Ideas by Style
Best Luxury Wallpaper: 8 Designer Murals for Rooms That Feel Finished
Luxury wallpaper is less about price than about a wall that looks deliberate: rich colour, a classic motif and no awkward seams. Here are eight designer murals we would hang in a dining or living room, and what to check before you order.
The short version
- Our pick overall: Ravenna, Onyx, a modern damask in ivory, warm grey and subtle gold on a deep charcoal black ground.
- Luxury comes from the classics. Damask, art deco, chinoiserie, marble and toile are the motifs that make a room feel considered.
- Go dark in the evening rooms. Dining rooms and living rooms used at night suit black, navy and burgundy grounds.
- Made to measure means no seams to hide. Each mural is printed to your wall's width and height as straight-match panels.
- See the colour first. A 30 x 20 in sample on the real paper costs $34 in Non-Pasted, credited back on your mural within 90 days.
The best luxury wallpaper is a classic motif in a deep, considered colour, printed so it runs edge to edge without a visible join. Our pick is Ravenna, Onyx, a modern damask painted in gouache-style brushwork, made to the exact size of your wall.
Every design below is made to measure on the same PVC-free papers, so this ranking is about the look: which designer patterns give a dining room or living room the finished feel people expect from luxury wallpaper, and which room each one suits best.
The 8 best luxury wallpapers at a glance
| Design | Best for | What sets it apart |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Ravenna, Onyx | Dining rooms and powder rooms | Modern damask, ivory and gold on charcoal black |
| 2. Charleston, Gilt | Evening living rooms | Black and gold art deco geometry |
| 3. Pagoda Walk, Linen | Light living rooms and bedrooms | Pale chinoiserie garden of birds and flowers |
| 4. Portoro, Gilt | Dining rooms and entryways | Black marble with gold veining, no visible repeat |
| 5. Bergerie, Midnight | Dining rooms and bedrooms | Toile de Jouy on a deep navy ground |
| 6. Le Touquet, Claret | Dining rooms and main bedrooms | Art deco fans on burgundy, gold-toned outlines |
| 7. Tigris, Gilt | Living rooms and grand hallways | Gold tigers on velvety charcoal black |
| 8. Athenaeum, Midnight | Living rooms and studies | Navy library shelves, photographic realism |
The ranking: 8 luxury wallpapers for dining and living rooms
All eight are made to measure, printed as straight-match panels 76 cm (30 in) wide with pre-trimmed edges, and shipped free to 107 countries with import duties included. Prices start at $7.95 per square foot on Non-Pasted paper.
1. Ravenna, Onyx: best luxury wallpaper overall
Best for: a dining room or powder room that should feel intimate and elegant.
Ravenna, Onyx takes the most classic luxury motif, the damask, and paints it in confident gouache brushwork: soft ivory, warm grey and subtle gold on a deep charcoal black ground. The repeat is medium in scale, present without crowding the wall.
It ranks first because damask is the most classic luxury motif, and this version stays calm. The dark ground has a gothic, moody side, yet the ivory and gold keep it calm. Lamplight deepens the charcoal and picks out the gold motifs.
- Modern damask rather than a fussy traditional one
- Suggested for dining rooms and powder rooms
- Pairs with linen or velvet in warm grey or forest green, oak and brushed brass
2. Charleston, Gilt: best art deco
Best for: a living room or dining room used mostly in the evening.
Charleston, Gilt is a black and gold art deco geometric pattern, meant to feel dark, rich and glamorous. It is the most overtly luxe design in this list.
It ranks second because art deco is the style most people picture when they say luxury wallpaper. Behind a sofa or a sideboard it reads as a deliberate statement, not a backdrop.
- Suggested for dining rooms, entryways, hallways, living rooms and powder rooms
- A softer twin exists: Deauville, Onyx, in ivory, warm grey and soft gold on black
- Brass, very dark wood and jewel-tone velvet keep the mood
3. Pagoda Walk, Linen: best light luxury wallpaper
Best for: a bright living room or bedroom where a dark wall would feel heavy.
