Few design elements are as engaging and unique as wallpaper. Simply adding wallpaper to a living room, dining room, or office can brighten the space in an instant. Once known for gaudy patterns and wall-running application requirements, wallpaper has come a long way in recent years. Today, you can find creative wallpaper in single-sheet, temporary varieties, or classed-up traditional wallpaper that’s meant to last.

At Blueground, we want our renters to immediately feel at home wherever they choose to live. That’s why we put together this list of seven ways to bring life, light, and color to your space through the wallpaper. Let’s dive in. Whether you’ve just moved into a new space or you’re looking for ways to spruce up your existing home, these wallpaper hacks are a great place to start:

1. Frame your favorite paper

If you’re reticent about sticking anything to your walls, consider framing your favorite paper. Opt for a large piece in a custom frame. The final product looks like an enormous painting and is a fantastic way to bring color, texture, and pattern to your space. This is a great option in Airbnbs or other apartments you want to rent, as it makes an impact without requiring a great deal of work.

2. Dress up your stair risers

Stair risers are those pieces beneath the footbed of your stairs. While they’re typically unused space, adding a pop of wallpaper to each is an excellent option for bringing color and pattern to your home. This trick is particularly eye-catching if your stairs face your entry door. If your home is done up in neutrals, opt for a bold, colorful southwestern pattern. If you want something more laid-back, a gentle neutral pattern will look beautiful.

3. Cover a door

Pattern-shy but looking for ways to dress up your home? Why not start by covering a door? This is a great way to provide a pop of color in your home, without overwhelming your space or committing to too much all at once. Find a print you love in a peel-and-stick variety of wallpaper. Cut it to size and enjoy your new design feature. This is an excellent decor idea to help your place stand out.

4. Cover your backsplash

Instead of installing traditional tile or glass on your backsplash, opt to cover it with pretty, patterned wallpaper. If you’re worried about splashes, grease, and other kitchen junk ruining your paper, look into using plexiglass to cover and protect the paper.

5. Make your fireplace more eye-catching

Use a bold print of wallpaper to wrap the wall surrounding your fireplace. A more unexpected design element than traditional brick or marble fireplace elements, wallpaper is a beautiful way to dress up your home’s focal point and bring extra warmth to a room. If you’re going for a bold look, opt for geometric design with a strong color palette. If your style is more bohemian, look for palm leaf prints or other botanicals.

6. Create an accent wall

Peel-and-stick sheets of wallpaper works wonders for accent walls. In addition to being available in dozens of colors and patterns, these sheets are meant to pull off without damaging surfaces.

This makes them perfect for renters or those looking for a temporary design element. With this in mind, pick up a wallpaper design you love and use it to create an accent wall in the living space of your home. Choose a color that ties into the rest of your decor, but offers something unique, such as a geometric print.

7. Use wallpaper to back your cabinets

Here’s where those individual, peel-and-stick sheets of wallpaper come in: find a few you love online or at a local home goods store. Measure the backs of your cabinet and cut the layers to size. Apply the wallpaper for a beautiful pop of color every time you open your cabinets.

While this trick works well for traditional, doored cabinets, it’s particularly nice-looking on glass-doored or open-face cabinets. To avoid overwhelm in your kitchen, choose a pattern that matches and compliments the rest of your kitchen decor.

Creative wallpaper: the perfect design element for your home

There are many ways to dress up your home or rental apartment. You could purchase furniture and art you love, paint a wall or two, or add plenty of personal touches. Why not take all those things to the next level, though, by adding a dash of fun wallpaper in between?

Today, wallpaper can be temporary enough to come down when it’s time to move out (without damaging your walls) and durable and beautiful enough to last a lifetime in your family home.

If you’re interested in using creative wallpaper as a design element in your home, the seven ideas in this post are a great place to start. Mix and match wallpaper styles to suit your taste and give your home the feel you want.

Accent walls and design elements are a great way to draw renters to a property. If you’d rather hand your apartment over to a team of professionals, our design team takes a holistic approach to add splashes of color to entertainment areas and calming colors to bedrooms and bathrooms.