There is something wonderfully luxurious about an upholstered wall.
Perhaps it's the association with grand country houses, four-poster beds and rooms designed to keep out the draughts. Or perhaps it's simply the feeling of walking into a room where the walls are soft, colourful and covered in beautiful fabric.
Whatever the reason, upholstered walls are having a bit of a moment.
And we're not surprised.
They bring colour, pattern and texture to a room in a way that wallpaper simply can't. They can make a bedroom feel cocooning, a dining room feel intimate or a sitting room feel wonderfully cosy.
And despite looking rather grand, they don't have to be complicated.
So, what exactly is an upholstered wall?
Put simply, an upholstered wall is a wall that has been covered with fabric rather than paint or wallpaper.
There are several different ways to do it. Fabric can be stretched over a padded backing, fixed onto a timber frame or attached to the wall using panels or battens.
The method will depend on the room, the fabric and the finish you're after, so this is one of those projects where we'd recommend talking to an experienced upholsterer or installer before you begin.
The result, however, is the same: a wall with softness, depth and a whole lot of personality.
Why upholster a wall?
There are plenty of reasons to consider it beyond simply making a room look beautiful.
The layers of fabric and padding can help to soften sound, making upholstered walls particularly appealing in bedrooms, studies, dining rooms and sitting rooms.
They can also help a room feel warmer and more cocooning (especially useful in older houses where walls can be cold).
But for us, the biggest attraction is simply the opportunity to use fabric somewhere you might not normally expect it.
We're always looking for ways to bring colour and pattern into a room, and an upholstered wall gives you a wonderful blank canvas.
Meredith House Tip
Start with the right room:
Bedrooms, dining rooms, snugs, dressing rooms and studies are ideal. A small room can be particularly successful because the fabric helps to create that sense of being wrapped up in the space.
Which fabric should I choose?
This is where it gets interesting.
An upholstered wall gives you the opportunity to use a fabric that might otherwise feel too bold or too decorative for curtains or upholstery. And it looks and feels very different to wallpaper.
Florals can be fantastic. Stripes can be incredibly elegant. Geometrics can feel surprisingly contemporary.
The key is to think about the scale of the pattern in relation to the size of the wall.
A large-scale floral can look great across a generous wall because you get to see the design properly. A smaller pattern can create a quieter, more textural effect.
Don't be afraid of colour. And don't dismiss plain fabrics either. They might not have the same visual impact, but they will still create that warm enveloping feeling that we're after.
Fabric behaves differently from wallpaper
It's worth remembering that fabric and wallpaper behave very differently on a wall.
A colour or pattern that might feel quite strong when printed flat on wallpaper can feel much softer when on fabric. The texture of the cloth catches the light, gently breaking up the colour and giving the pattern a depth that you simply don't get from a flat surface.
This means you can often afford to be a little bolder with your choice of fabric.
A rich colour or large-scale pattern can look surprisingly gentle once it's stretched across a wall. Rather than shouting at you, the texture and movement of the fabric soften the overall effect.
It's one of the reasons we love using our fabrics on walls. The pattern is still there, but it feels softer, warmer and more dimensional than the same design might feel on a flat printed surface.
So if you've fallen in love with a colour or pattern but are worried it might be too much, don't dismiss it immediately.
Fabric has a wonderful way of taking the edge off.
Meredith House Tip
Order a sample first, and look at it on the wall.
Fabric can look completely different when it's covering a large surface rather than sitting in a small sample book. Look at your fabric in both natural and artificial light, and live with it for a few days before committing.
What about the pattern repeat?
If you're using a patterned fabric, the pattern repeat is particularly important for an upholstered wall.
Your upholsterer will need to know the vertical and horizontal repeat so that they can work out how the fabric should be positioned, where the pattern will fall (and how much fabric you'll need).
With a large-scale design, you may want to decide which part of the pattern you want to feature most prominently.
A beautiful flower or motif sitting perfectly behind the bed can make all the difference.
And remember that a large repeat can mean you need more fabric than the wall measurements alone might suggest.
Always ask your upholsterer to calculate the quantity before ordering.
Think about the practicalities
As beautiful as they are, upholstered walls aren't right for every room.
Think carefully about moisture, cleaning and everyday wear. We'd generally favour them for bedrooms, sitting rooms, studies and other relatively dry spaces rather than frequently used bathrooms or areas where the fabric is likely to get dirty (playrooms!).
You'll also want to consider what will happen around sockets, switches, radiators and other fittings.
This is why professional installation is worth considering. A skilled upholsterer will be able to deal with these details neatly and ensure the finished result looks intentional rather than improvised.
Do they have to be padded?
Not necessarily.
A padded upholstered wall will give you that soft, luxurious feeling and can help with sound absorption, but fabric can also be stretched over a firmer backing if you're looking for a flatter finish.
There are lots of ways to approach the idea.
You could create a completely padded wall, upholster individual panels, or even create a series of fabric-covered sections.
The beauty is that it can be tailored to your room.
Don't be afraid to mix it with other patterns
An upholstered wall doesn't mean everything else in the room needs to be quiet.
Quite the opposite.
We love the idea of layering a patterned upholstered wall with striped curtains, floral cushions and a little plain fabric to give everything somewhere to breathe.
The same principles apply as when you're combining fabrics anywhere else: think about scale, colour and texture rather than matching everything perfectly.
A room can contain lots of pattern and still feel calm if the colours work together. That said, it can be equally impactful to match your curtains with your walls. Pattern-drenching, if you like.
Upholstered walls aren't just for traditional interiors
This is perhaps our favourite thing about them.
Try a bold geometric in a modern bedroom, a colourful stripe in a study or a large-scale botanical in a minimalist room.
The contrast between traditional technique and unexpected fabric can be particularly beautiful.
How much fabric will I need?
As with curtains and upholstery, don't calculate the quantity from the wall measurements alone.
You'll need to allow for the width of the fabric, pattern repeat, how the fabric will be attached and how much extra is required for wrapping or fixing.
Our fabrics are 138cm wide, and the pattern repeat for each design can be found in the Details section of the product page.
For an upholstered wall, we'd recommend giving your upholsterer the wall measurements and your chosen fabric so they can calculate exactly how much you'll need before you order.
And, as always, it's better to have a little fabric left over than to discover you're short halfway through the job.
IN A NUTSHELL
Ready to choose the perfect fabric for your walls?
Explore our Fabric Collection →
We believe the most memorable homes aren't created overnight. They're collected slowly, layered thoughtfully and filled with pieces that mean something to the people who live there.
To help you make the right decision for you and your home, we regularly share decorating inspiration and ideas in The Journal.