Natural wood has been successfully used to decorate walls for centuries. Interiors decorated with this material look very solid and presentable, strict and elegant, cozy and warm. Such versatility cannot but attract people's attention. However, to create such a design, you will have to spend a lot of money, since this natural finishing material is not cheap.
Wood-effect wallpaper in the interior is an affordable alternative to expensive material. Any owner can afford paper canvases stylized to resemble natural surfaces. This type of wallpaper can be used in many different ways, but in any case it brings life to the environment. Proper use requires extensive prior preparation. So if you decide to decorate a room in this way, we will tell you how to do it best.
Wood-effect wallpaper in the interior: high-quality imitation
Wood can be combined with any style in the interior; design in an ecological, rustic or country style looks especially good.
Wooden wallpaper for walls includes several types of finishing coating:
- Natural wood panels assembled using a hidden tongue and groove system;
- Rolled veneer;
- Cork wallpaper.
Wood has a pleasant structure, so wood-style wallpapers are available in many designer collections.
The highest quality type of wallpaper that imitates wood is non-woven wallpaper.
Depending on the material you can find wood-effect wallpaper:
- Paper;
- Non-woven;
- Vinyl.
The color and texture of the canvas can imitate tree bark or wood structure.
For real patriots, wallpapers with images of birch trees were developed
In addition, there are wallpapers with images of trees and forests of any climate zone:
- Birch or oak groves;
- Jungle, tropical forest;
- Savannahs, prairies;
- Spruce and pine forests.
Wallpaper with silhouettes of trees brings a sense of harmony to the interior, and the natural green color of the foliage gives rest to the eyes. 3D wallpaper with a pattern of trees enlivens the room and visually enlarges the space. Often the landscape is complemented by images of ponds, babbling streams, and waterfalls. In the background you can see snow-capped mountain peaks, cumulus clouds, and plains stretching into the distance. It’s very pleasant to look at such wallpapers; natural landscapes don’t get boring over time. Usually 1 wall is decorated with landscape and photo wallpapers, and the other 3 are filled with background light wallpaper.
Despite the fact that wood-effect wallpaper was originally used in country houses, it is also perfect for modern interiors.
This interior solution makes it possible:
- Direct guests’ attention to the landscape and distract them from repair defects;
- Visually increase the area of the room due to light walls;
- Emphasize the chosen style in the interior using wallpaper on an accent wall.
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Wallpaper with the texture of wood or the image of green trees will help to realize the creative idea for renovation. What is the fundamental difference between wallpaper stylized as wood and coverings made from natural wood panels?
Difference:
- Wooden wallpaper lines the wall, because the thickness of the planks is about 2 cm;
- Stylized wallpaper with a natural wood look should be glued to a flat wall.
Both options are suitable for an apartment, but for a country house or cottage it is more convenient to choose natural wood. The walls in a dacha are often cold even in the summer; wood paneling will add coziness and create a homely atmosphere.
Options for using wood-effect wallpaper
Bedroom and children's room
Wallpaper with imitation wood can be used to decorate a wide variety of rooms. Paper wallpaper will look great in a bedroom or children's room. They allow the walls to breathe freely, create an optimal microclimate in the room and are the safest for others. Moreover, you can use both light shades, which will visually expand the space, and dark ones, by pasting, for example, one of the walls or creating a wood panel. To complete the picture, you can match other interior details to the color of the wood. This could be furniture, paintings, pillows, bedspreads, etc.
Living room and wood wallpaper
In the living room, photo or 3-D wood wallpaper is most often used, which will not only add depth to the room and make it more spacious, but can also become the main accent in the interior. Such wallpaper most often serves as a background image, so they decorate one of the walls of the room, and the rest are painted or pasted over with ordinary wallpaper.
Advice. Photo wallpaper looks best on a free and well-lit wall. In a small room, experts recommend using predominantly light tones of finishing materials or combining them with lighter shades.
