Whimsical Wallpaper

Seven whimsical wallpapers: hot air balloons in pastel watercolour and in forest-green engraving, terriers and hounds painted loosely on grey, navy silhouettes of children diving from boards and rowing boats on mid blue, a river map full of tiny rowers. Playful, and drawn well enough to keep past childhood.

Choosing whimsical wallpaper

Where it works

These are nursery and children's bedroom designs first, but the drawing is careful enough for a playroom, a boot room or a downstairs loo. Balloon Sky, pastel balloons on duck egg, and Balloon Ride on ivory are the nursery pair. Vintage Balloon, engraved in forest green, rose and antique gold, is the one that grows up with the room. Playful Paws and Watercolor Hounds, dogs on soft grey, suit a boot room or a hallway. Blue Swimmers goes in a bathroom.

Picking between the designs

Pick the subject and then the drawing. Balloons: watercolour in Balloon Sky, drawn with gold netting in Balloon Ride, engraved in Vintage Balloon, from softest to most formal. Dogs: Playful Paws is looser and the dogs are running; Watercolor Hounds is calmer and the dogs are sitting and standing. People: Blue Swimmers, children cut in navy silhouette against mid blue with gold splashes, and River Map, a parchment crowded with tiny rowers, boats and a stone bridge. For a room that will change use in a few years, Vintage Balloon or River Map are the safe choices; for a baby's room, Balloon Sky is the softest thing here.

Related

The dogs also live in animal wallpaper, the maps and lakesides in scenic wallpaper, the pastel grounds in watercolor wallpaper. For a full-room approach to a child's space, read Best wallpapers for bedroom.