Decorating & Design
September 21, 2021
50+ Dramatic Wallpapers & Murals To Inspire Your Fall Decorating
Outside, the summer blooms have faded and the trees are turning crimson: inside we are turning our attention to an exciting new season and looking forward to fall decorating. Lush pillows, deep colors, cozy rugs… autumn means layering with abandon. A shadowy mural offers instant romance and sets an ambient tone, adding depth to a room. Whether it’s a lush landscape or graphic print, these wall coverings are so dramatic and transportive, we bet you won’t miss those summer flowers one bit.
Designer Ami McKay chose a hand-painted mural by artist Dana Mooney for a touch of West Coast influence. When paired with ocean blue bedding, it’ll feel like you’re lounging next to the lapping waves.
How mesmerizing is this swirly wallpaper from Drop It Modern? Curvy pink armchairs and a desk chair covered in squiggly green fabric amp up the fun.
Vancouver-based designer Karin Bohn wrapped woodland-themed wallpaper around this Pitt Meadows, B.C., showhome nursery. Sweet deer, owls, bunnies and birds watch over your little one as they doze.
“I was totally in love with the wallpaper and didn’t want to break up the visual impact,” says stylist Nicola Marc of her choice to ditch the mirror in this front hallway. “If you have a mirror, you’re always checking yourself out. Admire my wallpaper instead!”
In the Spring 2021 Princess Margaret Showhome‘s dining room, a mesmerizing pattern on the walls adds an artful touch to the other sleek and modern elements in the space.
Don’t be afraid to go bold in your home office. Graffiti-esque wallpaper is playful yet surprisingly neutral, while a cool blue couch acts as a place of calm and serenity.
A great place to take a design risk with bold wallpaper is the powder room. Here, a splattered gold wallpaper ties in with the home’s brass accents.
This graphic monochromae wallpaper adds a playful punch to this narrow second-floor hallway.
“I wanted something that creates movement,” says designer Denisa Nica of this handmade wallpaper inspired by marble veining. Paired with a moody tufted headboard, it gives the principal bedroom a cocooning feeling — perfect for chilly temps.
In this storybook nursery, woodland motifs — like an owl pillow and whimsical, autumnal wallpaper — give family heirlooms a fresh new life.
Sustainable design specialist Laura Hodges turned this dining room into a seaside escape, thanks to an intricate mural depicting sail boats floating along the water. Time to reminisce about lazy summer days by the lake!
Incorporating calming cool tones in the bedroom is an easy way to encourage a soothing night’s sleep. Designer Anne Hepfer swathed this statement wall in a cartoon-like botanical print by Hermès, which is layered with soft greens, rich blues and subtle pops of orange.
More is more in this dreamy bijou home, especially when it comes to pattern. “Now my eldest son teases me that if he stood still long enough, I might wallpaper him, too,” jokes designer Cynthia Ferguson. Colorful Frutto Proibito wallpaper by Cole & Son pairs perfectly with the royal blue trim, baseboards and ceiling.
“I don’t think a space needs to be very colorful to be deep, interesting or inviting,” says designer Kristen Peña of her San Francisco Victorian. This sentiment rings true in the game room, where graphic, monochromatic wallpaper packs a punch.
Despite steering away from typical nautical themes, designers Tommy Smythe and Lindsay Mens Craig allowed themselves a gallery wall of seafaring prints paired with Cole & Son’s iconic Nuvolette wallpaper in this Connecticut coastal home‘s entryway.
A glitzy Kelly Wearstler wallpaper turns this guest bedroom into a glamorous retreat. “You have to be bold with these choices,” says designer Curtis Elmy. “We’re more focused on doing what we love — and we love Kelly Wearstler’s designs — than resale potential.”
In this monochromatic condo’s petite entryway, a custom wallpaper by Drop It Modern sets the tone for the rest of the home. There’s no need to decorate the walls when you have a print this impactful.
The pattern play continues in the principal bedroom with this Christian Lacroix wallpaper. If you look closely, there are dainty florals in each “bubble,” which look like they’ve been drawn by hand.
A cool blue landscape mural reflects the rolling hills outside this modern farmhouse. A black metal four-poster bed and generous plaid rug tie the whole look together.
Yes, wallpaper belongs in the kitchen! A quirky koi wallpaper livens up a blank wall while adding unexpected drama to the otherwise traditional gathering place.
See more of this European-inspired kitchen on H&H TV.
Reminiscent of chalk drawings on a blackboard, this eye-catching wallpaper feels right at home in this ultra-cool bedroom. A mid-century modern-style side table softens the high-contrast palette.
Designer Allison Willson transformed a bland dining room wall into a work of art with this monochromatic landscape mural that feels like a window to the lush English countryside.
A botanical wallpaper with flecks of sunny ochre, rich eggplant and sage green adds even more personality to this principal bedroom and ties in the mustard headboard beautifully.
If you need a little escape to a tropical island (no plane ticket required), create the illusion of showering outdoors with this lush banana leaf wallpaper. The clean-lined shower and black and white palette keeps the look crisp.
This handsome studio’s gold and mossy green wallpaper, antique picture frame and storied desk oozes heritage charm.
Kelly Wearstler’s Graffito wallpaper is definitely a bold choice for a bedroom, but when paired with white linens and a charcoal gray bed frame, it doesn’t overpower. “When something is right, your eye isn’t automatically drawn to it because it just feels in harmony,” says designer Gillian Gillies.