Bathroom, kitchen, hallway, decorated with wood wallpaper
In rooms such as a kitchen, bathroom, toilet, hallway, where the walls are subject to the greatest wear and tear and the humidity level is always high, experts recommend using vinyl or non-woven wallpaper. They are not afraid of various types of pollution, in particular, grease stains, the negative effects of moisture, sudden temperature changes, and ultraviolet radiation.
Such wallpaper is easy to clean, does not lose its shape over time and is suitable for finishing even uneven surfaces. In addition, non-woven or vinyl wallpaper is suitable as a kitchen apron instead of traditional ceramic tiles.
Thus, wood-effect wallpaper is a universal finishing option for rooms of various purposes and styles.
Wallpaper in a country house: wall decoration
Natural wooden wallpaper is made from durable wood and coated with special compounds to protect against changes in temperature and humidity.
In a country house, such wallpaper will look most organic
What are the distinctive features of natural wall coverings in a country house?:
- Wood panels . The thickness of the panels usually does not exceed 2 cm, this is enough to create a strong coating. But on one side of each plank there is a groove, and on the other there is a ridge. Most often, the panels are connected to each other without the help of glue, using the mechanical adhesion method. Some types of wooden wallpaper require the use of screws, clamps and other fasteners. Species of deciduous trees that are used for wall decoration: beech, oak, birch, walnut, alder, aspen, linden. Coniferous species: pine, spruce, larch. Exclusive interiors of country houses are decorated with precious wood species, such as red sandalwood. Wooden wallpaper is created from one or several types of wood. The mosaic is made up of panels of similar or different colors and sizes. There are more than a hundred options for decorating a wall with wooden wallpaper. Popular are embossed wallpapers, which consist of squares of wood that vary in level.
- Veneer wallpaper . Covering walls with such wallpaper is very simple. You can glue veneer to the wall with your own hands in the same way as paper roll wallpaper. You first need to level the wall, because the thickness of the veneer is only 3 mm. Veneer is a natural wood that must be protected from direct sunlight and sudden changes in temperature and humidity. The light weight of the wallpaper allows you to glue it even to the ceiling. In a wooden house, veneer wallpaper decorated with wood or bamboo moldings looks great. Molding is strips that delimit a wall in a horizontal or vertical direction. There are veneer wallpapers with inlay, carved or painted. Walls decorated in this way look like works of art.
- Cork wallpaper . The cork coating is applied to a paper or non-woven base, so the wallpaper is strong and durable. They can be cleaned and washed, they do not lose their beautiful color over time, do not fade in the sun, and are not saturated with odors. Cork wallpaper absorbs sounds, so the room becomes quiet and calm. Cork does not mold, does not crumble, and does not become saturated with moisture. Cork material does not accumulate static electricity and dust is not attracted to the wallpaper. Cork wallpaper is available in rolls or slabs. In addition, there are wallpapers with a layer of glue already applied. You can cover not only walls with cork, but also doors, furniture, and ceilings.
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In rustic-style houses, naturalness is most valued: therefore, it is preferable to use natural materials
In a village house, you can implement larger-scale projects compared to an apartment.
If you want to experiment with unusual wall coverings, you should definitely try natural wood.
Wood wallpaper
To produce wallpaper based on natural wood, a variety of materials are used: from the cheapest sawdust to the more expensive cork. This means that any consumer can choose exactly the material that interests him. Some of the most budget-friendly wallpapers are those made from pine, aspen or spruce. The use of rare species that have special strength significantly increases the cost of such finishing materials.
They are obtained as follows: the wood is specially processed using mechanical grinding. From them a special mixture is obtained for the production of finished canvases. Design experts say that most wood-effect wallpapers have very good thermal insulation properties. This allows them to withstand contact with sunlight and water. They also fit perfectly into any interior, as shown in the photo:
The advantages of using such original wallpaper are:
- ease of pasting walls;
- safety for use indoors where not only people, but also pets live; they do not cause allergies;
- they do not need to be carefully looked after;
- they are of higher quality than paper-based coatings;
- wood-effect wallpaper is resistant to mold and mildew on the surface, and is not susceptible to direct sunlight;
- they cannot be affected by fire, since the enterprises treat them with a special compound;
- they can hang on the walls for a very long time, until they go out of fashion;
- Wallpaper imitating a wooden surface is very durable.