Pagoda Walk, Linen is a chinoiserie garden of birds, botanicals and flowers in soft cream and neutral tones. Chinoiserie has been a mark of a grand room for centuries, and this version keeps it pale and refined.
It ranks third as the best answer for anyone who wants luxury without going dark. Soft greens, pale blues or warm wood pick up the garden without overpowering the ground.
- Suits living rooms, bedrooms, dining rooms, entryways and hallways
- A deeper version exists: Summer Palace, Damson, in purple
- Keeps a room bright while adding pattern and interest
4. Portoro, Gilt: best marble look
Best for: a dining room, entryway or powder room that should feel grand.
Portoro, Gilt is a polished marble slab with deep black and warm gold-ochre veining, reproduced with photographic precision under soft, even light. The veining shows natural variation and no visible repeat, so a full wall reads as continuous stone.
Real Portoro marble on a wall is a major building job. This gives the same dramatic look with a mood that stays calm rather than loud.
- No visible repeat across the whole wall
- Suggested for bathrooms, entryways, hallways, kitchens and powder rooms
- Matte black metal, dark timber and soft cream textiles suit it
5. Bergerie, Midnight: best toile
Best for: a dining room or bedroom with a classic, refined feel.
Bergerie, Midnight is a toile de Jouy with finely detailed, gouache-style motifs in soft ivory, powder blue and subtle gold, spread evenly over a deep navy ground. There are no large empty spaces, so the pattern flows across the wall.
Toile is usually light and pretty. On navy it becomes moody and elegant, which is why it earns a place in a luxury ranking.
- Suggested for bedrooms, dining rooms, kitchens and powder rooms
- A light version exists: Fête Galante, Delft, cobalt on white
- Pairs with natural oak, cream linen and aged brass
6. Le Touquet, Claret: best warm statement
Best for: a dining room or main bedroom that should feel enveloping.
Le Touquet, Claret sets geometric forms and stylised fans in soft blush, warm ivory and champagne gold on a deep burgundy ground. Each element is outlined with delicate gold-toned lines, in a medium, evenly spread repeat.
It is the warmest design here. Under lamplight the burgundy deepens; in daylight the fans and gold details come forward.
- Bold, dark and luxe in mood
- A brighter art deco exists: Rivoli, Loch, in teal and sea green
- Velvet in forest green or cream, dark wood and brass
7. Tigris, Gilt: best for drama
Best for: a living room or a grand hallway that can take a bold motif.
Tigris, Gilt is a classic tiger pattern in refined, painterly brushwork: warm gold-ochre felines on a deep, velvety charcoal black ground. The medium repeat spreads the motifs evenly, with no large empty spaces.
Animal prints sit in many designer collections, and this one stays refined rather than playful because of its dark ground and single gold tone.
- Suggested for entryways, hallways, living rooms and powder rooms
- A leopard version exists: Kip, Gilt
- Velvet in forest green or deep burgundy, dark polished wood and brass
8. Athenaeum, Midnight: best library look
Best for: a living room, study or dining room that should feel scholarly and quiet.
Athenaeum, Midnight is a floor-to-ceiling library of antique leather-bound books in deep navy and rich indigo, shown with photographic realism. The spines are unlettered and the composition has no visible repeat.
Built-in library shelving is a major joinery job. This gives the look of it on a single wall.
- Suggested for dining rooms, living rooms, offices and powder rooms
- A darker neutral version exists: Codex, Ink
- Cream or deep olive soft furnishings, warm wood and brass
9. Alternative: hand-painted scenic wallpaper from specialist makers
Specialist houses such as de Gournay make hand-painted scenic wallpaper to order. It sits at the very top of the market and suits buyers commissioning a whole room.
