Ideas & planning
How to choose a wallpaper colour for your room
Quick answer
Start with the light: north-facing rooms suit warm grounds; south-facing rooms can take cooler blues and greens. Then think about mood – calming (greens, blues, neutrals) or energising (yellows, reds, terracotta) – and pick a colourway that includes a colour already in your room. Always test with a free sample.
Test properly
Tape a sample to the wall and look at it morning, afternoon and evening.
Use the 60-30-10 idea
A common decorating rule of thumb: about 60% dominant colour, 30% secondary and 10% accent.
Designs to try
Geometric
Stafford Diamond Wallpaper
3 colourways · 53 cm repeat
From £44.20 per roll
Chinoiserie
Kerrigan Garden Birds Wallpaper
3 colourways · 64 cm repeat
From £44.20 per roll
Botanical
Rossiter Scattered Leaf Wallpaper
3 colourways · 53 cm repeat
From £44.20 per roll
Trellis
Edmund Bamboo Trellis Wallpaper
3 colourways · 53 cm repeat
From £44.20 per roll
Tropical
Cambrey Rainforest Wallpaper
3 colourways · 64 cm repeat
From £44.20 per roll
Designer · Chinoiserie
Trerice Willow Court Wallpaper
4 colourways · 91 cm repeat
From £189.80 per roll
Botanical
Magnolia Leaf Sprig Wallpaper
3 colourways · 53 cm repeat
From £44.20 per roll
Mid-Century
Hammond Atomic Star Wallpaper
3 colourways · 53 cm repeat
From £44.20 per roll
Questions & answers
What colour wallpaper makes a room look bigger?
Pale, warm grounds reflect light, but dark grounds can also make corners recede.
Do you have a colour quiz?
Yes – try our Find your wallpaper colour quiz.
More guides
How to choose wallpaper for a small roomWallpaper for renters: what you can do (and ask first)Feature wall ideas: where to put one and what to chooseWallpaper murals: how to choose, measure and orderCan you put wallpaper in a bathroom or kitchen?Wallpaper for kids' rooms and nurseries: a practical guideBest wallpaper for north-facing roomsBest wallpaper for rooms with low ceilingsAll guides