Boråstapeter makes Swedish wallpaper that ranges from lush florals to quiet geometrics, which is wonderful for choice but can make it hard to know where to start. This guide works room by room, with specific designs for living rooms, bedrooms and children's rooms, plus simple tips on scale, colour and how much wall to cover.
Start with how the room should feel
Before looking at patterns, decide whether the wallpaper is the main event or the backdrop. A busy floral pulls focus, so the furniture can stay simple; a calm geometric lets a patterned sofa, rug or artwork take centre stage. Boråstapeter's range covers both, so this one decision narrows things down quickly.
Next, think about how much wall you'll paper. A bold design on a single wall gives you a focal point without overwhelming the space. A subtle, repeating design on all four walls creates a seamless, cosy look that works particularly well in bedrooms and hallways.
Living rooms: calm backdrops and confident accents
If your living room already has plenty going on, choose a wallpaper that holds back. Ängby has a discreet geometric pattern of wavy vertical lines that lets furniture and textiles take centre stage, and comes in Green or Grey. Angela is similar in spirit: playful white lines on a grey-white, textile-effect background, in a neutral tone-on-tone palette that blends retro character with modern flair.
For a living room that needs more personality, My Secret Garden is a stylised interpretation of artist Linnea Andersson's own secret garden room. Her hand-painted foliage seems to dance across the wall, printed with a discreet effect reminiscent of textiles. It has a cool, contemporary Scandinavian feel, so pair it with pale wood, simple shapes and one or two plants rather than lots of extra pattern.
Bedrooms: florals that feel restful
Bedrooms are the natural home for florals. French Roses has vibrant, richly coloured blooms and delicately drawn foliage on a backdrop of palest beige with a hint of green. Romantic and a little whimsical, it looks lovely on the wall behind the bed; keep the bedding plain and pick out one of the rose colours in a cushion or throw.
Alicia has a light, hand-painted floral pattern full of vintage charm and rural atmosphere, and it's gentle enough to wrap around all four walls. Ängsblomma, meaning 'meadow flower', takes its inspiration from traditional Swedish floral porcelain, with hand-painted flowers neatly scattered across the wall. The effect is calm and spacious, which suits a smaller bedroom.
If you prefer something more structured, Alba brings classic Arts and Crafts style with a medallion pattern of tulips and lilies in soft pastels. It makes a neutral backdrop for your furnishings, so it's a good choice if you like to change bedding and accessories with the seasons.
Children's rooms: playful but easy to grow into
Savannah was created with Newbie's design studio and shows giraffes and elephants living side by side beneath palms and acacias. It's ideal for a nursery, child's bedroom or playroom, and comes in Beige or White. With a design this full of character, keep furniture and storage simple and let the animals do the talking.
Children's tastes change quickly, so consider papering just one wall, perhaps behind the cot or bed, and painting the rest in a colour drawn from the design. When the room needs updating, there's only one wall to change. For an older child, a floral such as Blomsterhav grows up nicely. Its name means 'sea of flowers', and designer Noomi Spange's lupins, lilies, sweet peas and monkshood climb the walls alongside blackberries and strawberries in a lively yet calming pattern.
Pulling the scheme together
- Repeat one colour. Pick a shade from the wallpaper and echo it in two or three places, such as a cushion, a lampshade or a vase.
- Vary the scale. If the wallpaper is busy, choose plain or small-scale textiles so the room doesn't feel cluttered.
- Use pattern to zone. In open-plan spaces, different wallpapers can define separate areas, linked by a shared colour.
Browse our full Boråstapeter collection to see every design and colourway, or contact the team if you'd like help choosing the right pattern for your room. You're also very welcome to visit the shop in Somerset.
