This Is What Wallpaper Looked Like in the Decade You Were Born

Mod style was all the rage in the 1960s, and it was characterized by bold geometric patterns, graphic florals, and contrasting colors. Oranges, browns, and greens were popular hues, and all of these aspects came together in the wallpapers of the time.

This yellow, floral, and graphic wallpaper featured in the February 1962 issue of House Beautiful perfectly encapsulates the trendy style. However, this was also the decade when psychedelic swirls and experimental abstracts were commonly seen.

In the 1970s, wallpaper didn’t fade into the background—it made a statement. Many of the elements that defined 1960s wallpaper trends were present in the 1970s too, but they were just turned up by one notch.

Bold prints became bolder, and the psychedelic touches moved from free-spirited swirls to geometric, repeating patterns. Designs became large-scale and highly detailed, like in Barbra Streisand’s dining area featured in the August 1974 issue of House Beautiful. There was a lot of repetition in patterns as well as textured wallcoverings, such as vinyl and grasscloth, during this era.

This decade was all about drama and unapologetic visual statements—in this bathroom alone (featured in the March 1982 issue of House Beautiful), there’s wallpaper, a wallpaper border along the ceiling, wooden trim, and another wallpaper border to mimic the look of wainscoting. Minimalism wasn’t even part of the picture.

For popular wallpaper designs, chintz was beloved, as were softer prairie-like floral patterns. On the other side of the spectrum, the Memphis Group inspired vibrant, abstract designs that are commonly associated with the loudness of the 1980s now.

Things became more muted in the 1990s. Neutral tones, simple patterns, and country cottage aesthetics were what people were yearning for. While there was still some of that boldness from the ’80s, the more popular designs leaned into traditional and romantic elements.

In this living area from the August 1994 issue of House Beautiful, there’s still a wallpaper border, for example, but it isn’t as loud as the one from the ’80s. The main wallpaper is simple and light, with a very subtle floral pattern that looks like it came from an English cottage. Though not pictured here, there was a notable resurgence in damask wallpapers during this time, too.

In interior design (and many industries), the beginning of the 2000s looked quite different than the end of the decade.

On one hand, shabby chic florals and a resurgence of traditional motifs, like toile print, were extremely trendy. This elevated rustic style can be seen here in this bedroom from the January 2006 issue of House Beautiful. On the other hand, the digital age made way for brighter, more abstract patterns designed via the computer.

Similarly to the 2000s, the 2010s experienced a lot of technological advances, some of which involved wallpaper. Peel-and-stick wallpaper became an option, making this design element more accessible to renters or DIY fanatics.

When it comes to actual designs, however, wallpaper in this decade focused a lot on trompe l’oeil techniques and textures. Designer Miles Redd covered this stairway in a neutral, textured grasscloth, which was featured in the February 2014 issue of House Beautiful. This perfectly captures one popular style of the 2010s, though minimalist geometric prints like chevron were also hot at the time.

We’re only just over halfway through the 2020 decade, so it’s not possible to say for certain what wallpaper styles will come to epitomize this era. We can, however, pull from what we do know about design during this era and highlight what we’ve seen already.

Maximalism and biophilic design are both very trendy right now, so it makes sense to see oversized florals and richly hued botanicals in wallpaper designs, like in this bedroom by Parris McKenna.

We’re also seeing wallpaper murals rise in popularity, as they create an immersive, almost one-of-a-kind experience within the home.

Texture surely isn’t going anywhere during this decade either, with plenty of designers still reaching for the rolls of grasscloth when decorating a new home.