This Post Is For You If…
- You want an Old House wallpaper pattern that reads period, not generic-farmhouse or trend-led, on old plaster walls.
- You’ve fallen for a heritage paper and want to know how to get the look at every budget.
- You’re ready to commit and want the inspiration, the papers, and tools of the trade in one place.
In a hurry to start hanging? → Jump to Other Tools of the Trade for everything you need.
Some links may be affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you choose to purchase — at no additional cost to you. I only share products I genuinely like, would use in my own home, or have researched and feel confident recommending.
- Old House Wallpaper is Period Correct. Period.
- Style 1. Botanicals & Foliage (Including William Morris & Co.)
- Style 2: Florals — Heritage to Cottage
- Style 3: Birds & Menagerie
- Style 4: Chinoiserie & Toile
- Style 5: Murals
- Style 6: Damask
- Style 7: Grasscloth & Texturals
- Style 8: Stripes & Tickings
- Style 9: Plaids, Tartans & Checks (Oh, my!)
- Old House Wallpaper Tools of the Trade
- Old House Rule: Wallpaper Edition
- Our Favorite Sources for Old House Wallpaper
- FAQs
Old House Wallpaper is Period Correct.
Period. And it’s one of the fastest ways to transport a completely modernized pre-war room to something beautifully layered. It’s also a really efficient way to shout “builder-grade” if you get it wrong.
It’s not about budget. There are incredible options at every price point. It’s style and period-fit: whether the pattern, the scale, and the finish belong to a house built before 1940.
“Before 1940” is a wide, wonderful Old House window. You know that (it’s why you’re here). From the flattened botanicals of the Arts & Crafts movement in the 1880s, through Edwardian chintz and grand Aesthetic-Movement damask, all the way to the curvilinear blooms of Art Nouveau. Nine pattern families cover almost every bit of style an old house deserves.
For each style: one inspirational pattern, and a few others I love. All meant to give you the confidence to find your perfect look.
Then every tool you need to DIY it right, all in one place at the end.
Related: How to Choose Gorgeous Old House Wallpaper (Without Regrets)
1. Botanicals & Foliage (Including William Morris & Co.)
Period lineage: The heart of the Arts & Crafts movement. From the 1880s, William Morris and his peers rejected industrial over-decoration for flattened, intertwined nature — honeysuckle, willow bough, oak leaves, trailing vines. It reads instantly period, suits rooms with natural wood trim, and forgives uneven walls because the eye reads the pattern, not the plaster.
This is a mockup I did for my bedroom’s bed alcove, so I could visualize House of Hackney’s Plantasia at scale. This isn’t a perfect representation of that print, but it helped me shift from “probably” to “ABSOLUTELY”!
Botanicals & Foliage Sourcing Inspiration
House of Hackney “Plantasia”
A dense botanical when the design calls for natural and hand-drawn feel. Great for an alcove, a small bedroom, a powder room. I’ve also seen it used in kitchens. It’s what’s going up in my bedroom.
Learn More at House of Hackney →
Morris & Co. “Pure Acorn”
A single-color Morris willow-and-acorn with a soft metallic sheen; quieter Arts & Crafts for a whole room. The “Pure” series includes mica for dimension that feels special.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →
Morris “Pimpernel in Rapunzel”
Morris’s classic Pimpernel in peel & stick, traditional, & paste-the-wall options. The removable print is the renter-friendly Arts & Crafts route, if your walls are in great condition.
Learn More at Spoonflower →2. Florals — Heritage to Cottage
Period lineage: Floral is the deepest wallpaper category there is, and it spans the whole era — lush Victorian bouquets for parlors, the lighter Edwardian chintz that marked the move toward pastel, sun-filled rooms, and the small cheerful cottage prints of the 1930s.
Don’t put a tiny print on a big parlor wall – you’ll lose it.
And in a tiny powder room? All bets are off. It’s a safe space to run wild.
Florals Old House Wallpaper Sourcing Inspiration
House of Hackney “Opia”
This is a bravely contrast-y heritage anchor: a moody bronze floral with real depth.
Learn More at House of Hackney →
Morris “Acorn”
Morris’s 1879 acorn – this time without mica. Many colorways and period-correct to its core.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →
“Language of Flowers”
A painterly country-garden floral, peel & stick, traditional, and paste-the-wall available.
Learn More at Spoonflower →
Laura Ashley “Pinford Trellis”
A vintage trellis of flower sprigs and berries, sweet without being twee.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →
Boråstapeter “Trädgårdsstaden”
A stunning 1920s-style cherry-blossom branches climbing the wall; magical in a bedroom.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →
Boråstapeter “Nora”
A delicate pansy latticework with a hint of metallic shimmer.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →3. Birds & Menagerie
Period lineage: Birds and beasts have lived on old-house walls since the 18th century — the songbirds of a Morris Strawberry Thief, the menagerie of a Colonial Revival nursery. “Bird” is one of the single biggest wallpaper searches there is, and it reads period in a way few patterns do. When in doubt, put a bird on it.
Think: stair landing, a powder room, a reading nook, a kid’s room.