These materials also include cork wallpaper. They are produced by applying a special veneer to a paper base. In some cases, the cork is simply pressed, without applying it to the base. In terms of their practical characteristics, such wallpaper is in no way inferior to other finishing materials. As for the price, it is slightly lower than natural wallpaper made from trees, and slightly higher than usual.
The combination of wood and wallpaper in the interior: combination options
Any wooden wallpaper can be combined with regular ones.
Wallpaper in neutral colors is perfect for wooden wallpaper: it will not distract attention from wallpaper with a wooden print.
A combination of wallpaper on one wall helps visually change the dimensions of the room:
- The horizontal division into a light top and dark bottom adds volume to the room;
- Vertical division, light edges and dark center increases the plane of the wall;
- Vertical division, dark edges and a light center narrow the plane of the wall.
If different types of wallpaper are used on different walls, it is more profitable to create an accent wall that is different from the other 3 in color.
Using combined wallpaper, you can decorate niches, window slopes and divide the room into zones.
Product Features
Wallpaper made of wood are thin planks 10-20 cm wide. During installation, they are connected using a tongue-and-groove system. The technology for their creation was developed relatively recently. Its positive properties have earned approval from manufacturers of similar products. The latest techniques make it possible to use different types of wood in the production of canvases, which gives them an original texture, unique colors and patterns.
In most cases, wooden wallpaper is made from spruce and pine. Such products are especially vulnerable to the effects of high humidity and temperature. When heated, the material releases resin, so it is not recommended to use it when decorating saunas and baths.
Wallpaper made from larch is the most resistant to water and temperature changes. The material does not emit resin, and the price is practically no different from its spruce and pine counterparts.
One of the most expensive options for wall decoration are panels made from African wood called abash. The material does not heat up and does not emit any substances.
Depending on the quality and appearance, products are divided into several categories:
- extra – the canvas does not have any defects or knots;
- “A” – a small number of knots on the surface is acceptable;
- “B” – the front side has a high knot content.
The presence of black knots is unacceptable for any category. This defect may appear on the surface during installation.
What interior style is in harmony with wooden wallpaper for walls?
Natural wood is impregnated and coated to protect it from environmental influences. It is not practical to buy untreated wood panels; you will have to impregnate and varnish them yourself, otherwise they will not last long. Impregnation and varnish give the wood a richer and richer color. Varnishes come in glossy and matte finishes, making it possible to use wooden wallpaper in a wide range of interiors. The panels can be of strict geometric shapes, rectangle, square, or have rounded outlines.
Wood-effect wallpaper will add even more comfort to the Provence style interior
What styles are wooden wallpapers usually used with?:
- Provence, country;
- Ecostyle;
- Minimalism;
- Avant-garde and modern.
Such wallpapers are widely used in exotic finishing styles: Egyptian, Oriental, African. In African and Asian countries, wood is traditionally used to cover walls, so wallpaper blends harmoniously into the stylistic ensemble of the interior.
It is desirable that the material from which the furniture is made is combined with the material of the walls.
Types of wallpaper
There are a lot of wall coverings with an imitation of wooden texture: these are wallpapers in the form of boards, round cuts of logs, lining, with images of aged wood, painted boards and natural shades of various colors. Before purchasing, it may be difficult to choose the right color and texture in order to effectively fit the coating into the decor of the apartment.
Regarding the material of manufacture, wood-effect wallpapers are divided into several types, which have their own advantages and disadvantages.
