Design Guide | How to Use Wallpaper to Decorate Small Spaces

14 Mar

Create impact with colour, pattern and considered design

Small spaces—such as powder rooms, entrance halls, and boot rooms—offer the perfect opportunity to be bold with your design choices. Rather than shy away from colour or pattern, these compact areas are ideal for expressing creativity and making a strong visual statement.

Whether you're working with a narrow hallway or a compact cloakroom, wallpaper can add depth, movement and warmth, transforming a utilitarian space into something personal and memorable.

1. Go Bold with Scale

Larger-scale patterns work beautifully in small rooms. Contrary to the myth that bold motifs overwhelm, oversized repeats can create the illusion of greater space by drawing the eye outward and upward.

Our Sarah Wallpaper, shown here in Rose, features hand-painted, gestural brushstrokes that bring a playful, painterly energy to the wall. Available in four colourways—Rose, Winter, Spring and Sage—Sarah makes a striking choice for small but impactful design moments.

Interior Design: @bornandbredstudio Photography: @annastathakiphoto *Featuring Sarah Wallpaper in Rose

2. Frame with Colour

Use architectural features—like window frames, doorways or skirting boards—as an extension of your wallpaper design. By painting trim in a coordinating tone pulled from the pattern, you create a seamless, intentional look that elevates even the smallest spaces.

Here, Evergreen Dark Multi wallpaper is paired with colour-matched joinery to create a rich, enveloping feel. This tonal framing trick adds depth, anchors the scheme, and draws the eye around the room—perfect for creating balance and polish in compact interiors.

3. Celebrate Colour with Confidence

Once you’ve chosen your wallpaper, pick out a tone from the design and repeat it across woodwork, cabinetry or ceilings. This technique unifies the space and brings a sense of design intention.

Incorporating colour across surfaces also draws attention to architectural features and creates a contemporary, layered feel—even in the smallest room.

Wallpaper with Character

Each Imogen Heath wallpaper is designed to bring warmth, texture and artistic detail into your space. Printed to order in the UK, our wallcoverings combine expressive design with a tactile finish that elevates both residential and commercial interiors.