In this Calgary showhome, a dark floral Ellie Cashman wallpaper had visitors to the dining room buzzing. Sandwiching the wallpaper between box moulding on the ceiling and panelling elevates it to the level of art, and gives guests seated at the table the impression they are dining in a midnight garden.
Waking up in this bedroom must feel like napping in the forest. This wallpaper mural from Fine & Dandy Co. looks hand-painted, creating an atmospheric mise-en-scène that’s almost equivalent to a session of “forest bathing.”
If you can afford a hand-painted mural — like this beauty by Agnès Menabreaz in the former country home of Les Ensembliers’ Richard Ouellette and Maxime Vandal — we say, go for it. This chinoiserie-style pastoral painting not only brings the outdoors in all year long, it also camouflages walls that have been plastered with layers of old wallpaper.
In this ultra-luxe bathroom designed by Theresa Casey, cherry blossom season lasts long after spring has sprung. Hand-painted by Peter Costello, a gold-leaf chinoiserie mural creates a tranquil atmosphere in the principal bathroom of Rick and Ariel Zhu.
In the former London home of designer Colette van den Thillart, a canvas (Colette guesses it was a stage prop in a former life) — depicting smiling cherubs and classical motifs — acts as a whimsical mural.
In this Toronto powder room, a stunning hand-painted mural by Peter Costello reflects how the neighborhood might have looked in the 18th century.
An iconic Ellie Cashman wallpaper turns designer Denisa Nica’s small guest bathroom into a major moment. “I was so inspired by this dramatic wallpaper, it looks like a huge painting,” she says.
The young couple who owned this house wanted something to perk up their white kitchen, and designer Sarah Hartill delivered with a fairytale-like Zoffany wallpaper mural. Mounting a rustic floating shelf instead of uppers lets the verdant greens and sweet folkloric style shine.
Fans of modern rather than scenic murals — like this one by Mr Perswall — will appreciate the bold, artsy spin designer Erika Floysvik used in her condo bedroom. “The mural pays homage to our urban neighborhood and reflects what we love now,” says Erika.
The visual stimulation of murals are especially fun for animating a child’s room. In this nursery, a mural of a historic Goya painting dominates the space, so the furnishings are kept simple and spare. The detail of this piece can be fully appreciated when it’s blown up to encompass a wall.
A sakura mural is a delicate note in this circular dining room, and echoes the refined, soft beauty of the space.
A painterly design or pastoral landscape brings instant gravitas to a room, and these days, elegant removable murals are easy to find. This room by British designer Ben Pentreath demonstrates the power of murals to convey a sense of history.
Handpainted Gracie wallpaper panels rightly belong in the decor hall of fame for their incredible craftsmanship and enduring quality. In this Texas bathroom, they create a lushly feminine and calming environment for homeowner Dina Arnott to apply makeup and wind down after a night out.
Piero Fornasetti’s leafy Frutto Proibito pattern adds autumnal warmth to this Montreal triplex’s charming vestibule, and picks up the motif of the stained glass windows.
In a foyer, this enchanted forest Imaginarium mural in Gypsum from Fine & Dandy Co. offers a warm welcome. The mural is printed on removable vinyl and tricks the eye into thinking the borders of the room extend beyond the perimeter, so tight quarters look more spacious.
Former H&H editor Suzanne Dimma papered the pocket door to her bedroom with a powdery blue Zoffany scenic wallpaper to give it a little more distinction and create impact when the door is closed.
Artist Rajiv Surendra riffed on the intricate mouldings of designer Garrow Kedigian’s Montreal apartment by drawing trompe-l’oeuil chalk rosettes and panelling on the walls.
Alessia De Gasperis-Brigante, the singer-songwriter known as Kai, uses her two-bedroom, 1,200-square-foot condo as a refuge. Enveloping the foyer with a showstopping Kelly Wearstler wallpaper defines it from the living room, making the space seem larger.
The dark jade and navy blue palm Cole & Son wallpaper in Alessia’s bathroom makes the walls appear to recede, creating a sense of grandeur in the small bathroom.
Tour this mood-boosting space on H&H TV.
This alcove (which was once a shoe closet) at the end of a hallway was transformed into a dressing space for primping, courtesy of this standout avian wallpaper also by Cole & Son. Designer Sabrina Albanese used this wallpaper to create more depth in a shallow space, as well as inject dreamy color.
Artist Keri Serrao used a Fromental wallpaper as inspiration when she painted this meandering mural in designer Silvana D’addazio’s home. Traditional Asian motifs such as koi leaping after dragonflies are accented by antique figurines on the mantel, giving this space a lyrical quality.
Iconic Martinique wallpaper is best known for lining the walls of the Beverly Hills Hotel, so its popularity is no surprise with those seeking a similarly glam, tropical note in their own space. Drive the leafy look home with beachy woven furnishings.
Botanical wallpaper panels from Gracie create a lush, romantic environment in designer Betty Theodoropoulos’ own principal bedroom.
In Anastasia’s room, the daughter of designer Betty Theodoropoulos, an accent wall with a hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper treatment is like a permanent garden view.
Former H&H design editor Sally Armstrong uses an artsy, pastoral mural by Anthropologie to turn a structural wall into a pretty focal point in her own basement. “I don’t follow any rules for mixing color and pattern. If you like it, it should work,” she says.
Based on a 19th-century still life depicting spring lilacs by Otto Franz Scholderer, this oversized moody mural from Surface View injects calming color and painterly detail into a room.