Animal Old House Wallpaper Sourcing Inspiration
House of Hackney “Anaconda”
A serpentine traditional in dusky pink: the wicked, on-trend menagerie move.
Learn More at House of Hackney →
Little Greene “Lily Pads”
An historic pattern with otters, kingfishers and dragonflies among lily pads; a whole estate ecosystem on one wall.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →
“Gray Cat” (Art Nouveau)
Many great colorways on this one. All with a grey cat in a true Art Nouveau frame; whimsical and refined.
Learn More at Spoonflower →
“Verdure Tapestry Garden”
A dense green verdure with hidden swans; pure Morris-tapestry mood.
Learn More at Spoonflower →4. Chinoiserie & Toile
Period lineage: The storytelling papers — pictorial, scenic, and grand. Chinoiserie brings hand-painted-look branches and birds; toile tells a monochrome pastoral scene that suits a Colonial Revival house to its core. Both belong where you want the walls to be the event.
A powder room is the perfect place to be brave.
Chinoiserie & Toile Old House Wallpaper Sourcing Inspiration
“Zeus”
A grand scenic in soft plaster tones; the powder-room showstopper.
Learn More at House of Hackney →
Sanderson “Highgrove Toile”
An archival toile reimagined with the Highgrove gardens; proper scenic storytelling. Fabric and furnishings available if your heart swings maximalist.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →
“Pastel Garden Cottages” French Toile
A cottagecore-coded French toile, peel-and-stick, paste-the-wall, and traditional options available. Not what I’d normally gravitate to but there’s something especially charming about this one.
Learn More at Spoonflower →5. Murals
Period lineage: A category of its own. Unlike a repeating paper, a mural is a single non-repeating scene across a wall (or a very wide repeat) — driven in the 1930s–40s by nostalgia for early-American hand-painted murals. The most high-drama move in this list.
Murals Old House Wallpaper Sourcing Inspiration
Kit Kemp “Mythical Land Mural”
An incredible folk-art world of rivers, pear trees and mythical creatures; supplied as Panels A + B.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →
House of Hackney “Arborea”
An enveloping autumnal tree mural; the dramatic one-wall move. A big, painterly botanical with wonderful colorways.
Sanderson “Highgrove Arboretum Mural”
A hand-painted design of an arboretum of acer, beech and maple; archival and serene.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →6. Damask
Period lineage: The formal style. Damask traces to the Gothic and Aesthetic Movement of the 1870s–90s — stylized, symmetrical, grand. It belongs in entryways, libraries, and high-ceilinged parlors, where weight and symmetry are the point. Keep it tonal — high-contrast damask reads hotel-lobby.
Make it feel modern with furnishings and color.
Damask Old House Wallpaper Sourcing Inspiration
Little Greene “St James’s Park”
An elegant damask panel that fades light-to-dark top to bottom; grand, and it bounces light.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →
Farrow & Ball “Lotus”
An artisanal lotus repeat in soft, water-based taupe. This pattern has so many F&B colorways to choose from!
Rifle Paper Co. “Pineapple Damask”
A classic pineapple damask in off-white on yellow; traditional pattern, modern color. And again, a ton of colorways to choose from.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →7. Grasscloth & Texturals
Period lineage: The quiet style — grasscloth, linen-weave, and textural papers add warmth and depth without competing with antiques, art, or millwork. Texture also hides plaster sins beautifully, which is exactly why it belongs in an old house.
Grasscloth & Textural Old House Wallpaper Sourcing Inspiration
Morris “Pure Brer Rabbit”
Morris’s rabbit revisited with grit and mica for real relief; texture you can feel.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →
“Majestic Trees” Grasscloth
Etched giant trees on natural grasscloth with a gold metallic ground; this one’s bringing texture that gently bounces light.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →
“Hali Vintage Maia”
A faded vintage-rug texture, quiet and worn-in. Something about this one really gets me. I think it’d be spectacular in a kitchen, hallway, or powder room.
8. Stripes & Tickings
Period lineage: The workhorse. Stripes suit every old-house room and forgive uneven walls better than almost anything, because the vertical line draws the eye up. Ticking stripes — narrow and slightly irregular — carry the most period character.
Added bonus? A great stripe is almost never wrong in any old house.
Related: The Power of Good Mirrors in Great Rooms: An Old House Lover’s Guide
Stripes & Ticking Old House Wallpaper Sourcing Inspiration
House of Hackney “Artist’s Stripe”
I am obsessed with every colorway of this pattern. It’s painterly and irregular, with real depth.
Learn More at House of Hackney →
Joules “Grove Stripe”
A fresh, faux-woven, multidimensional stripe; smart and uniform. I’d have so much color with choosing a trim to support this paper.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →
“Playful Vertical Stripe” with Scallop Edges
I can not understand why I love this so much. NOT just for kids’ rooms! Play with this one’s scalloped vertical stripe, cheerful for a small room. Big fun in a hallway.
Learn More at Spoonflower →
“Juliette” Abstract Arches Stripe
A really sweet, 1920’s evocative, hand-drawn trailing floral stripe; statement-soft with paste-the-wall, peel-and-stick, and traditional options.
