30 Timeless Wallpapers You Won't Regret in 30 Years

Whether your preference is for plaid, floral, stripes or toile, when selecting wallpaper, the key to success is sticking to the classics. Let us walk you through what works, where to install wallpaper and where to find it.

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By: Maria Conti and Lauren Oster

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Eastern Idyll

Let history be your guide when making wallpaper selections for your home. Look back on the wallpaper trends that dominated previous decades and pay special attention to the styles that never really left the design scene. Case in point? Schumacher’s Xanadu Landscape, a pattern inspired by the hand-painted Chinese wallpaper in Queen Victoria’s bedroom in Brighton’s Royal Pavilion. This exotic paradise makes a sophisticated statement, and its large pattern makes it ideal for a formal living room, dining room or entry.

See More Photos: Top Showhouse Trends You'll Want to Steal for Your Home

Dive Into Dimension

Don’t you feel compelled to walk up and touch these deep and dreamy blue walls? The rich blue hue comes alive through the texture of this grasscloth wallpaper. Recreate the same stunning dimension in your space by opting for a deep color and textural surface by investing in timeless navy sisal paper that, though pricey, never goes out of style.

See More Photos: 20 Trendy + Texture-Rich Grasscloth Wallpaper Looks

From: Jenn Feldman Designs

Know Your History

Channel the energy of Elsie de Wolfe (known to many as America's first designer) by reaching for a big, bold print inspired by her rooms: Schumacher's Zanzibar Trellis just dares you to look away from its electrifying, jade-green geometry. First introduced in the '70s, the pattern has been a style juggernaut ever since (possibly because once it's up, you can get away with just about anything). Take a tour of this classicly dreamy home, below.

See More Photos: Tour a Classic Southern Estate with a 21st-Century Sense of Fun

From: James Farmer

Checks Out

We’re heading up the fan club for buffalo check wallpaper. No, really. This bold plaid pattern is a top pick because it adds tons of character and charm to a space without appearing overwhelming or busy. Take a cue from this gray and white version — and Joanna Gaines, who designed it herself — and use the preppy pattern to dress up a hall bath or line the walls of your home study for a scholarly-chic design.

Enliven With Ikat

With repeating, symmetrical abstract designs that can recall everything from drawing-room damask to vibrant tropical fabrics, ikat is a true chameleon. Want to start a collection of traditional Chinese temple jars? This Philip Jeffries Indo Ikat in blue and navy on white will back you up. Fancy a foray into contemporary art? It’ll join you there as well. Look for hand-printed, artisanal iterations like this one; its textural hemp background adds even more dimension to the design.

From: Chango and Co.

Petite Print

With an intricate pattern that doesn't tip over into fussiness, Brooke & Lou's Lyla Stripe is perfect for a restful cottage-modern bedroom. Frame it with monochromatic pieces and it could feel quite contemporary; furnish it with more weathered and organic elements, in turn, and it feels like it might've been installed in an old farmhouse. What's not to love?

From: Kate Marker Interiors

Green With Envy

The top designer rule for pulling off a standout design? Be fearless: Commit to color and go the distance. Pick a shade with staying power by steering clear of the “it” colors of the moment and, instead, opting for a vivid interpretation of a primary or secondary color that you love. The brilliant green, hand-embroidered(!) de Gournay custom silk wall covering used in this space proves that simple shades can anchor utterly dazzling spaces.

From: Jonathan Rachman

Chic Contrast

Jet-black-and-ivory sisal grasscloth goes unexpectedly glam when its fibers are oriented vertically and it shares space with gleaming Art Deco-inspired hardware and accessories — and we're here for it. This ultra-versatile material feels like something an action hero might hang in his or her pied à terre, but it could also work in an eclectic cabin; grasscloth works in mysterious ways, friends.

See More Photos: 20 Art Deco Looks We Love

From: Karen B Wolf Interiors

Seeds of Style

Okay, we know what you’re thinking. Palm print doesn’t exactly scream “timeless”, especially after its reemergence on the design scene a few years ago. We get it. The key to executing palm wallpaper in a way that doesn’t feel trendy and/or overdone is to meticulously select a hand drawn or painted variation of the print. This bright and happy bedroom has the right idea by sporting a vintage take on the palm print that feels all at once fresh and timeless. Cultivate a similar bespoke look with a watercolor wall mural — or, if you’re feeling really old-school, the Martinique print Don Loper designed for the Beverly Hills Hotel in 1942.

