Photo wallpaper that expands space: 8 tips for choosing

Photo wallpaper of wild mountains adds coziness to the room

Connoisseurs of spaciousness in the interior should carefully consider a fashionable means of visually changing the room - photo wallpaper that expands the space. Thanks to this technique, you can not only smooth out existing planning flaws, but also create a unique interior. When choosing wallpaper for a particular room, you should consider not only its purpose and style, but also possible additional visual effects from the use of a particular image on the walls.

Magnificent interior of the kitchen-living room, decorated in Art Nouveau style

Photo wallpaper with a medieval motif in the living room interior

Basic rules for using photo wallpaper

There are a limitless number of photo wallpapers on the market, but not all of them are able to expand the space. Moreover, even those that work well to increase space in one room will be completely useless in another room. Each room requires an individual approach, and the smaller it is, the more carefully you need to approach the choice. For example, a photo wallpaper with a large flower on the wall of a tiny room will play a cruel joke - the room will only seem smaller.

So what kind of wallpaper can really expand the space in a small room? Designers advise considering the following rules when choosing:

• The main task of all techniques aimed at expanding space is to erase boundaries or move them, as it were, outside the premises. , panels with perspective work best , incl. those with a horizon line;
• Light shades expand space well , dark shades do the opposite. This is a fundamental rule that almost everyone knows and uses;
• if it is necessary to extend the room in height, then use photo wallpaper with vertical stripes, but you should not take this information literally, because vertical stripes can be tree trunks or skyscrapers in the image of megacities. To visually expand the room in width, use wallpaper with horizontal stripes, which work well with horizon lines in landscape images;
• The texture of photo wallpaper is also important , since smooth glossy canvases, due to their reflective properties, although slightly, expand the space of the room;
• Separately, it is worth noting 3D photo wallpapers , which, due to a special printing technology and the correct choice of colors, appear three-dimensional. They expand the space well, which will be discussed below, but in especially small rooms you need to be extremely careful, since the 3D effect can only be appreciated from a certain distance, and if there is not enough of it in the room, then the effect will be exactly the opposite - the image will be crushed and even irritate, and it will be difficult to find in such a room for a long time;
• In the desire to maximize the space, one must not overdo it. For example, a combination of photo wallpaper with perspective, multiple mirror and reflective surfaces, a mass of lamps is a direct path to creating a room where it will be impossible to spend time;
• Photo wallpaper that expands the space is a fairly active element of the interior, so the remaining finishing elements should be calmer. This primarily concerns the flooring and the design of the remaining walls.

Selection of photo wallpaper ideas for different rooms

For the living room or living room-hallway

Here photo wallpapers will ideally fulfill a zoning role and help you welcome guests beautifully.

Therefore they can be used:

1. instead of a wall painting in the communication area;
2. for decorating a large section of the wall behind the sofa;
3. behind the TV set;
4. or only in the upper part of the room in combination with wall panels or lining;
5. in the form of a narrow strip behind the fireplace.

In the first and second cases, colorful panoramic canvases with natural landscapes, old streets or castle interiors are suitable.

In the third, fourth and fifth options, wallpaper with an abstract, eye-soothing plant pattern and oriental symbols will be a win-win.

An area with a photo panel can be luxuriously highlighted using a picture frame or illuminated wall panels.

For the bedroom

In a bedroom, children's room or lounge area, a photograph should perform other tasks - relax the eyes, if possible soothe, relieve anxiety.

A fragment of the photographic canvas can be placed behind the headboard or opposite the bed.

The painting could be an open, light landscape with wildflowers (no trees), a macro photo of a sakura branch or a flower. In this case, soothing soft colors should dominate, combined with the main decoration of the walls - pink, ash, green.

To decorate the edge of the canvas, it is better to choose a light, non-massive frame.

For the dining room

In the dining area of ​​the kitchen or near the bar counter, a panel with a “delicious” still life, a bouquet, or a collage “from a coffee shop” will look harmonious.

In addition, here photo wallpaper can beautifully imitate a window or a romantic exit to the terrace.

Photo source

So, for a designer, small fragments of luxurious, delicate or rich photo wallpaper are a tool with which an ordinary interior becomes richer, more voluminous, and more interesting. Save examples and proven techniques for working with it.

Where to put photo wallpaper to expand the space?

Alas, choosing photo wallpaper wisely is not everything. To achieve the desired result, we also need to place them correctly, because not on all walls such finishing will work the way we want it. In addition, the walls are not the only place, because there is also a ceiling and doors.

