21 Kitchen Wallpaper Ideas to Personalize Your Space

Using wallpaper in a kitchen is a daring style move that might feel intimidating to the uninitiated. But it's a powerful way to brighten things up by adding some color and pattern, and to personalize a space that can sometimes feel a little bit too utilitarian, under-decorated, or simply boring.

While installing wallpaper in a room prone to spills and spatters might seem like a high-maintenance, high-risk endeavor, wallpaper can be cleaned like any other surface in the house. If you're a renter and don't have the budget or the permission to add traditional wallpaper, there are a multitude of easy-to-install temporary and removable wallpaper options on the market that can make your place feel more like home, and won't cause you to lose your security deposit when you move out.

Let these fun and unexpected ideas for using wallpaper in the kitchen inspire you to try it yourself.

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Channel Vintage Vibes

Design by Arciform / Photo by Christopher Dibble

Interior designer Anne De Wolf from Portland, OR-based firm Arciform chose Egrets wallpaper by Florence Broadhurst for the kitchen remodel of a 1909 cottage-style bungalow that was inspired by her client's "eclectic, cosmopolitan style and the industrial 1920s." The wallpaper is the perfect complement to a room bursting with charm and vintage details, like a farm-style sink, a French gas range in Delft Blue by LaCanche, and antique furniture pieces repurposed as prep spaces and storage.

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Add Geometry

@meganpdlugdesigns / Instagram

This sweet kitchen from NYC-based Megan Pflug Designs has an effortless, laid back charm, with decor details like a lovely antique sink, simple country-style painted wood open shelving, and Cole & Son Hicks' Hexagon Black/G Wallpaper in a peppy graphic pattern that gives the space an extra dose of energy and personality and ties it all together.

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Embrace Dark Florals

Design by Cecilia Casagrande Interiors / Photo by Sean Litchfield

Cecilia Casagrande Interiors papered the dining nook of her eat-in kitchen in Brookline, MA with dramatic large-scale floral wallpaper designed by Ellie Cashman that is inspired by the style of Dutch still life paintings. It gives the corner banquette the feel of a room-within-a-room and creates a sophisticated, stylish focal point that elevates the space.

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Add Movement

Design by Studio DB / Photo by Mike Garten

In this stylish eat-in kitchen designed by Manhattan-based Studio DB, groovy wallpaper with a squiggly navy blue pattern is used to define the dining area, creating a sophisticated corner booth aesthetic that works for family dinners or late night drinks once the kids are in bed.

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Add a Wall Mural

Design by deVOL Kitchens

In this delightful eat-in kitchen from U.K.-based deVOL Kitchens, American folk art-inspired wallpaper designed by Andrew Martin functions like a wall mural. The soft powder pink background and fairy-tale scenes of mythical creatures and trees with giant pears adds charm and breathes life into the space, making it feel special and inviting.

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Add Tropical Flair

KShan Design

This compact Costa Mesa kitchen by KShan Design is enlivened with tropical wallpaper in shades of green and hints of pink that are picked up on the wall of the adjoining space. The busy pattern makes the limited kitchen wall space burst with color and energy without overwhelming, and is toned down by the classic black and white tile floor and simple white hexagonal tile backsplash.

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Add Faux Marbling

Design by Rebel Walls

If you love the idea of remodeling your kitchen with classic but expensive materials like marble, wallpaper is a cost-effective way to mimic the effect of pricey stone without spending a fortune. Plus, it's easier to swap out when your tastes change and you find yourself dreaming about exposed brick. In this neutral, streamlined kitchen, marble wallpaper from Rebel Walls adds a sense of luxury and an additional texture without breaking the budget.

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Add Color and Pattern

Design by Farrow & Ball

An otherwise simple white kitchen is the perfect blank canvas for bold, mesmerizing patterned wallpaper in soothing shades of green from Farrow & Ball.

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Go Forest Bathing

Design by Rebel Walls

A plain galley kitchen gets an eye-popping makeover with this large scale wall mural from Rebel Walls that feels like a forest bathing walk in the woods. Covering two walls gives the narrow rectangular room a sense of depth and expands the space while lending an escapist feel to the breakfast nook.

