Cactus Spirit

Forget everything you believed about wallpaper (including mental images of your great aunt’s outdated decor). While paint has long had its place, there are fresh, modern designs these days in wallpaper that offer endless possibilities.

“There is undoubtedly an excitement surrounding pattern at the moment,” says Nick Cope, who cofounded Calico Wallpaper with his wife, Rachel. “Wallpaper has had certain connotations over the years. However, we are always focused on our mission to elevate wallpaper to high art.”

And today, paper is challenging paint’s long dominance. “In the late 1990s and early 2000s, everyone was painting and doing faux finishing,” says Sarah Merenda, founder of Merenda Wallpaper. But “there is currently a spotlight on wallpaper, and I find that people are interested in custom and large-scale designs. Printing digitally has been a game changer for the wallpaper world.”

Explore a variety of motifs and patterns in modern and vintage wallpaper options on 1stDibs today.