When choosing a place to hang photo wallpaper, we recommend following these tips:

• If the room is not square, then it is better to glue photo wallpaper on a long wall . Otherwise, a narrow long room will seem even narrower and even longer, i.e. there will be an effect of expanding the space, but it is unlikely to please you;
• It is advisable to place photo wallpaper on a free wall. Even if the right subject and the corresponding wall are chosen, the effect can be ruined by placing a bunch of furniture near the wall with photo wallpaper. The border of the room will return to its usual place, and all efforts will be in vain. Of course, in a small room it is unlikely that anyone will be able to afford the luxury of leaving one of the walls completely without furniture, but still try to use it as little as possible and opt for lower and less bulky items;
• for wallpaper with perspective, choose a wall without windows and doors . It probably doesn’t even make sense to explain why this is so;
• Photo wallpaper is not only a decoration for walls. Properly selected ceiling wallpaper can elongate a room. Typically, images of the sky are used;
• photo wallpaper can also be used for door decoration. The effect is not comparable to what you get when gluing it to an entire wall, but it will still allow you to visually increase the space of the room.

Which style to choose

Unfortunately, in small rooms it is very difficult to avoid an overabundance of items. A large number of things gives a feeling of clutter.

And large and bright finishing elements only aggravate this situation.

Therefore, it is believed that the most practical design is minimalism. However, minimalism is not the only design option for a small room.

It can also be decorated in Scandi, Provence, loft, hi-tech, ethno and others. Using these styles will make your kitchen more spacious, comfortable and practical.

What should be shown?

This question worries everyone first of all. There are a lot of options, and it is hardly possible to list all the possible ones, but we will try. Photo wallpapers that expand the space usually depict the following:

• paths, paths, roads, streets going into the distance, a. the landscape can be either natural or urban;
• bridges and bridges;
• rivers and streams;
• stairs;
• the colonnades are worth highlighting separately - they create an incredible expansion effect;
• panoramic view of the seashore, a cozy street, a metropolis, a lavender field;
• open windows and doors overlooking a beautiful landscape. Let's note the photo wallpaper, in the lower part of which the floor covering is drawn. If you choose the appropriate finish for the room, you can create a very decent expansion effect;
• tree pillars, bamboo groves.

Of course, there are many more options, so it’s difficult to make a choice. Always take into account not only the immediate “I want” and “I like”, but also the features of the interior, its color scheme, and the chosen style. It is highly advisable to support the drawing with pieces of furniture or interior design.

Photo wallpaper 3D

Separately, it is worth highlighting photo wallpapers with a 3D effect. The image on them can be almost anything, incl. the above-mentioned colonnades, arches, city and natural landscapes. 3D wallpapers also often depict geometric patterns, abstractions, flowers, cartoon characters and cosmic depths.

Three-dimensional wallpapers differ from ordinary photo wallpapers in that the design in them is perceived as three-dimensional; it has not only width and height, but also depth. That is why such panels are often used when it is necessary to visually increase the space of a room. On the other hand, such depth of the image can be disastrous, because if the room is already small, and the drawing is created as if it sticks out, then there will be a feeling that there is even less space. However, even the right drawing, which takes the boundaries of the room beyond its actual limits, may also not be suitable - the volume effect simply needs to be assessed from a distance, and if it is not enough, then there is no point in three-dimensional photo wallpaper.

However, in most cases, you can choose suitable 3D photo wallpaper. The effect of depth in them is created thanks to the following techniques:

• high print quality;
• image processing in special programs;
• use of texture elements;
• artistic techniques. It has been proven that the eye perceives warm-colored objects as being closer, and cold-colored objects as being further away. This is what the creation of three-dimensional images is based on. In addition, you can get a picture with depth if you make the central object lighter than the background, use tonal and linear perspective, and use the play of light and shadow.

You can’t even imagine what amazing results can be achieved using three-dimensional panels. The range of such panels is huge; you can choose an image of any type and any shade. If you still can’t find a suitable picture, we recommend ordering 3D photo wallpaper from Valdeco - the company, in addition to a huge selection of ready-made solutions, offers the production of photo wallpaper according to the client’s order. This is a great opportunity to make your interior unique!

Photo wallpaper for the living room: variety of paintings

Photo wallpapers are distinguished by a number of characteristics. Their combination plays an important role in choosing the right type of wall covering. The type differences are based on material, texture, form and thematic focus. So, according to the type of material, photo wallpapers in the room are divided into the following types:

• paper;
• vinyl;
• non-woven;
• laminated.

Photo wallpapers differ in materials, texture and theme of the paintings

Wallpapers are classified according to texture characteristics:

• under the surface of the canvas;
• under traces of brush strokes;
• with plaster texture;
• with a sandy structure.

The widest variety of photo wallpapers is their theme. They are conventionally divided into the following groups:

• natural landscapes;
• animalistics;
• flowers;
• urban landscapes;
• abstraction;
• plot.

Depending on the type of material, photo wallpapers can be vinyl, paper, laminated and non-woven

A special category consists of 3D wallpaper for walls. For the hall, photos on canvases of this type are as close as possible to the original image. Manufacturers also offer self-adhesive wallpaper, which is durable and can be placed on almost any surface without the use of adhesives. In addition, such products do not fade and do not require special care.

