30 Ceiling Wallpaper Ideas That Will Elevate Any Interior

Covering your ceiling with wallpaper is a confident decor move that can add color, pattern, texture, and excitement to virtually any room. Treating the ceiling like a fifth wall and lavishing it with decorative features such as paint, murals, or moldings has a long history in architecture and interior design. But adding statement ceiling wallpaper feels both fresh and unexpected in a time when covering it with drywall and white paint is the norm.

Whether you are looking to add some excitement and a focal point to the living room, bedroom, nursery, bathroom, kitchen, or any other space in the house, these stylish rooms that will show you how hanging wallpaper on the ceiling can elevate your decor.

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Accentuate a Slanted Ceiling

Erin Williamson Design

In this 1950s Texas lake house primary bedroom from Erin Williamson Design, the slant of the ceilings and shape of the architecture is accentuated with patterned wallpaper that adds texture and works well with the wood paneling, natural stone accents, and boho design touches.

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Bring the Drama

Design by Judith Balis Interiors / Photo by Allison Corona

Dreamy and dramatic dark floral wallpaper in a giant rose pattern is the focal point and crowning touch in this sophisticated teen room from Judith Balis Interiors. Bold, confident touches like a crystal chandelier, jet black wall paint, and a blingy gallery wall complete the unapologetically glam look.

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Try Removable Wallpaper

Design by Mel Bean Interiors / Photo by Kacey Gilpin

This nursery from Mel Bean Interiors has subtle patterned wallpaper on the ceiling that adds interest while maintaining the calm feel of the room. If you like the idea of ceiling wallpaper but fear the commitment, try installing removable wallpaper or wall decals that you can change out as the baby grows. Or choose a neutral pattern like this one that can grow with your child and become a touchstone for childhood memories.

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Give It a Gold Star

Design by Curated Nest Interiors / Photo by Jacob Snavely

Midnight blue wallpaper scattered with gold stars adds color by day and starry night shimmer after dark in this kids bedroom designed by Curated Nest Interiors.

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Add Retro Vibes

Jules Interiors

This formal dining room from Jules Interiors has bold black-and-white-striped ceilings that set the tone for the rest of the room and complement the wall of nostalgic retro black-and-white photographs.

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Bring the Butterflies

Hunter Carson Design / Photo by Lauren Pressey

This bright Manhattan Beach, CA bedroom from Hunter Carson Design gets a lift with a riot of colorful butterflies on the ceiling wallpaper designed by Christian Lacroix as well as a complementary window shade to filter the light.

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Swirl It Around

Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Reid Rolls

Adding ceiling wallpaper in a fun color or playful pattern is one way to signal that your buttoned up, well styled decor might look like a million bucks but doesn't take itself too seriously. This chic, neutral-toned living room from Leanne Ford Interiors has an eclectic mix of sculptural furnishings, a custom fireplace accent wall, and swirly blue-and-white patterned wallpaper on the ceiling that adds a spirited twist.

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Add Contrast

Design by Martha O'Hara Interiors / Spacecrafting Photography

This modern farmhouse bunk room from Martha O’Hara Interiors has a soft neutral palette of pale wood, white, and gray, with a dark wallpapered ceiling that adds contrast.

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Match the Ceiling to the Walls

Design by Chango & Co. / Photo by Christian Torres

This teen room from Chango & Co. is energized with fun pale blue zebra-striped wallpaper that covers the entire surface of the room, from the angled ceiling to the floor boards.

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Add Color and Pattern

Think Chic Interiors

This pink and gray baby room from Think Chic Interiors uses blocks of solid color on the walls, windows, and flooring, making the pink patterned ceiling wallpaper stand out even more.

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Cheat the Architecture

Rebel Walls

So maybe your living room doesn't have an ornately fashioned stucco ceiling like the Parisian apartment of your dreams. Go ahead and cheat the architecture with large scale faux ceiling details using wallpaper like this design from Rebel Walls that will add a sense of timeless elegance and history to your modern space.

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Balance a Colorful Room

Design by Dekay and Tate Interiors / Photo by K Hayden Rafferty

Wallpaper with a neutral-toned ikat print adds pattern without competing with the bright pink and turquoise furnishings and decor of this colorful living room from Dekay and Tate Interiors.

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Block It Out

Design by The Residency Bureau / Photo by Brent Henry Martin

Block print Kasai wallpaper by Thibault adds color and a geometric circular pattern with a bohemian-style flair in this Seattle bedroom designed by The Residency Bureau.

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Add Interest to a Nook

Design by Mel Bean Interiors / Photo by Kacey Gilpin

The dry bar in this home design from Mel Bean Interiors gets some TLC with a tile backsplash, hot pink painted cabinetry, and whimsical wallpaper on the ceiling.

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Slap on a Stripe

Sissy + Marley Interior Design / Photo by Marco Ricca Studio

In this taupe and white baby room from Sissy + Marley Interior Design, a bold striped ceiling adds just the right amount of playfulness and whimsy, bringing the high ceilings down a smidgen to make the room feel cozier.

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Embellish the Bed Nook

Design by Think Chic Interiors

In this boys room from Think Chic Interiors, starry night wallpaper on the dropped ceiling of the built-in bed niche adds definition in the large open room and a touch of childlike wonder to the space.

