Choosing living room wallpaper — the best designs, walls and colours

The living room is where you relax and entertain, so it is the room that sets the tone for your whole home. Wallpaper is the quickest way to give it character, turning a flat, plain space into one with real personality and warmth. You do not need to paper every wall — a single, well-chosen feature wall does the work, drawing the eye and anchoring the room. Here is how to choose living room wallpaper, which wall to use, and the designs that suit the space best.

Which wall to wallpaper

The chimney breast is the classic living room feature wall — it is already the natural focal point, so a bold design there frames the fireplace and centres the room. The alcoves either side are another popular choice, adding depth and colour to often-overlooked spaces. The wall behind the sofa, or a media wall around the television, also works well. Because our designs are made-to-measure murals, the design is scaled to your exact wall, so it fills a chimney breast, alcove or full wall seamlessly with no repeat to line up.

Living room wallpaper ideas by style

For a statement living room, dramatic designs make the biggest impact — a dark floral, a deep forest green, a black and gold marble or a rich, moody scene on the chimney breast turns the room into something memorable.

For a natural, calming feel, forest, botanical and landscape murals bring depth and a sense of space, especially paired with warm woods, plants and neutral furniture.

For a classic, elegant look, chinoiserie, damask-style and vintage designs feel timeless and sophisticated, suiting period homes and formal sitting rooms.

For a modern living room, geometric, abstract, textured and line-art designs bring a clean, contemporary edge without overwhelming the space.

For warmth and cosiness, terracotta, warm neutrals and rich earthy tones make a living room feel welcoming and inviting.

Choosing your colour

Green is one of the most popular living room colours, from soft sage to deep forest, for its natural, calming quality. Navy and blue feel rich and grounding, grey and neutral tones keep things calm and contemporary, and dark shades make a living room feel cosy and dramatic in the evening. Choose the colour around the mood you want, and balance a bold feature wall with plainer surrounding walls and furniture.

Which material to choose

A living room is a dry room but often a busy one, so a hard-wearing finish is worth considering. The two paste-the-wall papers, including the extra-durable Heavy-Grade, give a lasting finish for a high-traffic space, while peel-and-stick is ideal if you rent or like to change your look often. You choose your material, and see the price for your exact wall size, on each product page.

Feature wall or whole room

A single feature wall on the chimney breast or behind the sofa gives you impact with plenty of light elsewhere, and it is the most popular and cost-effective choice. Papering the whole room creates a fully immersive, enveloping look and suits calmer, more even designs. As a rule, the bolder the design, the more it wants a wall of its own.