Knowing where to buy wallpaper is no longer the exclusive domain of interior designers. Once, the best wallpaper sources like Schumacher, York, Cole & Son, and Scalamandre only offered their wallpapers through design professionals and trade showrooms. Retail selections available to the public were usually low-end, cheesy, or rather generic.
If you were working with an interior designer, they would have access to “trade only” showrooms, where you could browse the full collections of top wallpaper manufacturers at your leisure – often with coordinating fabrics available as well, so your designer could pull an entire look together. But not everyone works with an interior designer – although we always think that’s the best way to go.
If you’re working with an interior designer and have a local showroom, treat those resources like gold.
Fewer showrooms are open now, and it really is a joy to flip through page after page of gorgeous patterns and textures, on a treasure hunt for the perfect wallcovering. (Our title photo was taken at San Antonio’s designer showroom, KBK to the Trade, one of the best wallpaper sources in the central Texas area) But if that’s just not an option, you’ll have to buy online, which opens up a whole different set of issues.
Before you shop – why wallpaper samples are critical
Most of us don’t have the visualization skills to see a photo of a wallpaper online and envision it in our own homes. It’s important to know how to evaluate wallpaper online, and to order samples so you can feel the wallpaper and see a piece of it in your own space. The best wallpaper sources all allow you to order samples, usually for a nominal fee. Do not skip this step!
Without a physical sample on hand (also called a “memo”), you won’t know how the wallpaper feels to the touch, how reflective or shiny it is, where there’s a slight fabric-like texture, how the colors look in your own home. It would be similar to ordering a custom sofa without taking a swatch of the fabric home first, to see and feel it in your space. Choosing a wallpaper without getting a memo sample first is a fairly risky move.
Plus, you’ll want to evaluate how the scale of the pattern looks in your home. Look for photos of the wallpaper on a full-sized wall as well, to see if the pattern repeat is pleasing to you. I’ve fallen in love with plenty of wallpaper samples that look like small works of art, but turn into an annoying checkerboard when repeated in an entire room. Make sure that whimsical design will look amazing when expanded onto all four walls!
When it’s time to shop for your wallpaper, you’ll want to check out both the giant online retailers and the smaller niche wallpaper lines. We’ll list some of the most popular below.
Some of the best wallpaper sources we’ve found
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The Big Retailers
First let’s talk about the two giants in online wallpaper shopping. The sheer variety available will make your head spin – again, keep in mind the principles in our blog post on how to choose wallpaper, so you don’t get sucked into the vortex!
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Wallpaper Direct
This is the “Amazon” of wallpaper suppliers, offering a wide variety from multiple designers, including some of the designers listed below. Great for browsing a little bit of everything!
Etsy
Another Amazon-esque giant, carrying wallpaper lines by dozens of manufacturers. However, Etsy also has unique, custom-made selections, including a huge variety of removable “peel and stick” wallpaper. Talented artisans and wallpaper designers who are small and local but don’t have the resources to put their papers into giant production channels can use Etsy to make their offerings available to the world.
The Established Designer Lines
Wallpaper used to be dominated by only a few established manufacturers, and in many ways, it still is. These makers account for the vast majority of wallpapers sold today, and their offerings are as varied and stunning as you could wish. From barely-there silk-like textures to bold graphics to hand-painted creations, odds are you’ll find what you want on one of these websites. Many of them also make their stock available on Wallpaper Direct, but their websites are extensive and well worth browsing.
York Wallcoverings
Cole & Son
This British company has been crafting wallpapers for 150 years. They have a wonderful blend of contemporary and traditional, with plenty of bold patterns and global inspirations.
Schumacher
Scalamandre
Another venerable brand, with eye-catching wallpapers that wow in every space. Their “Zebras” wallpaper, with its bold colors and funky repeat, is a classic.
Phillip Jeffries
Thibaut
Gracie and DeGournay
No list of the best wallpaper sources is complete without these two. These manufacturers, both over a hundred years old, put “chinoiserie wallpaper” on the map. Each of their papers are hand-painted with exquisite detail, and customized to fit your specific room, so that the design factors in the location of the doors and windows. If you love opulent, traditional, or maximalist style, you need to visit their websites. Bear in mind that these are hand-painted wallcoverings, often done on silk, so they are priced accordingly.
