How To Choose A Wallpaper That Makes A Blue Room Feel Warmer

Decorating with wallpaper can add an interesting and pleasing visual element to a room. Wallpaper not only brings additional color, but new textures, and can reflect light differently than painted walls alone. House Digest spoke exclusively with Design Historian Sarah Bilotta about using wallpaper to decorate a room, specifically one with blue walls. We've gathered some advice on how to choose the best wallpaper for your space, and how to choose colors and patterns to warm up a blue room.

Bilotta suggests finding a wallpaper that "incorporates serene blues without going too deep and dreary." Darker blues are more intense than lighter blues, and a wallpaper with the former can heighten the coldness of a room. Bilotta also suggests that one easy way of adding lightness and warmth to a blue room is to use white trim. "White is blue's best friend and possibly the best way to neutralize it and set the stage for warmer accent furnishings," she says.

Color is not the only feature to consider. The potential for patterned wallpaper to reflect light is another aspect that can add warmth. Textured wallpapers can have a range of finishes, from shiny to matte, so Bilotta advises looking for "textured wallpapers that will reflect light in dynamic ways." 

In her exclusive interview with House Digest, Bilotta's top tip for choosing wallpaper was to buy samples before making a final choice. "Hang them in different parts of the room at different times of day," she says. "You may find that a subtle pattern is impossible to see at dusk, or that paper you thought was gold is actually mustard yellow. Buying wallpaper online is almost impossible without samples."

Bilotta recommends choosing patterns with visual interest, and avoiding smaller designs that may be too subtle. She advises: "Don't choose a pattern that is too dainty. From a distance, it will read as a solid color, and your careful balancing of colors may be lost." A contrasting blue and white design, such as French toile, lends an attractive yet understated look. Bilotta says, "A classic blue toile on a white ground is about as neutral as you can go while incorporating blue into your design." She also appreciates the diversity of floral patterns, saying "an organic floral wallpaper can distract the eye and prevent you from feeling consumed by a blue room. Try a classic William Morris print that combines blue tones with other colors in about a 50/50 ratio."

Our expert approves of using wallpaper with gold metallic accents in a blue room, but warns that lighting is an important element to consider. "Be cognizant of the placement of windows and lamps," she advises. "The gold will be much brighter and more prominent in areas where it reflects more light." Bilotta also recommends a blue wallpaper with gold foiling: "I love the Antonia Vella damask wallpaper by York Wallcoverings, available at Wayfair."

The particular shade of blue in a room is also a factor in creating a warm or cool color palette. A green-toned blue with a bit of yellow has a warmer feel than a violet-toned blue. Use the color wheel to find your perfect color palette: Warm tones such as orange, apricot, cinnabar, or rust create a focal point of intense warmth.

In her exclusive interview with House Digest, Bilotta encourages finding ways to maximize the use of warm colors in a blue room to offset a potentially cold or dreary vibe. Fabric furnishings in tones such as orange, yellow, or brown can really add warmth to a room; even just some pillows or throws create a spot of color that can shift the mood. Sarah also recommends that you "counterbalance your cool walls with warm rugs" in shades of red or orange.

Gold or copper metallic pieces (such as sculptures, wall hangings, or light fixtures) also add warmth. Bilotta recommends adding art for warm color accents, especially gold frames. "This breaks up the blue and draws the eye away from the overarching color," she says. "I especially love a bright giltwood frame against a blue wall." Finally, Bilotta advises using lighting as a way to warm up blue walls: "Amber lights create a warm vibe that can be used to make pockets of coziness in a blue room."