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Have Some Cake

Design by deVOL Kitchens

In this sweet classic English kitchen design by deVOL Kitchens, wallpaper by Thornback & Peel in a pink retro illustrated jelly and cake pattern adds a dose of nostalgic charm that works beautifully with the high-end appliances and fittings and dark green wall paint.

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Wallpaper the Ceiling

Design by deVOL Kitchens

While wallpaper tends to steal the show when used in a kitchen, in this moody space from deVOL Kitchens, embossed paintable wallpaper by Anaglypta is used to create subtle texture on the ceiling, adding interest and dimension with an understated touch.

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Split It Up

Design by Farrow & Ball

One way to dress up the blank canvas of an all-white, contemporary cookie cutter kitchen is by installing an accent wall of wallpaper in any pattern that strikes your fancy. If you keep the rest of the space neutral, there's no need to worry about coordinating colors or styles, so feel free to go bold like this wallpaper design from Farrow & Ball that occupies the upper half of the wall above the kitchen backsplash.

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Bring In Some Plant Life

Design by Rebel Walls

If you love plants but lack a green thumb, why not introduce a wall of pretty painted plant life to your kitchen with wallpaper? This design from Rebel Walls looks like a vintage book of garden illustrations come to life, with a calming gray background and subtle shades of green that create a serene feel.

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Brighten Up the Pantry

Classy Clutter

Taking design risks in small spaces is a great way to experiment without a huge investment or commitment. Bloggers Mallory Nikolaus and Savannah Kokalaires at Classy Clutter teamed up on this compact pantry that uses uplifting, colorful floral wallpaper as a backdrop for shelving and storage. Dressing up otherwise utilitarian corners of your home in bright colors and patterns is a small life-affirming act of self-care that we can all get behind.

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Highlight Architectural Details

Design by deVOL Kitchens

Kitchen wallpaper doesn't always have to make a giant statement or dominate the entire room. In this airy English kitchen, deVOL Kitchens added Little Greene Paint Company wallpaper to liven up a recessed arch over what would have been the fireplace in the original room, highlighting part of the room's existing architecture and creating a charming vignette.

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Add Whimsy

Andreas von Einsiedel / Getty Images

In this spacious eat-in kitchen in a Victorian terraced house in London, Fornasetti wallpaper adds a touch of color and whimsy that helps take the eye off the freestanding fridge and makes it feel like a room you want to spend time in.

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Dress Up the Breakfast Nook

Michelle Berwick Design

Wallpaper can be expensive, but if you choose the right pattern and the right spot, a little can go a long way. Michelle Berwick Design added bold and colorful floral wallpaper above the arched breakfast nook of this shiny white kitchen that makes a huge statement, changing the whole mood of the room without requiring a ton of product.

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Embellish the Island

A Beautiful Mess

There's no reason that wallpaper has to go on the wall. In this kitchen from A Beautiful Mess, graphic black-and-white wallpaper (Hands by Pottok) adorns the front of the kitchen island, complementing by neon yellow industrial-style stools that create a moment in the light and airy space.

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Glam It Up

Design by J Hill Interiors / Photo by Jenny Siegwart

Interior designer Jessica Hill-Tompane at J Hill Interiors added bright wallpaper in a large-scale palm print pattern to this vibrant and colorful eat-in kitchen. A blingy gold pendant light and plush upholstered chairs around a small bistro table create a fun place for morning coffees and midnight snacks.

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Carry It Through

Neva Interior Design / Photo by Agathe Tissier

In this petite Parisian kitchen from Neva Interior Design, airy multi-colored wallpaper with hand-painted illustrations of birds and flowers complements the soothing sage green cabinetry, and echoes the colors of the throw pillows scattered on the built-in seating opposite.

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DIY It

A Beautiful Mess

If you want to create the look of wallpaper without the cost or hassle of putting it up, or are in the mood for a fun DIY project, let this cheerful hand-stamped clementine wall from A Beautiful Mess show you how it's done.