Wallpaper type | Characteristic | Advantages | Flaws |
Paper | Wall covering with painted wood, made of double-layer paper. | It is characterized by the fact that almost any image can be applied to them. Low cost, breathable, environmentally friendly material. | The paper backing is impractical because it is not resistant to moisture and mechanical stress. For this reason, paper wallpaper is not used in the bathroom or kitchen. Labor intensity when carrying out finishing work.. |
Vinyl | Vinyl covering with textured surface | The relief surface naturally imitates the texture of wood. Vinyl is resistant to ultraviolet radiation and moisture. Durability. | A dense, non-breathable surface that can cause health problems for allergy sufferers. |
Non-woven | The backing is made of textile or cellulose non-woven material | Thanks to the texture, such wallpaper with a wood pattern hides the imperfections of the walls. Easy to apply to the wall. No deformation. | High cost relative to paper counterparts. |
3D wallpaper | Wall covering on a paper, vinyl or non-woven basis with three-dimensional photo printing. | Thanks to high-quality printing and color rendering, they create the appearance of real wood and visualize its texture. | High price. Suitable mainly for finishing bright, spacious rooms. |
Photo wallpaper | Wallpaper with photo printing. | Unlike painted wood, a printed photo looks realistic. | Compared to a pattern that imitates wood, photo wallpapers look more natural, but are less advantageous than 3D wallpapers because they have a flat image. |
Advice! When gluing wallpaper with a wood texture, it is recommended not to join the canvases, but to apply stripes randomly to create the appearance of natural wood.
What kind of interior does wallpaper that imitates wood go with?
The use of landscape wallpaper with trees is not limited in style, as you can find a variety of patterns and textures. Wallpaper can be glossy, matte, 3D, with images of individual trees or an entire forest.
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Nowadays 3D wallpapers are gaining popularity: they are quite difficult to distinguish from the original; for example, they will fit perfectly into a country-style interior
In which interiors are wallpapers with trees used?:
- Rustic style, country, Provence, ecological style . Wallpapers with nature fit perfectly into any natural style; forests of the middle zone and macro photography of green foliage of trees look especially good.
- Exotic styles . Landscape wallpaper with savannah, baobab trees or ebony texture are suitable for African interiors. Bamboo, sakura and autumn forests of Japan will successfully complement the oriental interior. And wallpaper stylized as yellow, white and gold wood will be combined with Egyptian and Central Asian styles.
You need to select the design of the walls taking into account the overall color of the room. Light green and sunny wallpapers add air and freshness to any space.
Advantages and disadvantages
Wall covering with wood texture has many advantages over conventional wallpaper and decorative panels:
- The canvases do not need to be strictly joined to each other: thus, a realistic image of the boards is achieved.
- A universal combination with any style.
- Space saving compared to wood panels.
- An opportunity to get closer to nature, creating a cozy atmosphere in a city apartment.
- Suitable for decorating any room.
- Easy to apply and care.
- Environmental safety of the coating.
- The ability to create an original interior, giving a “zest” to the room. Even in the smallest room you can create a masterpiece using small canvases - wood-look pictures.
- An ideal solution for placing accents in the interior.
- Imitation wood is an analogue of expensive natural wood panels, accessible to everyone.
- Wallpaper, except paper, perfectly masks any unevenness and defects on the walls.
- Wide range of colors, the ability to combine with other finishing materials.
However, there are some disadvantages of such a wall covering:
- Photo wallpaper and 3D coating are much more expensive than regular wallpaper.
- Wood-look paper sheets have the same disadvantages as regular ones: instability to water, temperature changes, and mechanical damage.
- Vinyl flooring is not breathable, so it should not be used in living rooms.
- Over time, the surface may fade, especially if the wall is exposed to direct sunlight.
Otherwise, choosing wallpaper that imitates the texture of natural wood will be an excellent solution for decorating an interior in a natural style.
Wallpaper stickers, trees and nature
You can quickly add a little variety to your renovation without replacing all the wallpaper using stickers.
One of the most important advantages of wallpaper stickers is their ease of application and use.
There are stickers:
- Small, large and very large;
- Flat and embossed;
- Glossy and matte;
- With any trees, animals, birds, herbs and flowers.
Question details
Texture
To achieve maximum resemblance to natural wood, it is necessary to use not just similar patterns and colors, but also a heterogeneous texture. Real wood in any form is not perfectly smooth. In imitations, manufacturers use images of birch, oak, spruce and alder wood. The surface of expensive vinyl, paper and non-woven wallpaper can exactly replicate all the irregularities, ring shapes and roughness of a natural trunk. Trendy accents are coatings that replicate the cuts and bark of exclusive wood species - wenge, robinny and merbau. It can be found in exclusive collections, and the price in this case will be unreasonably high. But you will have a unique interior.