Speaking about the types of photo wallpapers, we should mention washable or vandal-proof canvases, which are easy to clean without the use of special products. Seamless wallpaper differs from standard options in that it has one large canvas, up to three meters wide.

Photo wallpaper color

Everyone knows that light shades allow you to visually enlarge the space, while dark shades make it appear more cramped. If you are looking for information about photo wallpapers that expand space, then most likely you have limited space in your apartment, so it is advisable to adhere to the following rules when choosing the color of photo wallpapers:

• It’s clear that you should only consider light-colored photo wallpapers, but think carefully before taking white canvases , because you can create the effect of a hospital ward;
• bright shades , as well as rich dark ones, as the main color - they will visually bring the wall closer, making the room even smaller;
• cold shades tend to visually move the wall away, while warm shades tend to bring it closer. Knowing this, you can adjust the geometry of the room. In our case, it is better to deal with cold tones. An exception to the rule is pale, unsaturated shades of yellow, peach, beige, milky;
• rooms facing north usually suffer from a lack of sunlight, and you can compensate for this by using photo wallpaper in warm colors. Canvases made in light pastel colors are ideal (for example, the above-mentioned light peach, desaturated yellow, milky shades). If there is already too much sunlight in the room, then your choice is cool shades.

Finally, photo wallpaper should not be distracted from the overall color scheme of the room. The expanding effect will be achieved only when the photo wallpaper becomes part of the room, because if the panel, for example, shows a path in a flowering garden, then a pot of flowers can be placed near the wall, and a photo of a Provençal street can be complemented with a light openwork table.

Texture of photo wallpaper

Even such a seemingly trifle as the texture of photo wallpaper can affect their perception of space. There are not very many options, and all of them are more or less suitable for small rooms:

• smooth panels are a win-win option. The surface can be matte or glossy. The latter is often recommended for use in small rooms, because it can reflect light, thereby increasing the space, but be careful, because it will not be very comfortable to be in a room with a lot of glare, so if you choose glossy photo wallpaper, then everything else in the room should be matte . In addition, it is necessary to properly organize the lighting so that there is a beautiful shine, but there is no unnecessary glare;
• “dust” and “sand” textures have a fine grain and can easily be used in small rooms;
• the “linen” texture imitates the surface of thick fabric;
• “canvas” and “plaster” textures have a more pronounced volume, therefore they are not always appropriate in cases where there is a need to expand the space, but can be used in some parts of three-dimensional panels.

Photo wallpaper on the ceiling

Photo wallpapers can move walls apart, if they are chosen correctly, of course. But what to do if you need to raise the ceiling in the room? You can stick suitable ceiling wallpaper. The choice of images, as in the case of wall options, is huge, but if you need to expand the space, it is better to choose the following images:

• sky with clouds or stars;
• tree crowns;
• the tops of skyscrapers;
• abstraction, but not all.

All these images visually extend the ceiling boundary beyond the room, and this is what we need. Floral arrangements and frescoes are often a bad option if you need to expand the space.

Ceiling photo wallpapers allow you to create a unique interior, and they have only one drawback - difficulty in gluing.

Safety and practicality

Despite the importance of the high aesthetic properties of photo wallpaper, it is recommended to start by studying the issue of practicality and safety. This is due to the specifics of the room itself - in the kitchen, during the cooking process, the temperature and humidity conditions constantly change, and all finishing materials, including photo panels, must have the required level of resistance to this environment and not emit any harmful substances under its influence.

For the kitchen, it is advisable to choose non-woven or vinyl photo wallpaper, but paper-based wallpaper is not the best solution for the kitchen.

Advice! Photo wallpapers are produced, which the manufacturer, the Russian company AntiMarker, positions as anti-vandal. They have a special protective coating, which allows them to be used in any room of the apartment.

Preference should be given to photo wallpapers with very good or excellent light fastness, then even under the influence of direct sunlight for a long time they will not lose their attractive and bright appearance and will not fade. It is advisable that the photo wallpaper you choose can be washed. Leading manufacturers produce mainly photo wallpapers that are not afraid of moisture. To do this, a layer of varnish, a moisture-proof layer is applied to the surface, or their surface is laminated. However, splashes of water on photographic images should in any case be avoided.

Very important! Particular attention should be paid to the safety of paints applied to the base. Photo wallpapers on which the image paints have undergone ultraviolet curing can be safely chosen for the kitchen. In UV curing, ultraviolet radiation is used to polymerize a layer of paint, resulting in a particularly strong matrix of polymers. Photo images with UV-curing paints (inks) are safe for people and animals, and are durable and stable.

The best option for the kitchen is non-woven photo wallpaper with a protective layer.