Wall Art and Wallpaper: The Winning Combination for Decorating Your Home
The right combination of wallpaper and wall art are key to creating a stylish, cohesive, and inviting space. Wallpaper anchors a room with color, texture, and pattern, while wall art provides depth, character, and a polished finishing touch. Together, the two are a force to be reckoned with when it comes to decorating a space in style.
But how can you ensure your space is perfectly balanced, beautiful, and curated from floor to ceiling? In this ultimate guide to pairing wallpaper and wall art, we’ll walk you through all the tricks and techniques you need to make your walls pop.
Why Wallpaper & Wall Art Work So Well Together
Wallpaper and wall art are often thought to be interchangeable: if you have a loud wallpaper, for example, you should probably avoid hanging any art, right? Wrong! When done right, the two are complementary, balancing the room and giving the walls a curated look. In fact, these are the three main reasons why pairing wallpaper and wall art is a winning combo:
1. Wallpaper + Art Creates Dimension & Visual Interest
Wallpaper in itself immediately adds personality, color, and character to a room, while a statement art piece or gallery wall of smaller frames draws attention and functions as a centerpiece.
2. Wallpaper & Art Establish a Room’s Style
Wallpaper can set the tone of a space, whether it’s modern, traditional, bohemian, or contemporary. Wall art follows up by refining the overall aesthetic and helping the room look intentional and complete.
3. Wallpaper & Wall Art Frame a Room’s Composition
Empty walls are never a good look, and even when wallpapered they can feel overwhelming if left blank. Hanging art in strategic ways breaks up a large wall and balances out the room as a whole, ensuring the eye travels where you want it to.
Step-by-Step Guide: How to Pair Wall Art with Wallpaper
Step 1: Decide on a Focal Point
Balance is everything when it comes to displaying wall art and wallpaper together. To create a cohesive interior, start by determining the focal point of the room:
Do you want to feature bolder wallpaper as the main design element?
Or do you want to highlight your art as a primary visual anchor?
Answering these questions will dictate your final design choices, including your art style, frame, and arrangement.
💡 Pro Tip: If you have a gallery wall, make sure the wallpaper won’t distract from the frame itself. This can be done by using a wallpaper with softer patterns and neutral colors.
Step 2: Match Colors for a Harmonious Feel
The key to mixing wallpaper and wall art is color coordination. The colors you choose will help bring the space together and make it feel like it’s all intentional and designed as a whole.
Color Combination Strategies:
✔ Choose One Dominant Color – Find one key color in your wallpaper and incorporate it in your artwork.
✔ Find a Complementary Color – Picking opposite colors on the color wheel (e.g., blue and orange) for wallpaper and art creates high contrast.
✔ Stick to One Color Family (Monochromatic Theme) – This keeps the look sleek and sophisticated.
✔ Balance Bold with Bold, Simple with Simple – If you have multicolored wallpaper, choose the most subtle color as a base for your art.
💡 Pro Tip: Hang a few different art samples on the wall to see which one looks best with your wallpaper before you commit to anything.
Step 3: Consider Scale & Proportion
Size matters! It’s crucial to choose a wall art style and frame size that balances with your wallpaper in terms of scale and proportion.
Size Guidelines to Keep in Mind:
✔ Oversized Wallpaper, Oversized Art – Large-scale wallpaper patterns should be matched with larger wall art to keep proportion in check.
✔ Fine/Simple Wallpaper, Gallery Wall – If you have a fine or subtle wallpaper pattern, you can get away with multiple smaller frames.
✔ Leave Breathing Room – Avoid placing wall art frames too close to a busy wallpaper design. Let each element have its own space.
💡 Pro Tip: If your wallpaper pattern is detailed, choose artwork with a more simple subject (think abstract art, line drawings, or simple photography).
Step 4: Mix & Match Textures
Another great trick is mixing up different materials and textures for a more dynamic, visually interesting space. This can also apply to wallpaper and wall art.
Texture Pairing Ideas:
✔ Matte Artwork + Glossy Wallpaper – Helps avoid glare and adds a sophisticated contrast.
✔ Canvas Art + Textured Wallpaper – Works well for vintage, bohemian styles.
✔ Framed Prints + Fabric Wallpaper – Gives a touch of structure without overpowering the soft background.
✔ Metallic or Foil Wallpaper + Neutral Art – Achieves a luxurious, high-end effect.
💡 Pro Tip: If you choose a textured wallpaper (grasscloth, embossed, or fabric-based), pair it with framed wall art with a sleek finish.
Step 5: Experiment with Placement & Layout
Arranging and placing artwork on wallpapered walls is a simple but effective way to change a room’s aesthetic. Here are the best placement styles to try out:
Popular Wall Art Placement Styles:
✔ Centered Statement Piece – Perfect for a simple, modern look, this style uses a single large piece of art centered on a wallpapered wall.
✔ Gallery Wall on Patterned Wallpaper – Best with simple, uniform frames and black-and-white photography.
✔ Asymmetrical Layout – For an eclectic look, mix different sizes and styles of artwork.
✔ Leaning Art on a Shelf – If your wallpaper goes all the way to the ceiling, simply lean framed art against the wall for a more layered effect.
💡 Pro Tip: Always use painter’s tape to map out your wall art arrangement on the wall before nailing or hammering into papered walls.
Perfect Wall Art & Wallpaper Pairings by Design Style
Each design style has its own flavor of wallpaper-and-wall art pairings. Below we share the combinations that work best in each interior design theme:
1. Modern Minimalist
✔ Wallpaper: Textured wallpaper in neutral colors (gray, beige, white)
✔ Wall Art: Large-scale abstract prints or black-and-white photography
2. Bohemian & Eclectic
✔ Wallpaper: Botanical, handmade, or textured murals
✔ Wall Art: Woven tapestries, macramé wall hangings, layered canvas paintings
3. Vintage & Classic
✔ Wallpaper: Damask, toile, or Victorian-inspired floral patterns
✔ Wall Art: Ornate gold-framed oil paintings, vintage prints, traditional portraitures
4. Industrial & Urban Chic
✔ Wallpaper: Exposed brick, concrete, or metallic textures
✔ Wall Art: Bold typography prints, black-and-white cityscapes, mixed-media art
5. Coastal & Nautical
✔ Wallpaper: Sea-inspired textures, blue and white stripes
✔ Wall Art: Framed ocean photography, driftwood wall sculptures, watercolor paintings
Final Thoughts: Transform Your Walls With Wallpaper & Art
Wallpaper and wall art are key elements that work in concert to bring your vision of a space to life. They are not only decorative elements, but tools you can use to establish and balance a room’s aesthetic, creating a cohesive look from floor to ceiling.
At Wall Artifacts, we offer both wallpaper and wall art to help you transform and upgrade any room. From our classic black and white abstract prints to custom-designed pieces to fit your style and personality, we have the perfect high-end wall art to match any of our transformative wallpapers. Explore Wall Artifacts’ exclusive collections now and pair your walls like a pro.