To obtain the most realistic texture, which will be close to simplicity and nature, you should use wallpaper in a brown shade for wall decoration. but bright colors can also be reflected in different interior styles. The white coating, which has been artificially aged, will fit perfectly into the marine theme of a recreation room or living room. Provincial style will also help refresh light colors. Mahogany will be an excellent complement to baroque and classic. Pink boards placed vertically can complement a shabby chic bedroom.
Matte dark wallpaper designed to look like a log house will help give the interior a special fabulousness and romance. You will feel as if you are in an old village house, and such walls will bear the imprints of time. Interesting solutions in the interior can be found if you choose a coating with an imitation of a wooden floor. In this case, it is better to work in one color scheme, which means that if the floor is made of dark boards or glossy bright parquet, it is better to make the walls matte and in light shades. Otherwise, there will be too much color and shine, and you will very quickly get tired of this design.
Please note that the currently popular loft style is also not complete without imitation wood on the wall. For this case, the design and surface should be as similar as possible to the real thing, like boards or a log frame with a rough, rough surface.
Wood-effect wallpaper can always be combined with plastic panels. In the corridor, the lower part of the walls, which is finished with plastic panels, will make the room practical, and the upper part with imitation wood on the wallpaper will provide you with a fresh and natural design. lovers of everything original are advised to take a closer look at less common, artificial and bright shades of wood for wallpaper. A green or purple board pattern will be a great addition to an avant-garde interior. In this case, the furniture should be in calm tones and have similar colors, and also use decorative elements (curtains, pillows, panels). Cork wallpaper with its original texture will add naturalness and naturalness to the interior.
Advantages and disadvantages
Wood in the interior will give you a cozy, warm and close to nature atmosphere. If you need to save at least a little or just like to update your decor frequently, then the ideal option would be to stick to paper wallpaper. They are the cheapest, but there are many wood patterns in different colors and types. In addition, they are environmentally friendly and allow the walls to breathe. But it’s worth choosing duplex wallpaper (i.e., two-layer), as it will be denser, although a little more expensive.
Interestingly, a huge advantage for vinyl flooring is the ability to perform wet cleaning. In addition, their wood-like texture is as close as possible to the real one, and thanks to their relief and strength, small defects in the walls can be properly hidden.
To achieve maximum similarity with natural wood, you should use not just similar patterns and colors, but also a heterogeneous texture. Real wood in any form will not be perfectly smooth, and to imitate it, manufacturing companies often use images of spruce, oak, alder and birch wood. Non-woven fabric can also perfectly transfer natural patterns onto wood, but it will not be able to withstand cleaning with water and its cost is higher. A huge advantage of this type of finish is that it is environmentally friendly, so they can be safely used for bedrooms and living rooms, as well as for a children’s room.
Modern wallpaper with a photo printed on it is convenient in terms of gluing, since it is sold in the form of a single canvas, so there is no need to adjust or measure anything. In addition, the choice of patterns with wood imitation is quite large. The most commonly used images are saw cuts, woodpiles and boards. 3D wallpaper with a photo image very well conveys all the subtleties of wood texture.
Liquid wallpaper can also have a certain structure and color, and in such a way that they will not differ at all from the real thing. They are durable, environmentally friendly and elastic. Since such wallpapers are made from natural ingredients, they can be considered hypoallergenic. The great advantage of this coating is that it is soundproof and retains heat perfectly. They will also not fade due to the use of high quality components.
Important! If you need to change such a coating or restore it, you only need to remove a certain area and apply a new layer. The advantage is that there will be no visible lines or boundaries.
We should also talk about the pros and cons of natural wallpaper. A cork covering can be selected for people who have poor health, as it will not absorb dust and will not cause allergies. This material also retains heat well, is soundproof, plastic and, in combination with special impregnations, can repel moisture. Thanks to its thick layer, it can perfectly hide defects on the surface of the wall being treated.
