How to choose a wallpaper for a small kitchen - methods and tips

Wallpaper is a rather important detail of the interior, able to set the overall tone for the entire design. For small kitchens, proper wall decoration is especially critical, because in a small space it is so important to maintain comfort.

With wallpaper you can smooth out the irregularities of the kitchen walls and slightly visually increase the space.

How to visually expand the space in a small kitchen with wallpaper

If you competently approach the choice of wallpaper for a small kitchen, you can create not just a beautiful design, but also visually increase the space. You can achieve this in the following ways:

1. Finish in bright colors. Dark colors on the wallpaper are allowed only as patterns on a light background. However, stopping your choice on white is also not worth it, because it is not only uncomfortable, but also impractical.
2. Choose wallpaper in pastel colors with small, possibly geometric patterns. Large vertical stripes can somewhat expand the space of other rooms in the apartment, but in a small area they, like large drawings, will look bulky.
3. Use canvases with small horizontal or vertical stripes to visually increase the space in width or length, respectively. This approach can be used if the kitchen looks disproportionate. A good option is to cover the upper part of the wall with such wallpaper, paint or plaster the lower part in tone.
4. Play in contrasts. For this, a pair of long walls is covered with wallpaper in a dark palette, and a pair of end walls is covered in light. This is a relatively new design idea, but it is starting to gain popularity.
5. Use glossy or mirror wallpapers. Visibly expand the space due to their reflective abilities.
6. Paste one wall with wall murals with deep drawings or landscapes. However, it is important that they are of good quality, otherwise the effect will be blurry.
7. Choose soft patterns. This will make the space more airy and therefore larger.
8. Order wallpaper with a print of the kitchen. The drawing will visually continue the room, which, when performed well, looks very good. However, it must be precisely suited to the real atmosphere of the kitchen, and therefore the manufacture of such paintings will be very costly.

Zoning a kitchen with an ornament

A rather interesting way to visually change a room is to separate zones using a wallpaper pattern. The easiest option is to combine a striped ornament, when one part of the kitchen increases in height and the other in width.

An important rule: the fewer shades involved in the design of a small kitchen, the more harmonious its interior.

The separation of zones for work and rest can be done using:

• coatings with a bright large print;
• use of several plain colors;
• a combination of a dark working area (which increases its practicality) and a bright recreation area.

In a normal-sized kitchen (at least 8 square meters or more), you can still afford bold experiments with color contrasts.

Note! Lively and spectacular wallpapers with catchy drawings should be used only to create an accent, but not as basic ones.

How to choose a wallpaper in a small kitchen: design tips

When choosing, you should rely on the following points:

• style decision;
• the degree of illumination of the room, mainly natural, if the windows face the south side, a cold and restrained range is better, and if the north side is warm and cozy;
• a harmonious combination of design, that is, the selection of wallpapers based on the style and brightness of other elements: the facade of the kitchen, apron, furniture, curtains;
• in the case of white interior decoration, the color of the coating pattern can be almost arbitrary.

In a small room it’s more profitable to bet on light shades

The choice of color and pattern - expanding the space

For small kitchens, it makes no sense to use dark-colored wallpapers in a matte texture, as they visually reduce the space. The right choice would be light, pastel colors or bright, but neatly balanced colors.

If you want a predictable result, choose light-colored wallpapers with a soft pearly sheen.

However, decorating the kitchen exclusively in white is also not worth it, since this, in addition to creating an uncomfortable atmosphere, contributes to the visual reduction of the room. White elements are best diluted with bright accents, which will provide an impression of light and space.

Thanks to the light gloss, the surface of the wallpaper reflects the maximum of light, so it will visually make more even a cramped, poorly lit kitchen.

The use of dark shades is permissible only on secondary roles: as a thin and unobtrusive pattern on a tile or wallpaper. They are able to emphasize the depth of pastel shades, making the room more elegant.

Dark matte wallpapers reduce space. But sometimes they give it depth.

In small rooms, you should not combine more than two or three shades, as this will create the impression of excessive variegation and clumsyness. Combinations of several self-contained shades look good only in large rooms. The best option for limited space is a monochrome design.

Take a closer look at the pastel range with a cold undertone: cream, beige, light gray, cappuccino, ivory.

However, simple monophonic surfaces are not to everyone's liking. In this case, accurate and thoughtful use of drawings and prints is allowed.

The wallpaper pattern must necessarily be proportionate to the proportions of your small kitchen.

In the patterns, you should adhere to a minimalist approach, giving preference not to large-scale and vivid murals, but to thin graceful lines and small drawings. In general, the dimensions of the drawings should be proportional to the scale of the room. Also, patterns should not be used to decorate the entire kitchen. It is better to use them to create an accent, for example, over a dining table or on an apron.

Give preference to wallpaper with a faint small pattern: flowers, a cage, a narrow strip, a geometric ornament, including glossy on a matte background.

It is not necessary to use abstract images. Floral, fruit, coffee and other food related motifs are perfectly acceptable. Of course, they should be high-quality and clear. However, the main thing is to know the measure in such an ornament and not fill it with all the space, otherwise a feeling of congestion will be created.

For eye-catching wallpapers with an active pattern, select the color of the facades as neutral as possible (white, beige, gray are ideal).

Striped or checkered wallpapers will look appropriate in almost any interior. They should have a suitable, not very bright and contrasting color, as well as miniature elements. It is also worth using them sparingly, without pasting all the walls with them.

Any vertically elongated ornament (it is not necessary to glue strips) is able to visually slightly “raise” the ceiling.

A rather unusual option is wallpaper with imitation of brickwork. Looks good when properly sized and in combination with white walls. For a better view of the appearance of such wallpaper for the kitchen, you should see the photo.

To avoid future unpleasant surprises when buying, carefully study the legend on the roll label.

Material Selection Highlights

Good wallpaper for the kitchen should have the following characteristics:

• water resistance;
• dirt-repellent surface;
• dense structure, resistant to ultraviolet radiation and abrasion;
• refractory properties for areas located near the stove.

For kitchens of any size, choose only dense washable wallpapers (vinyl, non-woven, with fiberglass).

At the same time, the choice of paper paintings is extremely impractical, especially for a small room. It is better to use non-woven, vinyl wallpaper or fiberglass coating, which is environmentally friendly.

Vinyl wallpaper on a non-woven basis is the most practical in use, durable and easy to glue.

The combination of wallpaper with furniture in a small kitchen

Wallpaper, which is the background for furniture, should form a single composition with it. So, if the furniture is unusual, bright color and intricate shape, then the wallpaper should be neutral and almost invisible. If the furniture has simple shapes and is made in neutral colors, then the wallpaper may well become a bright accent.

If you are not a designer, it’s easier to use ready-made companion pairs that complement each other perfectly.

What photo wallpaper for small kitchen is now in fashion

According to the latest trends, the following is now in fashion:

• design in a light palette as following the Scandinavian style and minimalism;
• wallpaper with patterns and bright colors;
• coverings with thematic prints on a kitchen theme, especially with the image of coffee beans;
• vintage style;
• imitation coatings, that is, decorated in the form of brickwork or stone;
• Wall mural with city images, landscapes and animals.

Well-chosen wallpapers can not only visually expand, but also make a small kitchen cozy. The main thing is to create an interior that evokes calm and warm feelings.

VIDEO: How to choose a wallpaper for a small kitchen.

50 wallpaper design options for a small kitchen: