When it comes to bathroom walls, tiles and paint have long been the obvious choices for homeowners. But wallpaper is impossible to beat for showstopping pattern and personality – and yes, it CAN go in bathrooms!

Traditionally reserved for living rooms or feature walls in bedrooms, bathroom wallpaper is having a rather big moment in Australia (and around the world).

And the good news is that many premium modern wallpapers are perfectly suitable to use in bathrooms.

Why use wallpaper in a bathroom?

Before we dive into what we used in our recent Modern Farmhouse Renovation, the question has to be asked why anyone would want to use wallpaper in a bathroom. The answer is simple: options.

Colour, pattern and texture

Wallpaper gives you so many more options than tiles and paints when it comes to colour, pattern and texture. Want a geometric wall? You’ll spend a fortune achieving that with tiles, but with wallpaper, it’s done in a day. Dreaming of a floral backdrop for your bathroom wall? There are unlimited wallpapers to choose from featuring everything from flowers to palms.

Ease of removal

Aside from aesthetic appeal, wallpaper is also a smart choice for bathrooms because it’s easy to remove and replace if you want to refresh the room down the track. If you’ve ever spent a weekend removing tiles, you’ll know what a big deal ease of removal is!

Where can you use bathroom wallpaper?

First and foremost, unless you buy 100% waterproof wallpaper (usually vinyl), never place it in directly next to wet zones, like behind a bathtub or within a shower cubicle. It’s very important with non-woven wallpaper to choose a wall that will not encounter excessive steam and splashing, or it could become damaged.

As you’ll see in our stunning guest bathroom renovation, we fully tiled the floor, shower niche, cubicle and the wall behind the basin to ensure those zones were protected from splashes. The wall opposite the basin did not come in contact with water, so it gave us the perfect opportunity to get creative with wallpaper – and boy, are we glad we did!

What type of wallpaper can be used in bathrooms?

So now that we’ve established that wallpaper can go in bathrooms, what type do you buy?

There are essentially two options for wallpaper in bathrooms, vinyl and non-woven. Let’s take a closer look at each:

Vinyl wallpaper pros & cons

Pros:

• Water-resistant
• Easy to wipe down
• Provides a lovely smooth finish

Cons:

• Known to contain chemicals
• Often has a strong ‘plastic’ smell
• Known to trap moisture and create a mouldy wall

Non-woven wallpaper pros & cons

Pros:

• Easy to install
• Gives a more luxurious finish
• Breathable backing allows moisture to pass through

Cons:

• More environmentally friendly
• Can be more expensive than vinyl
• It’s not waterproof and not suitable for splash zones

We used bathroom wallpaper and LOVE IT!

Faced with a narrow bathroom with no natural light, we had to get creative when it came to renovating the guest bathroom of this Sydney Modern Farmhouse. We knew we needed something eye-catching and that made the room feel bigger – and it had to be beautiful. Because this home deserved nothing less.

After spending a lot of time looking at tiles and various paint swatches, we discovered the magic of wallpaper – and we didn’t look back.

What we chose!

After a lot of deliberation, we chose Parvati Sapphire Wallpaper by Isla Design.

It’s a ‘non-woven cellulose’ wallpaper, which features a breathable backing made from a combination of synthetic and natural fibres, like wood and gauze. Unlike vinyl varieties, this composition allows the paper to breathe and helps avoid the issue of mould.

There is not a single person who doesn’t comment on this wallpaper when they walk into this room; we consider it one of the home’s best “wow moments”.

“The wall of beautiful wallaper really makes the bathroom sing! It gives it character and personality and the colours work beautifully with the rest of the room.”

Liz from the Making HOME team

We installed this wallpaper from the floor to the ceiling to create the illusion of height in the very narrow room. In doing this, we also achieved a very grand effect that draws the eye upward the second you walk into the space.

And then there are those blues! Versatile and ready to pair well with almost any contemporary decor, the tones of indigo and navy in this bathroom wallpaper are utter perfection. Not only does it work well with the neutrals of the tiles, but it complements the yellow tones in the brushed copper tapware.

Final tips

If you’re about to embark on a bathroom renovation and considering using wallpaper, here are our top tips for an unforgettable room:

• Avoid splash zones
• Prepare your walls properly
• Use colours and patterns that won’t date
• Go for breathable non-woven wallpaper
• Install from floor to ceiling for maximum visual impact
• Use mirrors to wake your wallpaper highly visible in the room
• No matter how DIY-savvy you are, let the professionals install it!
• Before you buy, test a sample for a few days first to ensure you love it
• Place bathroom wallpaper opposite a mirror so that it’s always visible no matter where you stand
• Remember dark wallpaper can shrink a room, so opt for light shades if you want a roomier feeling
• To avoid a cluttered space, balance highly patterned wallpaper with neutral accessories and decor
• If in doubt about colour, refer to the colour wheel to find what works with your chosen tapware and tiles

The bathroom isn’t the only place we used wallpaper! Head over to Episode 4: Kitchen to see how we added extra flair to our butler’s pantry!