The unique relief pattern will differ from other types of natural wood wallpaper. Lack of susceptibility to fungi and microorganisms, as well as durability, are also significant advantages, as is fire safety. But keep in mind that finishing with cork will be expensive, and if you have animals or children in your house/apartment, the coating can be damaged in a short time due to the fact that the surface is soft and pliable. Veneer has similar positive qualities as cork, but it is inexpensive and flammable (slightly more expensive than regular paper wallpaper).
Options for different rooms
To create a trendy and unique living room, you cannot do without using wood motifs. A bold solution could be a ceiling covered with dark wood boards. The walls can be any natural shades of wood. Board patterns with a coating that will be embossed will ideally emphasize protrusions or niches, but at the same time, the remaining patterns must be neutral or at least monochromatic.
Horizontally combined light and dark stylized wallpaper will look good in a room with low ceilings. Bright accents of unusual colors, for example, blue aged boards, will not leave either you or your guests indifferent. In a green interior that leans towards naturalness, a wooden motif in beige and gray shades with a matte, unobtrusive structure that will replicate the natural one will look great. But piles of large saw cuts and logs would be appropriate as an accent of rustic style.
For the bedroom, it is better not to choose glossy and flashy textures, and opt for a white shade with imitation paint or light natural shades. If you want to decorate one of the walls with wood-look wallpaper, it is better to choose the one behind the head of the bed. In this case, choose any color and pattern option, and the rest of the space can be balanced with pastel colors. But it is better that the natural theme is complemented in a similar style (stands, vases, pillows, paintings). In the kitchen, both places are suitable for decorating with wooden motifs - the wall near the table and behind the kitchen furniture. The dining area can be emphasized with photo wallpapers and boards with relief, logs or cuts of any shade. The bleached color will fit perfectly into a Scandinavian or minimalist style.
Please note that it is better to give preference to washable wallpaper, but it is better to avoid natural materials, as they can absorb odors.
But for a children's room, the choice of wood decor is not so large. Natural, not bright colors on non-woven or paper-type wallpaper will help to dilute an unobtrusive marine-themed design, as well as the use of inscriptions or decorative stickers. An interesting option in this case is imitation ship wood, which boys will appreciate. The corridor will be the ideal place to combine shades of light wood on the surface of the walls and natural wood or imitation wood on the floor. This will make it possible to bring a feeling of comfort and free space. There are two more rooms that are more typical of country houses - a library and an office. Wood motifs would be appropriate here, and this is the case when you don’t have to worry and use both dark and bright saturated colors for decoration.
Examples of wooden wallpaper (photo)
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Advantages of wooden wallpaper compared to lining
If we compare them with lining, which preceded the appearance of wallpaper, then the latter has a number of advantages. The main ones are light weight and faster installation speed.
- Installing the lining is a rather painstaking task, in which each narrow strip is nailed separately. Wooden wallpaper for interior decoration is glued in strips, as a result of which the installation speed is significantly accelerated.
- If we talk about weight, then the lining is heavier. This is another plus in the direction of wallpaper. They can be used to decorate the ceiling, arches, niches, and decorative projections.
Wooden wallpaper for interior decoration photo
Among the disadvantages, it should be noted that the lining is more natural than wooden wallpaper. Still, the latter are in some way a composite material, and chemical impregnation and adhesive compositions do not add naturalness. The lining can consist exclusively of wood without any impregnation, i.e. safety for human health is guaranteed 100%. In addition, one of the disadvantages that should be noted is the fact that in damp rooms the joints and edges of wooden wallpaper can peel off.
Italian buffets and shelves
Collections of Italian furniture will never lose their relevance, which once again emphasizes the skill of the designers.
The external simplicity of sideboards and shelves is complemented by high quality and wide functionality. The frames are made of natural wood, processing is carried out taking into account modern technologies, which adds service life.
The legs of the furniture pieces are made of varnished steel. There are no handles, which gives each model a special look.