800s Victorian era, where incorporating flowers such as tulips and dahlias were all the rage.

And lets be honest, there’s nothing cozier than a vintage pattern on your living room walls – but if you live in a small home like I do, choosing the correct pattern will make or break your interior design and décor style.

So here are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind:

Avoid bold, dark, and contrasting colours.

Photo Source: Click Here

Although the above wallpaper design is absolutely stunning, it can feel crowded in a tiny living room or bedroom. Dark, bold, and contrasting colours tend to stand out quite a bit and can make your small living space feel even smaller.

Photo source: Click Here

Here’s yet another stunning wallpaper design – but once again, the darker tone can make a small space feel even more crowded. It’s important to note that you want a pattern that is a similar colour to the background it is on. With the above example, you can see that the flower pattern is a cream colour, which is quite different from the dark olive hue of the background.

This creates a noisier, or louder overall image – something you’d be trying to avoid in a very small space.

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Here’s another example of what to avoid for a small space. Again, it’s a beautiful print, but it will feel noisy in a tiny living room or bedroom. Although the background of the wallpaper is a soft beige (which is a good start), the citrus and leaf pattern itself is bold and will stand out significantly.

So we have an idea now of what will NOT work in a tiny living space. So what will work?

Vintage Florals: How To Choose the Right Design

Photo sources: Left Source & Right Source

With floral wallpaper, it’s so important to make sure the tones are of the same colour, or very close to it. Take a look at the above examples. Although these patterns are quite busy, you hardly notice it due to the colour scheme. Subtlety is key for a tiny living room, bedroom, or kitchen.

Photo sources: Left Source and Right source

Here are two more examples of subtle vintage floral wallpapers. Once again, the colours do not contrast each other, but rather are of the same hue.

The best part about soft and subtle wallpapers like the above examples, is that you can hang shelving or photos on your walls without worrying about clashing designs, colours, or too much noise and overcrowding.

There’s so much more flexibility with the rest of your décor and design components in your small living space!

This also allows you to focus more on adding multifunctional furniture for your small space without worrying about it clashing with the wallpaper design you chose. Check out my blog post on the key to designing a multifunctional living room to help you with your overall small space design.

Geometric and Grid Patterns: How To Choose the Right Wallpaper Design

Photo sources: Left Source and Right Source

Once again, you’ll be looking for tones of beige, tan, yellow, olive, and gray. However focus on the earthy tones of these colours for the best results.

The above examples show the subtle hues with minimal contrast, making them perfect candidates for decorating small living spaces.

When you’re working with a rigid, structured pattern, you especially want to make sure it is not overpowering to your overall home interior design and décor. Minimalism is key here!

Photo sources: Left Source and Right Source

Vertical stripes are another charming and warm option for geometrical vintage patterns. With complimentary creamy colours, this is a foolproof option for your small living space if you’re worried about other patterns being too overpowering.

Vertical stripes can also help a space become roomier and more spacious – this is especially great if you’re feeling like your current small living room, kitchen, or bedroom is already feeling cramped to begin with.

As well, this options allows you to add shelving décor and photos without worrying about it clashing with your wallpaper design. With all the above wallpaper ideas, you can also focus on being a bit bolder with your other furniture and décor choices without worrying about it not matching your walls!

Key Takeaways

Overall, the art of selecting the right vintage wallpaper design for your small space isn’t too hard once you know what to look for.

• Avoid bold, contrasting, and dark colours that can make your small space feel even smaller, noisier, and overcrowded.
• Focus on subtle hues of yellow, tan, beige, olive, and gray, with an emphasis on the earthier tones of these colours.
• The background of your wallpaper should be a very similar colour to the pattern of your wallpaper to create less noise in your small living room, kitchen, or bedroom.
• Subtle and quiet wallpapers allow you to be bolder with your other furniture and décor without worrying about everything clashing!

If you’re on the journey of selecting a vintage wallpaper for your small space, I’d love to see what you choose! Happy decorating!