Wallpaper for the kitchen should not only be in harmony with the furniture and design elements of the entire room, but also meet very stringent requirements - be durable, moisture resistant, and allow wet cleaning. What coatings are suitable for finishing the walls of the kitchen? How not to make a mistake when buying? How to use wallpaper to correct flaws or emphasize the dignity of the room?
General selection rules
Even the highest quality coating will quickly take on an unsightly appearance, if you do not take into account the features of the room in which it will be used.
What requirements should wallpaper for the kitchen meet?
- Moisture resistance. All kitchen surfaces must be regularly cleaned of accumulated dirt and dust. Therefore, the selected coating should be well tolerated by wet cleaning.
- Vapor permeability. The higher this parameter, the less likely it is that mold will settle on the walls under the wallpaper due to accumulated moisture.
- Density. A simple rule applies here: the higher the density of the finishing material, the less dirt accumulates on its surface. It is easier to care for such wallpapers, and they are stronger.
- Light resistance. It is better to choose a coating on the label of which high light fastness is indicated - it will retain the brightness of the color for a long time, and will not fade in the sun.
- Smoothness. Embossed finishing materials are often used to create an interesting wall design, but you should not use them for the kitchen. Dirt will accumulate in the unevenness of the coating over time, which is problematic to remove even with the help of wet cleaning.
Suitable Options
What finishing materials meet all or most of these requirements?
Vinyl wallpaper on paper basis
This is an acceptable option for those cases where the budget is strictly limited. However, before choosing this wallpaper for the kitchen, it will be useful to familiarize yourself with the disadvantages of this type of finish.
Since such a coating does not have air permeability, the walls should be treated with special protective agents against fungus and mold before finishing. Another disadvantage is that the surface must be leveled before wallpapering, all protrusions or dents under such wallpaper will be noticeable.
Vinyl kitchen wallpaper
The main advantages of the material - light and moisture resistance - make it one of the most suitable for finishing the kitchen. The pluses can also be attributed to the fact that vinyl wallpapers do not require perfectly even walls - they successfully mask small flaws.
Such a coating can be washed, and the mold on it does not start.
Choose quality vinyl wallpapers a little trick will help. The exhibition sample you like must be clenched in a fist. If it is easily crumpled, the purchase should be abandoned. Only dense, wrinkle-resistant vinyl has these advantages.
Non-woven wallpaper for the kitchen
Vinyl finishing materials non-woven base They have many qualities that make them a suitable option for the kitchen: they are dense and durable, they can be washed (including with the help of cleaning products) and repainted many times, updating the design of the room. Gluing them is quite easy, so you can carry out the procedure yourself.
Fiberglass kitchen wallpaper
This cover is perfect for the kitchen. Durable moisture-proof and durable coating is made from natural ingredients, resistant to fungus and mold. It can be repainted, and for cleaning use soapy water and a sponge.
The only drawback of this option is the high cost.
Kitchen Design Ideas
Wallpaper for the kitchen is presented in large quantities even in not too large hardware stores.How not to get confused when choosing? Which one to choose - light or dark, with or without a pattern? The final choice remains with the owner of the premises, however, it is still worth adhering to some criteria when selecting finishing materials.
classic kitchen
Muted calm colors are suitable for a classic-style kitchen: brown, beige, gray, olive, cognac, sand, blue or dark green. Complex floral patterns, checks or stripes go well with simple-style furniture. Wall murals with a suitable pattern will also look interesting - a reproduction of the masterpieces of classical painting or an image of architectural elements. If desired, you can use a single-color coating.
Excessively pretentious drawings and bright saturated colors for such an interior are unacceptable.
Art Nouveau kitchen
If the design of the kitchen is conceived as modern, then the choice is practically unlimited. Trendy abstract patterns, trendy stripes, familiar floral motifs, and original geometric ones will look equally appropriate here.
You can choose wallpapers whose pattern imitates traditional finishing materials: stone, wood, plaster or brick.
Rustic kitchen
For the design of walls in a country or Provence style room, light-colored coatings with a floral or romantic pattern are perfect: vegetables or fruits, plant leaves, small flowers, butterflies or birds. Natural materials - imitation canvas, plaster or wood surfaces - will also be a good choice.
If photo wallpapers are used, then the most successful options are still lifes or calm landscapes.
High-tech kitchen
The high-tech interior is characterized by clear straight lines, concise forms.
In such a room there is no place for wallpaper in a flower or with ornate patterns. The coating should be plain, bright rich colors: red, black, green or white.
Combining different wallpapers: ideas
It is not necessary to use only one type of wallpaper - combining different colors and patterns, you can achieve an unusual effect. The main thing is to follow the rule: coatings should not vary too much in quality. Expensive elite materials will look ridiculous if you use budget options, albeit suitable in color, as a companion.
If the room has an original layout, wallpaper that differs by one tone will help to emphasize it. For example, a darker finish can be used to finish a niche.
Contrast is another interesting technique that can enliven the interior. Not everyone is able to dare to use red with black or black with yellow to decorate the kitchen, but green with gold or blue with silver will help to make the room more interesting if the walls are plain or decorated with a uniform pattern.
Using photo wallpaper
If you use photo wallpapers in a room for wall decoration, they will attract all the attention to themselves. Therefore, it is not recommended to use them in an interior already overloaded with details.
The brighter and richer the picture, the more calm the background should be for it. When using photo wallpapers, it is recommended to paste over the remaining walls with neutral, non-attractive coatings.
Combination of wallpaper and furniture
Whatever the size of the kitchen, the interior should not be overloaded. You need to focus on one thing - only on furniture or only on the walls. Calm plain wallpaper will emphasize elegant, intricately decorated kitchen fronts, but for smooth fronts with a laconic design, bright, attention-grabbing wall coverings are suitable.
The same rule should be followed when designing a window.If the kitchen wallpaper has a complex pattern, then it is better to choose simple curtains, without intricate patterns. For rooms whose walls are covered with plain or with a calm small wallpaper pattern, fabric curtains with a large bright print are better suited. It is also desirable that the color of the fabric matches or at least goes well with the colors of the wallpaper.
Kitchen design should be considered in advance. For furniture and wallpaper in cold colors, curtains made of warm-colored fabrics are not suitable.
Wallpaper for a small kitchen
The design of small rooms has its own characteristics.
So, it is strongly not recommended to choose coatings with large patterns, rich or dark colors. They attract attention, and already a limited space visually becomes quite tiny.
For wall design small kitchen wallpapers of fresh and light colors are best suited: blue, cream, pistachio, azure and others. Monochromatic coatings are a good choice, but a small pattern is also acceptable.
It is undesirable to use wallpaper with vertical stripes for small rooms - they will create the illusion of a cramped space.
Advice
One of the ways not only to decorate the kitchen, but also to make visual zoning is to combine wallpaper in two contrasting colors or combine solid colors with coatings that have a complex pattern. For example, you can highlight the dining area with a bright insert, and choose calm wallpapers for the design of the rest of the walls.
Wallpaper for the kitchen in stripes will help to visually correct the shortcomings of the room. For example, in order to visually raise the ceiling, you can paste over the walls with wallpaper in a vertical strip. Horizontal ones are suitable in order to remove the impression of tightness.
You can correct a narrow kitchen if you use dark-colored finishing materials on short walls, and light ones on long ones.
Choosing a wallpaper that will emphasize all the advantages of the room, will be in harmony with the furniture and will last a long time, is not so difficult. The main thing is to follow simple rules when searching and choosing a material, and then you can get aesthetic pleasure from the result of the repair carried out every day.