From: Jordan Shifrin

Go Graphic

This playful foyer swathed in Groundworks Chalet’s small-but-mighty squares proves that even a diminutive pattern can create high-impact, head-turning results. Recreate the look in your space by playing with scale (bigger isn’t always better, friends!) and by using high-contrast color combinations. (Psst: Chalet is available in four other colorways, including a sly, swanky ivory with metallic gold hand-painted squares.)

From: Sarah Wittenbraker

Soften Punchy Prints

If you’re the kind of person who changes their mind just as soon as they make it up, take this advice to heart. It’s easy to appreciate the appeal of graphic patterned wallpaper, as it adds a punch of personality to any design. That said, sometimes said wallpaper grows old, quick. Avoid design regret six months down the road and opt for a softer version. The oversized pattern that fills the wall behind this bathroom vanity (Quadrille Sigourney) is a prime example; its subtle palette of barely-there “Zibby blue” and white keeps the look-at-me sunbursts from overwhelming the space.

From: Corine Maggio

Find Neo-Victorian Romance

Traditionalists, pretty papers based on heirloom handmade quilt designs that were first popularized in the 19th century — like this classic, vertical floral print with undulating stripes — are for you. A sentimental pattern like this one will never feel timeworn.

Opt for Understatement

Create visual interest without straying too far from your comfort zone with just one wall covered in a grasscloth or linen-look wallpaper. The trick here is to select a wallpaper that's just a few shades away from the rest of the walls in the space. The final results will feel effortlessly cool.

From: The Refined Group

Delight in Damask

Ah, the drama of damask (named for Damascus, a trading port on the Silk Road where it became a major weaving technique). It's a classic for a reason. Texture, shape and pattern take center stage in this gorgeous living room where Thibaut’s Mumford Pearl Damask wallpaper serves as a sophisticated backdrop.

Whisper With Wildlife

Weeping willows, water lilies and barely-there birds in Osborne & Little’s Swan Lake bring a delicate air of femininity to this sun-dappled dressing room. Recreate the serene space by opting for a minimalistic botanical motif with just a hint of fauna (think: one species, not a dozen).

From: Naomi Stein

Elegant Etching

There’s an ethereal quality to etched prints that we feel confident you’ll never grow tired of. The weather report for this small bathroom? Storm with a definite sense of style. The whimsical, swirling cloud wallpaper — Cole & Son’s Nuvolette — is used exclusively on the upper half of the walls and paired against fresh, white tile below.

From: Windermere Real Estate

Updated Lock

One-and-done powder-room decor doesn’t get much more elemental than this gleaming paper that riffs on a so-classic-it-literally-predated-the-ancient-Greeks-themselves Greek key design. Both geometric and luxe, a pattern like this one pairs with everything from baroque trim and supersaturated jewel tones to crisp neutrals like the stone-and-wood vanity here. Put your own spin on the look with a grasscloth version like this one, and redecorate around it for decades to come.

From: Forum Phi Architecture

Go for Gold

Metallic wallpaper makes a memorable addition to any design and this golden floral statement wall is no exception. Silver, gold and copper wallpapers with a reflective, shimmery finish will elevate your space with flair that will never go out of style. Ready for your own metallic moment? Try a dimensional, scalloped stunner like this one.

From: EDYTA & CO. Interior Design

All in the Details

Dashing, no? This handsome sitting room features Phillip Jeffries’ Rivets, finely-woven hemp grasscloth with unique, nailhead-inspired embellishments in a windowpane pattern. The masculine look pairs with bright, white wainscoting to create a sophisticated backdrop that will easily blend with future furniture and interior design trends. Create a similar impact at home by selecting a neutral-toned wallpaper that features a luxurious, decorative adornment such as a hand painted motif.

