Jessie Vargas
Stair wallpaper ideas are often over-looked, but stairwells are actually the perfect place to showcase beautiful prints and decorative designs. Occupying only a small part of your home and one that is used for short periods of time, the staircase is an ideal location for those big patterns that might feel overwhelming elsewhere.
Connecting two floors together, stairwells offer a large expanse of wall that can be used as a blank canvas for a range of wallpaper ideas, providing an area on which to stamp your personal style and make a real statement across two stories.
Often stretching across multiple stories, stairwells offer the opportunity to decorate walls differently and make a real statement. Tara Miller from The Heartland Interior Design (opens in new tab) states 'a mural instantly adds a scene to your space. A panoramic mural can not only transport you to another space, but by choosing a nature-inspired design, the boundaries between indoors and out can become blurred, especially if the exterior as glimpsed from windows echoes the scene on the walls.
Contemporary wallpapers inspired by archive designs such as toiles are guaranteed to bring a feel of romance to a stairwell – and will inject your home with a touch of history, too. A modernized toile inspired by Japan in timeless blue and white, this Nara design by Manuel Canovas (opens in new tab) features scenes of pagodas perfect for bringing a touch of the exotic. ‘Many of today’s florals and toiles have been given a contemporary twist through the use of fresh color combinations so they can be enjoyed in both modern and traditional interiors,’ says Daniel Slowik, Associate Design Director at Sibyl Colefax & John fowler. Ann Grafton, Creative & Managing Director of Mulberry Home states, ‘Floral Rococo provides a contemporary take on the country house look. Soft and pretty, this opulent design will transform a staircase into a light, open space, in country and town houses alike'. For stairwell decor that will stand the test of time you cannot go wrong with a classic stripe in an ever-popular blue and white palette.
Blue and white decor is timeless, and one of the most classic interior design combinations, perfect for creating a serene yet fresh aesthetic. When used in conjunction with stripes, this masterful combination works beautifully in country or coastal retreats to create chic spaces that look relaxed and informal at the same time.
Wall-to-wall print can sometimes be overwhelming, so for a more pared-back look consider papering just one of a stairwell or hallway and teaming it with plain walls and woodwork in colors picked out from the design for a cohesive scheme.
It can be hard to know what to do with the redundant wall space under a stairwell –why not use it as canvas for showcasing a beautiful wallpaper and bringing a touch of personality to your home?
Liberty Blackwell, stylist at Harlequin (opens in new tab) states, 'simply patterned wallpaper is perfect for a staircase as it is well-placed to accentuate decorative pieces such as mirrors, artwork, or family portraits. Large stairwells can sometimes have a tendency to feel cold and drafty – in these instances consider breaking up the wall by papering the ground level section.
'For those interiors without a dado rail or paneling to naturally divide the wall, a stripe of a darker paint tone is an effective way of adding a design detail that is also hardwearing and practical,' says Ruth Mottershead. If you have a country home with a large entrance hall why not use it to pay homage to your beautiful rural surroundings with a nature-inspired wallpaper?
In an attempt to differentiate from their previous collections, Linwood (opens in new tab) has released a new one-off whimsical winter wallpaper with a mid-century feel.
Its stylised skiers have been captured in a chalky color palette of red, yellow and green on a monochromatic ground that is true to the original. Liberty Blackwell states, 'a staircase is the ideal place to get creative with wallpaper, giving people the opportunity to tell a story, or journey through the pieces they choose, as they transition from one floor to another'. Pay attention to factors such as light levels and the existing materials in the space such as flooring and internal woodwork as well as the decor of adjoining rooms.