10. Alternative: classic designer wallpaper sold by the roll
Established wallpaper makers such as Cole & Son, a British wallpaper house, sell designer patterns by the roll. Rolls suit a repeating pattern hung by a decorator across several walls.
Shop luxury wall murals
Damask, art deco, chinoiserie, marble and toile, each printed to the exact size of your wall.
How we chose
We started from the motifs that define luxury wallpaper: damask, art deco, chinoiserie, marble, toile, animal prints and library shelves. For each motif we kept the design with the richest, most considered palette, then checked it against the two rooms people most often decorate this way, the dining room and the living room.
We favoured designs that either have no visible repeat or an even medium-scale repeat, because those hang cleanly from edge to edge. We did not rank on price: every design costs the same per square foot on the same paper.
Buying guide: what makes wallpaper feel luxury
A luxury look depends as much on how the wallpaper is made and hung as on the pattern. These are the points to check on any brand, including ours.
| What to check | Why it matters | Casavono |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | Joins and cut-off motifs at the ceiling look cheap | Printed to your wall's width and height |
| Panels | Pattern matching across rolls is where errors happen | Straight-match panels 76 cm (30 in) wide, pre-trimmed |
| Paper | Weight and finish change how the wall reads up close | Non-Pasted 190 gsm smooth matte, Pre-Pasted 300 gsm textured matte |
| Light-fastness | Deep colours should not fade in a sunny room | Blue Wool 8/8 |
| Materials | What is on the wall stays in the room | PVC-free, GreenGuard-certified UV inks |
| Fire rating | Matters for dining rooms and hallways | ASTM E84 Class A |
For a dining or living room, Non-Pasted paper ($7.95 per sq ft) is made for dry rooms and gives a smooth matte surface. Pre-Pasted ($8.95 per sq ft) has a fine-grained textured matte finish and hangs by wetting the back.
Order the whole wall at once. Colours can vary slightly between print runs, which shows most on deep grounds like black, navy and burgundy. If you are papering two walls, order them together. On a very dark existing wall, paint a light base first, since the papers are semi-opaque.
Before you order, use the wallpaper calculator or read how to measure a wall. For more on the papers, see our quality page, and if you are deciding between a statement wall and a whole room, our accent wall ideas can help. If your taste runs to flowers, see our ranking of the best floral wallpaper.
More luxury designs
Massa, IvoryPrinted to your wall size
Summer Palace, DamsonPrinted to your wall size
Normandie, MidnightPrinted to your wall size
Common questions
What makes a wallpaper luxury?
Three things: a classic motif such as damask, art deco, chinoiserie or marble, a rich and considered colour, and a clean installation with no awkward joins. A mural printed to your wall size helps with the last point, because the pattern is planned for your wall rather than cut from rolls.
Is dark luxury wallpaper a good idea in a small dining room?
Often, yes. A dark ground like black, navy or burgundy makes a small room feel intimate rather than cramped, especially in the evening under lamplight. Test with a sample on the actual wall first. For the smallest room in the house, see our ranking of the best powder room wallpaper.
How much does luxury wallpaper cost for one wall?
Our murals cost $7.95 per square foot on Non-Pasted paper. A wall 12 ft wide and 9 ft high is 108 sq ft, so about $859, with free shipping and import duties included. Enter your own width and height on any product page for the exact price.
Should luxury wallpaper go on one wall or the whole room?
Either works. One wall behind a dining table or sofa makes a focal point. A whole room in a quieter design, such as a toile or a damask, feels enveloping. If you paper several walls, order them together so the colour matches.
Can I hang luxury wallpaper myself?
Yes. Our panels are straight-match with pre-trimmed edges, so you hang them side by side in order. Follow the installation guide, or ask a decorator. Professionals can join the trade programme for 20% off.
Does gold in wallpaper fade over time?
Fading depends on the inks. Ours reach 8 out of 8 on the Blue Wool light-fastness scale, the top of that scale.
Made to your measure
Luxury Wallpaper
Before you order