From Walls to Windows: How to Tie Your Wallpaper and Fabrics Together
Have you fallen in love with a wallpaper, but struggling to choose the right fabrics to sit alongside it? Wallpaper and fabric coordination can feel daunting, especially when you want your home to feel beautifully pulled together without looking too contrived or matchy-matchy.
The secret is to think of your wallpaper and fabrics as part of the same conversation. Your walls may be the largest canvas in your room, but your curtains, cushions, blinds, and upholstery are the finishing touches that make your space feel truly lived in.
In this blog, our expert in-house interior designer, Tania, shares her top five tips on how to coordinate wallpaper with fabrics in a way that feels natural, timeless, and beautifully balanced.
Our wallpaper and fabric coordination tips
1) Start with the feeling of the room
Before you think about pattern or colour, you need to start by asking yourself how you want the room to feel. Calm and restful? Warm and welcoming? Or fresh and uplifting? Your answer to this question will then guide all your other design decisions.
For example, if you’re looking to create a peaceful bedroom scheme, you could opt for a simple Spotty Stripe wall covering in a soft neutral or smoky tone. From there, you can layer in fabrics that share a similar gentle quality; for example Gypsy Garland, Flora & Fauna, or Pretty Maids. You could use one fabric for a headboard and introduce the others through scatter cushions.
The key here is to keep the mood consistent. Even if the patterns are different, they will still feel harmonious if they share the same movement or motifs.
2) Choose colours that echo one another
You don’t need to choose the exact same design to successfully coordinate your wallpaper with fabrics. In fact, you’ll often achieve a more natural look if you choose colours that echo each other in a subtler way.
Once you’ve chosen your wallpaper, pick out one or two shades and repeat these through your curtains, cushions, lampshades, or upholstery. For example, you could pair our Pretty Maids wall covering in Dusky Pink & Winter with made to measure curtains in Stockholm Stripe Pigeon, Peach & Winter and scatter cushions in Berries and Leaves Lily Pink & Soft Raspberry.
Looking for more inspiration? Our guide to combining colours and patterns is a great place to start.
3) Contrast patterns rather than repeating them
Your choice of wallpaper should lead your scheme; but it’s important not to repeat the same type of pattern everywhere. Make sure your room has more than one note – this will stop it from feeling flat.
For example, a naturalistic or artisan-style wallpaper like For the Love of Rose can look wonderful when paired with a stripe, check, or small-scale print. The contrast prevents your scheme from feeling overly busy, while the shared colour palette ensures your space remains harmonious.
Too much matching across multiple elements can feel rather stiff. Instead, aim for visual interest and balance through variation.
4) Pay close attention to scale
Scale is one of the most important parts of wallpaper and fabric coordination. If every pattern in your room is the same size, the eye has nowhere to rest. Instead, try combining various large, medium, and small-scale designs.
For example, a wallpaper in a larger design like Up the Garden Path works beautifully alongside a smaller, more delicate print like Little Fern. Equally, you can balance a smaller wall covering in a design such as Pretty Maids with a more expressive fabric like Gypsy Garland on your curtains, blinds, or upholstery.
Think of scale as you’d think of music: you need quiet notes as well as stronger ones. This gives your scheme depth, movement, and a sense of ease.
5) Build in breathing space
Even the most beautifully coordinating schemes need moments of quiet. It can be tempting to keep adding pattern and colour – but your room will feel more elegant if you weave calmer elements throughout the scheme.
For example, you could add in a plain fabric footstool, a softly textured lampshade, or a simple painted piece of furniture. These quieter details give the eye somewhere to rest and allow your wallpaper and patterned fabrics to shine, rather than having every element in the room compete with one another.
It’s all about creating pauses within your room. Building in breathing space will give your scheme a calm and collected feeling, rather than being overwhelming.
Bring your scheme to life with Vanessa Arbuthnott Fabrics
We offer a fantastic collection of unique, nature-inspired fabrics and wall coverings that are designed to sit beautifully together. From leafy trails and gentle florals to stripes, spots, and soft plains, each of Vanessa’s designs is inspired by the colours and shapes of the British countryside – allowing you to build a scheme that feels natural, timeless, and full of life.
Still unsure about how to bring everything together? Tania offers free 30-minute virtual design consultations to help you choose the perfect wallpaper and fabrics for your space. Book your slot today to begin designing your dream interior scheme.
FAQs
How do I coordinate wallpaper with fabrics?
To coordinate your wallpaper with fabrics, you need to start by asking yourself how you want the room to feel, and build your scheme around the colours, patterns, and scales that work together. Your wallpaper can lead the room, with your fabrics adding softness, texture, and contrast.
Can you mix floral wallpaper with patterned fabrics?
Yes, floral wallpaper can work beautifully with patterned fabrics, as long as there is enough contrast. Try pairing a floral or botanical wallpaper with a stripe, check, spot, or smaller-scale print to create balance and give the eye somewhere to rest.
What is the best way to stop a wallpaper and fabric scheme looking too busy?
The best way to stop a wallpaper and fabric scheme from looking too busy is to build in moments of calm. Plain fabrics, natural textures, and softer tones help to balance stronger patterns, allowing your wallpaper and fabrics to shine without overwhelming the room.
Founder and owner of Vanessa Arbuthnott Fabrics. Vanessa creates content around fabric types, blind styles and curtain designs to best suit the needs of Vanessa Arbuthnott customers.
