Ivy Garland in Prune from Cotswolds by Coordonne, an ivy lattice in a bathroom with a stone basin on a wooden stand and a framed mirror
Decorating Notes

Yes, You Can Wallpaper a Bathroom: How to Do It Beautifully

By Wallpaper Sales

The idea that wallpaper and bathrooms do not mix is one of decorating's most stubborn myths. Chosen well and hung sensibly, a papered bathroom is one of the most charming rooms in the house.

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For years, conventional wisdom held that wallpaper had no place anywhere near water, and that steam and damp would have it curling off the walls within a season. It is a myth that has deprived a great many bathrooms of a great deal of character.

The truth is more encouraging. With the right paper and a well-ventilated room, wallpaper behaves perfectly well in a bathroom, and it turns what is too often the plainest, most clinical room in the house into one with real warmth. The downstairs cloakroom in particular, which rarely sees a hot shower at all, is the best place in any home to be bold: a tiny, low-stakes jewel box begging for drama. The question is not whether you can, but how to do it so it lasts.

"The idea that wallpaper and bathrooms do not mix has deprived a lot of bathrooms of a lot of charm."

Look at what a papered bathroom actually does. Poppy in Red, from Coordonné's Victorian collection, turns a cloakroom into a jewel box, and Triana in Celadon, from Sevilla, gives a freestanding bath a soft green room to sit in. Octopoda Grand by Josephine Munsey is pure wit above a copper bath, and Calico Shell in Cobalt, from V&A Decorative Papers II, takes a chequerboard floor and a claw-foot bath somewhere properly theatrical.

Poppy Red from Victorian by Coordonne, a small red flower and trellis print in a cloakroom with a stone basin on a wooden sideboard and a shaped mirror

Poppy, Red by Coordonné

Triana in Celadon from Sevilla by Coordonne, a soft green trellis in a bathroom with a freestanding bath, an arched mirror and a wooden console

Triana, Celadon by Coordonné

Octopoda Grand by Josephine Munsey, octopuses and small fish on pale green in a bathroom with a copper roll top bath and open wooden shelving

Octopoda Grand by Josephine Munsey

Calico Shell in Cobalt Blue from V and A Decorative Papers II by 1838 Wallcoverings, a blue shell scallop covering a bathroom with a dark claw foot bath and a chequerboard floor

Calico Shell, Cobalt by 1838 Wallcoverings

The Right Paper, and the Right Spot

Two things make a papered bathroom a success: what you choose, and where you put it. For a family bathroom that sees real steam, look to the more robust washable and wipeable designs, including the many handsome vinyls made for exactly these conditions, which shrug off humidity far better than a delicate uncoated paper. Then be sensible about placement: keep paper clear of the direct splash zones around the basin, the bath and especially inside a shower, where tile or panelling will always serve you better.

The classic arrangement puts panelling or tiles on the lower half and paper above, as with Calathea, from Sanderson's Glasshouse, and Wilhelmina, from Melsetter by Morris & Co. Allurium in Day and Whispering Fern in Navy, both by Graham & Brown, show the other approach, giving the paper the drier walls and letting the wet end look after itself. Above all, ventilation is what really protects a papered bathroom: an extractor that works, or a window that actually gets opened, matters more than anything else, because it is lingering steam rather than the occasional splash that causes trouble.

Calathea from Glasshouse by Sanderson, a fine botanical above pale tongue and groove panelling with a roll top bath in front of it

Calathea, Glasshouse by Sanderson

Wilhelmina from Melsetter by Morris and Co, a blue tile effect design above half height panelling with a pale blue claw foot bath beneath

Wilhelmina, Melsetter by Morris & Co

Allurium in Day by Graham and Brown, a trailing fruit and flower print in a bathroom with a freestanding bath, tall windows and an arched alcove of shelves

Allurium, Day by Graham & Brown

Whispering Fern in Navy from Solstice by Graham and Brown, a blue fern stripe in a bathroom with a marble topped vanity, an oval mirror and a brass wall light

Whispering Fern, Navy by Graham & Brown

"With the right paper and good ventilation, wallpaper lasts perfectly well in a bathroom."

Where It Works Best

Some treatments are near foolproof. A cloakroom can simply be papered top to toe, and the smaller the room the bolder you can afford to be. Beatrice in Light Green, from Sandberg's Herbarium, does exactly that for a washstand barely wider than itself, and Linnea in Blue, from Trädgården, proves a pretty floral is not too delicate for the job. Mystic Garden in Spa Blue, from Thibaut's Eden, shows how much a whole papered wall does for a small one, while Ivy Garland in Prune, from Coordonné's Cotswolds, is the quietest of the lot. Pure Bachelors Button the most restrained, white on cream behind a plain white bath.

Do not forget the ceiling either, which in a small enclosed room makes a gorgeous and surprising fifth wall. A bathroom is the right place for pattern you might hesitate over elsewhere, whether that is a lush tropical, a dramatic dark floral or a glamorous Art Deco. Its small scale makes a big gesture affordable, and its private nature makes it fun.

Light Green Beatrice from Herbarium by Sandberg, a fine botanical in a small cloakroom with a white washstand, a mirrored cabinet and a wooden stool

Beatrice, Light Green by Sandberg

Blue Linnea from Tradgarden by Sandberg, a blue floral in a bathroom with a gilt mirror, a basin unit and white tiling

Linnea, Blue by Sandberg

Mystic Garden in Spa Blue from Eden by Thibaut, a teal and green garden scene in a bathroom with a white vanity, a mirror and chrome taps

Mystic Garden, Spa Blue by Thibaut

Pure Bachelors Button from Pure Morris North by Morris and Co, a white on cream Morris print behind a pale freestanding bath with a towel over the edge

Pure Bachelors Button by Morris & Co

Choose a design that makes you smile on an ordinary morning, order a sample to see how it sits in the room's light and humidity, and give a bold pattern plenty of plain tile or paint to play against. Browse the whole bathroom collection to start. Done with a little thought, the bathroom stops being the room you apologise for and becomes, quite possibly, the one guests remember best.

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