Learn More at Spoonflower →9. Plaids, Tartans & Checks
Period lineage: The cozy, tailored style. Plaids and tartans bring warmth to a study, den, or mudroom, and they’re having a grandmillennial moment – dare I say an equestrian or study vibe? Keep it warm and traditional, not costume-y. Whether you go Vivienne Westwood, Ralph Lauren, or French ticking and all of it works in Old House settings.
Best below a chair rail, on a study wall, or in a small room.
Plaid, Tartan, & Checks Old House Wallpaper Sourcing Inspiration
“London Fields Check”
A painterly – almost quirky – dusky check in cerulean; tailored, not throwback.
Learn More at House of Hackney →
“Eldon Weave”
A large-scale tartan plaid with a warm, woven texture. The inspo images for this one stopped me in my tracks by pairing it with dusky blue trim, immediately creating a new category: fun traditional.
Learn More at Wallpaper Direct →
“Rich Harvest Plaid”
A cozy equestrian plaid, just made for a den, study, or Lauren-inspired dining room. I’d love to use something like this to bring a pub feeling in my keeping room.
Learn More at Spoonflower →Old House Wallpaper Tools of the Trade
DIY-ing it? Once you’ve chosen the paper, this is everything you need to hang it well — all highly rated and most under $25.
Some links may be affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
| Tool | Why You Need It |
|---|---|
| Get a ready-to-go 7 piece wallpaper basics kit Check Price on Amazon → | The one stop shop for getting most blockers out of your wallpaper way. |
| ROMAN Heavy Duty Clear Wallpaper Adhesive Check Price on Amazon → | For paste-the-wall papers (it’s what the pros use and DIYers give it highest marks, too). |
| Wallpaper roller Check Price on Amazon → | Hot take? A roller is faster and cleaner than a brush. |
| Fiskars 18 mm Pro Utility Knife Check Price on Amazon → | A fresh blade per cut is the secret to clean edges. |
| KLASS Wallpaper Trim Guide Check Price on Amazon → | The straightedge you use to make crispy-straight cuts at the ceiling and baseboard. |
| Self Leveling Laser Level with Tripod Check Price on Amazon → | Old houses are never square; hang your first drop to plumb straight, not to the wall. |
| You’ll need sponges, too Check Price on Amazon → | Wipe paste off the wallpaper surface as you go, before adhesive dries. |
| 1200 Albany Lining Paper Double Roll Check Price → | WHAT WE NEED for imperfect or patched plaster; the difference between “old house charm” and “every flaw showing.” |
| Starch-Based Adhesive and Wall Size Check Price on Amazon → | Helps the paper grip and makes future removal much, much kinder to your plaster. |
Want More Old House Wallpaper style inspiration? Jump back to the Table of Contents for the 9 styles just right for historic homes
Old House Rule: Wallpaper Edition
Have original plaster walls? Prime or line before hanging wallpaper.
It’s a step too many people skip and it’s the very step that saves your walls.
Where to Splurge (and What Doesn’t Belong)
Splurge where the pattern is the room — a powder bath, an alcove, a dining room ceiling. Save on the big runs and low-stakes rooms. Buy one heritage roll as the anchor and a quiet coordinating paper for the square footage.
And skip these: peel-and-stick on bare old plaster (it lifts paint and pulls plaster), tiny repeats on big walls (busy and cheap), gray “modern farmhouse” prints (anachronistic), and high-gloss vinyl (wrong sheen for period plaster).
Our Favorite Sources for Old House Wallpaper
House of Hackney — the heritage splurge; saturated, large-scale, unmistakably old-house.
Wallpaper Direct — the deep, well-priced middle; nearly every style at every budget.
Spoonflower — every pattern has multiple adhesive and paper type options including peel-and-stick. Custom colorways and scale; a renter-friendly-and-budget route.
Others worth knowing
Bradbury & Bradbury (Gothic-Revival, Vintage by decade, and Arts & Crafts repros)
FAQ
What kind of wallpaper is best for old plaster walls?
Paste-the-wall and traditional unpasted papers — they adjust on the wall and come off more cleanly. Avoid peel-and-stick on bare original plaster; it can lift paint and pull plaster. Liner paper underneath helps on uneven walls.
Is peel-and-stick wallpaper bad for old walls?
On bare original plaster, yes — it can take paint and plaster with it. On a primed, sound wall or a rental you’ll restore, it’s a reasonable low-commitment option.
What wallpaper styles suit a Victorian or Edwardian house?
Arts & Crafts botanicals, heritage and chintz florals, birds, chinoiserie, toile, and damask all read period. Go confident with scale and keep the sheen matte. Skip gray farmhouse prints and high-gloss vinyl.
How much wallpaper do I need for one wall?
Most suppliers have calculators to help with figuring it out, but a great rule of thumb is width × height for square footage, divide by usable coverage per roll (after the repeat). Add 10–15% for reality. Order all rolls from the same batch number. Murals are sold as panel sets sized to your wall’s height and width.
