Choosing modern wallpaper — clean, current, design-led style
Modern wallpaper has moved a long way from the fussy, small-scale patterns of the past. Today's contemporary designs are all about impact and simplicity — bold abstract shapes, tactile textures, large-scale murals and clean, considered pattern that make a real statement while still feeling calm. It is the era of the feature wall, where one well-chosen design does all the work. Here are the modern styles to know and how to use them.
Modern wallpaper styles
Abstract and painterly designs use shape, colour and movement to read like modern art — one of the most popular contemporary looks.
Geometric and arches bring structure and rhythm, from clean repeats to bold, faceted or curved shapes.
Textured effects — plaster, concrete, limewash and grasscloth — add depth and a tactile, high-end feel that defines the current organic-modern look.
Minimalist and line art keep things pared-back and calm, with fine lines and simple forms for an uncluttered, gallery-like wall.
Large-scale florals and botanicals take nature and blow it up into a bold, painterly statement, a very current take on a classic.
Marble and stone effects bring a polished, luxurious surface in a clean, contemporary way.
Bold graphic and monochrome designs make a confident, high-contrast statement for a modern room.
The modern approach
What makes a room feel modern is often less about the design itself and more about how it is used. Contemporary style favours a single statement feature wall over a whole papered room, large-scale designs over small busy repeats, and texture and tone over fussy pattern. Made-to-measure murals sit at the heart of this — a design scaled to your exact wall, with no repeat, reads as one clean, considered piece rather than a traditional patterned room.
Colours for a modern scheme
Modern palettes lean two ways right now: warm and organic — beige, plaster, terracotta and soft neutrals with natural texture — or moody and dramatic, with deep greens, charcoals and inky darks. Bold accent colour against a calm backdrop is another contemporary move. Choose the mood you want and let a single wall carry it.
Modern wallpaper by room
Living rooms suit a bold abstract, textured or large-scale design as a contemporary feature wall. Bedrooms feel calm with a textured or tonal modern design behind the bed. Home offices gain a clean, current backdrop. Hallways make a sharp impression with a bold graphic or geometric design.
Which material to choose
Every modern design is a made-to-measure mural on a choice of four materials — two paste-the-wall and two peel-and-stick, including water-resistant and waterproof grades for bathrooms and kitchens. You choose your material, and see the price for your exact wall size, on each product page.