It wasn’t long ago that home design experts declared wallpaper officially “out.” What followed was a slew of articles on wallpaper removal and alternative looks for freshly stripped walls, favoring bold new paint shades or warm neutrals over busy, old-fashioned patterns.
However, wallpaper refuses to retire. Rather, it’s having a revival, and it looks better than ever. Manufacturers are producing patterns and prints that are more modern and innovative. Many of these new styles resemble something more like your desktop wallpaper, while others harken back to bold interiors of decades past.
Some of the most stunning examples of this new-age wallpaper come from The Detroit Wallpaper Company. They are known for their custom, unique wallpapers and sustainable manufacturing practices. Their products are prime examples of new-age wallpaper designs.
I have many favorite prints from their collections, so I thought I’d share a few and offer up advice for using them in your home design!
Organic Modernism
Design: Deep V Pattern
Photo courtesy of The Detroit Wallpaper Company
Pair this wallpaper with natural colors and materials, light and airy linens, and rough and earthy textiles. To mix in the modern, decorate with furniture and décor that sport modern silhouettes, like a mid-century chair and couch, geometric light fixtures, and clean-lined credenzas and tables.
Maximalism
Design: Stalk
Photo courtesy of The Detroit Wallpaper Company
Use the colors you love in this wallpaper on your décor and furniture. The colors don’t have to match exactly, but can echo those in the print. Be bold, but mindful not to go so bold that you can’t enjoy the space. Put the strongest colors in solid swaths, like on a couch or rug. Mix in contrasting prints on smaller pieces, like accent chairs and tabletop décor. Drew Barrymore’s Flower Home Collection features several such pieces, as well as velvety lounge chairs and sofas.
Minimalism
Design: Tirenation
Photo courtesy of The Detroit Wallpaper Company
This print features a herringbone pattern of tires, a throwback to Detroit’s roots in the auto industry. Let this wallpaper be the backdrop to your minimal design, with a monochromatic color scheme, crisp lines and calm patterns. Keep counters clear and use sparse, intentional décor. Bonus points if you can condense multiple functions into individual pieces, like an ottoman that doubles as storage.
Art Deco
Design: Onion Skin
Photo courtesy of The Detroit Wallpaper Company
Get that vintage Art Deco look of the 20s and 30s with this luxury-look wallpaper that makes for a rich, vibrant, era-appropriate backdrop. Decorate with bold shapes and flashy metals, and aim for defined symmetry across your design. Throw in an ornate mirror or chandelier, as well as exotic prints and materials that imply wealth and glamour. For a great example of Art Deco design, see Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 film The Great Gatsby.
Eclectic
Design: Don’t Be Koi
Photo courtesy of The Detroit Wallpaper Company
Eclectic designs involve mixing and matching styles and trends, but that doesn’t mean haphazardly tossing things together. You want to be intentional so that “eclectic” doesn’t tip to “chaos.” Choose a color palette to which all of your décor choices can refer, and pick one strong color to anchor the space, like the golden yellow pictured here. Carefully mix textures and eras in your furniture and décor, and consider a unique wallpaper like Don’t Be Koi for an accent wall or along the top half of all four walls with a solid-colored wall paneling along the bottom half.
Looking for color palette inspiration? Explore Color Hunt to see what’s trending. Or, use a picture that inspires you (or the wallpaper you’re installing) to build your own palette in Sherwin-Williams’ ColorSnap®!
Photos courtesy of The Detroit Wallpaper Company
If you’re like me, being on the topic of new wallpaper has made you curious about wallpapers past. If you’d like to follow the wallpaper trail, read Wallpaper: Sign of the Times from My History Fix and Wallpaper Trends, Then and Now from Etsy.
Have any favorite wallpaper patterns or companies, new and old? Share them in the comments below!
J. Lauren White 
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