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7 ways to transform your home with watercolour wallpaper

Wallpaper is an easy and non-permanent way to freshen up your home decor

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By Sacha Van Niekerk | July 14, 2020 | Design

Walls awash with dramatic monochromatic splashes, flowing waves of colour and blooming florals - watercolour wallpaper is one of the trendiest ways to upgrade your living space.

Wallpaper is an easy and non permanent way to freshen up your home decor. It can be peeled off and replaced throughout the years to evolve with your taste and keep up to date with the fast paced world of interior design. 

Transforming walls into areas of interest, watercolour wallpaper has the ability to fill bare spaces with its luminous pigments, appearing more like art installations than decor. Whether you’re after drama and definition or softer, more prettier patterns and hues, the look can be personalised to match the look of the rest of your home.

7 dreamy ways to transform your home with watercolour wallpaper:

Accent ceiling

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A post shared by tracey ampaw (@project.new.home) on Jun 26, 2020 at 6:01am PDT

Called the fourth wall, ceilings can be brought to life by being made into an accent wall using wallpaper. From foliage and floral prints to geometric shapes enhanced by metallic shapes, just make sure that the scale of the pattern is in proportion with the room size. A large room can handle bold, flourishing designs, whereas smaller rooms require finer, more delicate patterns. 

Dark and moody

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A post shared by Villa Winterbird (@villa_winterbird) on May 25, 2020 at 2:15pm PDT

Dark paint can add drama to your home, but it’s sometimes difficult to get right. When done incorrectly it can overwhelm the other decor in the room rather than complement it. Another way of pulling off this look without fully committing is watercolour wallpaper, the varying monochromatic shades help break up the solidness whilst still adding depth and interest to what would otherwise be one solid wash of dark colour. 

Marbled effect

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A post shared by Wallpaper with Claire (@wallpaperwithclaire) on Jul 2, 2020 at 10:35am PDT

Marble has dominated the decor scene for quite some time. The luxurious rock complements a range of decor styles because of its standout appearance. The patterns within the rock are formed by varying amounts of minerals present in it, watercolour stylishly mimics this look, varying in its intensity

Metallics 

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A post shared by The DESIGN SEEKER (@thedesign_seeker) on Jun 6, 2020 at 9:17am PDT

The light wash of watercolour pairs perfectly with the boldness of metal finishings, whether it’s the brass frame of a headboard, copper lighting fixtures or shiny gold tapware in the kitchen and bathroom. In the picture above, the pastel hues melt together and help uplift the industrial look of the bathroom so that it’s the right balance between chic and playful.

Intricate patterns and paintings

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A post shared by Natty & Polly Wallpaper (@nattyandpollywallpaper) on Sep 4, 2019 at 3:20am PDT

Watercolour can also be very intricate and is a wonderful way to bring exciting patterns into the home. The designs can be fresh and vibrant or from a limited colour pattern, sampling colour themes from the rest of your existing interior decor. Either way, the artwork looks more rustic and imperfect rather than stenciled and too perfect.

Earthy tones

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A post shared by Emma Hayes (@emmahayestextiles) on May 18, 2019 at 4:27pm PDT

Earthy tones like warm beige, terracotta, mustard and reds are a colour palette that looks beautiful in the bedroom. You can welcome a range of these rusty tones into this space with watercolour as it sets the ideal foundation for layering different textures, materials and colours. Watercolour paint has a lot of texture, so anything from plush velvets to buttery soft fabrics, wood and more will all work well together

Florals

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A post shared by Wallpaew | HD Mural Wallpaper (@wallpaew) on May 11, 2020 at 12:08am PDT

Allow colour and pattern to transform stark walls with delicate watercolour blossoms. Although the colour can seem light and airy with it’s slightly transparent appearance, altogether large floral petals can be just as dramatic as other patterns and textures. 

Feature Image: Instagram

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