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Frame It Out

JLA Designs

In this gray-and-white living room from JLA Designs, ceiling moldings painted in crisp white look like something of a frame that highlights the graphic patterned ceiling wallpaper in shades of gray and silver.

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Apply Blue-Sky Thinking

Design by Maison Ellie / Photo by Heidi Lau

The slanted ceiling of this serene nursery from Maison Ellie
is covered in a soft printed cloudy sky wallpaper in shades of pale blue and white that creates a calming neutral space with a dreamy quality.

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Add Quiet Whimsy

JLA Designs

This sweet baby room from JLA Designs has whimsical ceiling wallpaper decorated with subtle pale-toned stars that complements the soft pink and creamy whites of the serene space.

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Lighten Up the Basement

Casa Watkins Living

Bold floral ceiling wallpaper adds mood-boosting color to this basement home office from Casa Watkins Living,

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Use Tonal Shades

JLA Designs

This tonal bathroom from JLA Designs is dressed in a mix of textural patterns in shades of gray for a calming, cohesive look, from the flooring to the wall treatment to the ceiling wallpaper.

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Accentuate the Acoustics

Forbes + Masters

This Nashville music room from Forbes + Masters has '70s vibes and dark floral sound-absorbing wallpaper on the ceilings.

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Keep It Understated

JLA Designs

Subtle ceiling wallpaper with blue watercolor dots complements this colorful playroom from JLA Designs without overshadowing the royal blue couch, colorful artwork and throw pillows, and striped zigzag rug on the floor.

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Play Around with Dots

Design by Chango & Co. / Photo by Jacob Snavely

Whimsical multi-colored dotted wallpaper climbs the walls and covers the ceiling of this cheerful and spacious playroom designed by Chango & Co.

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Gild the Ceiling

JLA Designs

This home office from JLA Designs adds luminosity and a touch of glamour with metallic finishes like the gilded wallpaper on the ceiling, and silver geometric wallpaper lining the back of the open built-in shelving wall.

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Add Texture

Design by Martha O'Hara Interiors / Photo by Piston Design

Dark gray grasscloth ceiling wallpaper adds texture to this Austin, TX formal dining room from Martha O’Hara Interiors.

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Import Some Grandeur

Rebel Walls

Add a bit of old world grandeur to your cookie cutter living room with this faux painted ceiling wallpaper from Rebel Walls that is worthy of a European palace.

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Let the Sunshine In

Design by Maestri Studio / Photo by Jenifer McNeil Baker

This little home office nook from Maestri Studio has touches of gold on the walls and sunburst patterned ceiling wallpaper that add contrast with the dark wood finishes and give the small space a lift.

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Mix Periods and Styles

Design by Leanne Ford Interiors / Photo by Erin Kelly

This Pittsburgh cottage bathroom from Leanne Ford Interiors has mint green wall tiles that bring the nostalgia, while striking black-and-white patterned wallpaper on the upper walls and ceiling adds contrast and a graphic touch that makes it feel current.

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Take a Second Look

Design by Rise Interiors / Styled by Hayley Garrison Phillips / Photo by Matthew Dandy Photography

Wallpaper doesn't have to be bold to make a statement. In this Washington D.C. kitchen from Rise Interiors, pale neutral Deconstructed Stripe wallpaper designed by Miles Redd for Schumacher adds an extremely subtle pattern and extra layer of interest to the fresh white space that isn't obvious at first glance.

Is it a good idea to wallpaper a ceiling?

Whether or not to wallpaper your ceiling isn’t a moral question; it's simply a matter of taste. The ceiling is considered the fifth wall when it comes to interior design, and throughout history has been used as a blank canvas to bring life and color and to tell visual stories in country mansions, European castles, and religious spaces like the Sistine Chapel.

Today interior designers are finding new ways to add interest to modern rooms with ceiling wallpaper accents that surprise and delight, making even rooms with plain white walls feel special and unique. Sound-absorbing wallpaper can also be used on ceilings to help dampen echoes and add stylish soundproofing to music rooms and playrooms.

What type of wallpaper is best for the ceiling?

The best type of wallpaper for your ceiling depends on the room in question and your style preferences. You can keep it subtle in a neutral space with a light geometric pattern. If you want to add texture and color rather than pattern in a dining room, you can choose a grasscloth wallpaper, or gilded wallpaper for an atmospheric metallic glow. In a bold and colorful living room, you might want to choose a patterned wallpaper with a big personality that carries equal visual weight with the rest of the decor. When it comes to patterns, you can choose anything from stripes to florals to birds or stars, depending on whether you are decorating a powder room, primary bedroom, nursery, home office, or other space. There are no rules here; feel free to experiment, follow your heart, and have fun.

Why do people wallpaper the ceiling?

Ceiling wallpaper can help make a room with extra tall ceilings feel more grounded, and a small room feel more cozy. In the bedroom, it might be because they want something other than a blank wall to be the first thing they see when they open their eyes in the morning, or to give their children something whimsical to stare at before they fall asleep. Others might have decorated every inch of their living rooms and welcome the chance to give the unused real estate overhead a little zhuzh.

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