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The Smaller Specialty Lines
Now for some of the cool, unique, trendy, fabulous wallpaper designers and suppliers that aren’t one of the Big Venerable Wallpaper Houses. New makers are always coming online, but this list is comprehensive enough that you can easily find several wallpapers you love just from this list. There’s a wonderful renaissance in wallpaper design right now, as we all want to personalize our homes to reflect our own individual style. So curl up in a comfy chair, grab some coffee, and have fun browsing these amazing websites.
Mind the Gap
For boldly patterned, exuberant wallpapers, this European company excels. Their motto says it all: “Patterns with a rebellious, contemporary edge.” Yet their wallpapers can look strikingly sophisticated. Some of our favorite projects are with Mind the Gap’s papers.
Flavor Paper
. . . is very artist-driven, with unique designs that you can find adorning the walls of places like Bergdorf Goodman, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and Fiorella in San Francisco.
Spoonflower
. . . lets you design your own wallpaper or browse its ever-growing inventory so you can get the perfect print for your walls. Like many of the boutique wallpaper makers, their collections are constantly evolving, so if you see something you love, snatch it up.
Milton & King
Made to order in Australia, they run the gamut from “classic” to “fun”, and also have some great murals for baby nurseries or kids’ rooms.
Rifle Paper Co..
Rifle Paper originated as a stationary store with its own designs, and their wallpaper still have that flat color, “printed” vibe. Cool retro designs.
Chasing Paper.
Another artist-driven site, Chasing Paper (like many others) offers all its selection in a peel and stick option.
Work and Sea
Another collection of art-driven wallpaper that’s worth browsing. Their offerings are lovely and unique.
Timorous Beasties
Another fun one, this is a Scottish company that specializes in bold, colorful patterns with a moody, sometimes Gothic vibe.
Home Decor Stores that Sell Wallpaper
When you’re looking for where to buy wallpaper, you’ll also find several e-commerce sites that are well known for home decor, that carry many of the unique wallpaper lines mentioned above, or their own wallpaper collections. Easier to search through than a giant like WallpaperDirect, these are good sites to browse if you already know you love the retailer’s style.
Anthropologie.
Yes, they sell clothing, but this boho-inspired store has some great wallpapers! They carry many wallpaper makers like Rifle Paper Co. that you’ll also find on other websites (Rifle Paper is also sold through York Wallcoverings, as well as on their own site), so there is some overlap, but it’s worth browsing their boho- and vintage-inspired designs. Word of warning: their collections are constantly changing, so if you spot something you love, don’t wait!
Pottery Barn Kids.
Like Anthropologie, PBK carries wallpaper lines by different makers. If you want a nursery or kids’ room wallpaper that your little one won’t outgrow in a few years, this is a good place to start.
West Elm
Their furniture lines are loved for their “retro-classic” vibe, but they also carry great wallpapers, ranging from boho to arts-and-crafts to contemporary graphics.
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Serena & Lily
This home decor online retailer also has its own line of wallpapers, mostly with small subtle prints, such as delicate florals that evoke a historic vibe.
Where to buy wallpaper online – the TLDR Summary List
Just want the list of some of the best wallpaper sources we’ve shown above? Here you go!
- Wallpaper Direct
- Etsy
- York
- Cole & Son
- Schumacher
- Scalamandre
- Phillip Jeffries
- Thibaut
- Romo
- Gracie
- DeGournay
- Mind the Gap
- Hygge and West
- Flavor Paper
- Spoonflower
- Milton & King
- Rifle Paper
- Chasing Paper
- Work and Sea
- Timorous Beasties
- Roommates
- Anthropologie
- Pottery Barn Kids
- West Elm
- Serena & Lily
And finally. . .
We would be remiss if we didn’t make another plug for hiring an interior designer, who can take you to a trade showroom where you can shop gorgeous designs to your heart’s content. Plus there are many smaller, limited-run wallpaper lines that may not be easily found. Interior designers will know where to buy wallpaper that’s particularly unique or customizable, even if those papers aren’t widely available to the general public. Designers have the artistic intuition and the experience to make the right wallpaper selections, and they may have ideas for your space you might never have thought of.
Have fun with the process. Knowing where to buy wallpaper really comes down to browsing both the large e-commerce sites AND all the great smaller design studios out there.