From: Kerrie Kelly

Silver Slumber

It can be tempting to play with pastel pinks and purple when designing a little girl’s room. Our advice? Resist your urges and turn to fresh, silvered paper to create a long-lasting blank slate for the bedroom design, instead. Reaching for an enchanted forest of foiled foliage will add designer-worthy dimension and sophistication to spaces like this one, and can easily transition from diapers, to dolls, to high school drama and beyond.

From: 27 Diamonds Interior Design

Clad in Plaid

Lean into cabin-chic design with cozy, plaid wallpaper. The distinct, crossed pattern is a prep-school staple and a go-to print for cozy, winter pillows and blankets. Usher in that same steady warmth by lining the walls in a traditional plaid wallpaper; to get the look, try Mulberry Home’s Ancient Tartan.

From: Brian Patrick Flynn

Study of Stripes

Simple stripes will never steer you wrong, friends. This handsome, black and brown striped wallpaper adds dramatic impact in this otherwise modest home study. The high contrast pattern and neutral hues create a backdrop to the design that appears classic and tailored. Amplify the metallic stripes’ impact with this speckled version from Walls Republic.

From: Antonio Martins

Swim Upstream

Don’t be afraid to swim against the current in design. The dazzling school on de Gournay’s Fishes (which features pearlescent antiquing on tarnished silver gilded silk) infuses this traditional powder room with a timeless, storybook charm. The aquatic detail gives the bathroom a lakeside feeling, while the wood paneling on the lower half of the wall add a tailored look to the space. In this room, the position of the sea and land have been inverted, with the fish above and the floral print below, giving the space a touch of whimsy.

From: James Wheeler

Speak to Your Surroundings

Let your environment inspire your wallpaper selection. Live by the ocean? We’re jealous. Find inspiration in the tastefully tropical way Schumacher’s Acanthus Stripe elevates this cozy, coastal living room.

From: Jennifer Mehditash

Choose a Cheerful Motif

A good rule of thumb for wallpaper is to pick a pattern that makes you happy. We mean that literally: select a wallpaper that features a cheerful floral or a sunny starburst motif like the one in this cozy kitchen nook.

From: Nastasi Vail Design

Get Touchy

Lean into textured, textile wallpapers to bring style with staying power into your space. This graphic accent wall partners with the carpet to surround this transitional master suite with touchable coziness. Pro tip: Select wallpaper in a shade similar to that of your carpeting for a design that feels intentional and cohesive. Try Serena & Lily’s Cardiff Paperweave Wallcovering to get a feel for what we mean.

From: Brooke Wagner

Dressed to Dream

Dark, masculine suit-stitch textile wallpaper creates a dashing display in this master suite. Menswear staples, such as ticking stripes or herringbone print, make for handsome suits and equally handsome wallpaper. Pull inspiration from British tailors when recreating this distinctly classic and sophisticated space: we recommend the Phillip Jeffries Savile Suiting collection, which features felted and woven wool.

From: Joe Human

Add Unexpected Accents

Give the mundane and overlooked spaces in your home a facelift with a punchy dose of pattern. Covering an accent wall in this utility room with The Wallpaper People’s zippy Rose Kaleidoscope Wallpaper brings instant, low-stakes style to the functional space.

From: Harmony Weihs

Ornate Elements

If you’re itching to empty your coffers on a one of a kind, jaw dropping wall treatments, you’ve come to the right dining room. Create a timeless, dramatic display using hand-painted and –embroidered wallpaper (the standard version of de Gournay’s Badminton is stitched on 12 carat white gold gilded silk, but who says you have to stick with the standard version?). This delicate Chinoiserie imbues a formal space with a richness that is sure to leave dinner guests gasping.

From: Marie Flanigan Interiors

Lead with Luxury

Lean into luxury with a striking, woven fabric wallpaper. This stunning nook features paper that sports streaks of silver and ivory, bringing a sense of depth to the light walls and adding a feeling of refinement to the space. It’s Phillip Jeffries’ Tinseltown, and it’s made to order in colorways with names like “A-List White,” “Marilyn’s Mink,” and “Camera-Ready Cream,” because of course it is.

From: Kelly Sutton