Textured plain, with a geometric pattern, or in the form of a photo panel - we tell you which wallpaper is suitable for a miniature kitchen in terms of material, color, and design.
Walls take up the largest area in any room, and how you decorate them will determine whether the overall look of the room is successful or not. In a limited area, paint or plaster is most often used, but wallpaper is also suitable as a finishing material for a small kitchen. We will tell you in the article which materials to choose, what to pay attention to, and which materials to discard.
Table of Contents:
Finishing requirements
Wallpaper in the interior of a small kitchen meets the same requirements as in a spacious one. But here they are even more strict - after all, most often the cooking and eating areas are very close, which means that the entire room is subject to the typical features of the kitchen: high humidity, steam, splashes of fat, oil, and other cooking products. But that’s not all: smell and fumes settle on the walls, especially if the hood is not powerful enough.
Accordingly, finishing materials must be suitable for such conditions. Mandatory qualities: moisture resistance, ease of maintenance, and the ability to dry and wet clean. Several types of wallpaper fit these criteria:
Non-woven- double-layer fabrics are made from tightly compressed cellulose fibers. Durable, washable, and resistant to odor absorption. They are produced both with a ready-made design and for painting. Suitable for the cooking area. The downside is the fairly high price.
Vinyl - just like non-woven ones, they consist of two layers. The base can be paper and non-woven fabric. The second option is more suitable for the kitchen, although the first is more breathable and natural. Vinyl sheets can be cleaned and washed with detergents. They mask uneven walls well.
Glass wallpaper — is made of the finest and at the same time very durable fiberglass. They are produced only for painting, so they are suitable for a minimalist anti-vandal design without excessive decorativeness in finishing. At the same time, glass wallpaper lasts for decades, they can be washed (including with household chemicals) and repainted several times.
You can paste paper or liquid wallpaper away from the kitchen unit. If you want to decorate them, for example, with an apron, be sure to cover the finish with a transparent protective screen made of plastic or tempered glass. Textile and bamboo fabrics are definitely not suitable - the expensive material will quickly become unusable, it cannot be washed, and odors will be completely absorbed.
Selecting a shade
It is believed that some colors in the dining area can whet the appetite, while others can have a psychological effect on reducing portion sizes.
For example, the feeling of hunger is stimulated by warm shades (and the leader among them is red), and cold shades will help people lose weight and achieve their goal.
When planning future color schemes, you can also focus on the cardinal directions. If the windows face south, add cool tones to a room filled with natural light to balance it out. The opposite principle applies to the north: compensate for the lack of sunlight with warm colors, although, according to experts, they slightly narrow the space.
It has also been proven that in rooms with identical air heating, but decorated with shades of different color temperatures, people feel differently. Among the warm colors they are warmer, and among the cold ones - vice versa. Take this nuance into account and choose the appropriate palette for finishing.
Light or dark palette
Owners of small apartments know: to expand the space, you need to use a light palette.
And they follow in the footsteps of the Scandinavians, painting the walls white. This approach to decorating tiny spaces is truly wonderful, but it is not the only possible one.
Also, the dining and working areas will look good:
All options are beige.
Woody brown.
Olive, emerald, grassy green.
Blue, dusty turquoise.
Noble gray .
Any pastel shades.
The smaller the area, the more neutral the wallpaper color and/or pattern should be. It is desirable that in a very microscopic room it should be small or absent altogether. Pastel patterns will be very appropriate, and place large and catchy ones only on an accent wall or even one section of it.
A narrow kitchen can be “expanded” if the end wall is made contrasting. In particular, cover it with richly colored canvases or match the pattern on the walls with bright curtains that will cut off the excessively long “tunnel.”
Which style to choose
In small-sized apartments, it is difficult to avoid the feeling of clutter due to the abundance of objects on several “squares”, coupled with finishing and decorative elements.
That is why experts consider minimalism to be the ideal style for decorating a small kitchen. But, if the asceticism of this direction is not close to you, you don’t need to force yourself, because other directions are also suitable. So, you can choose laconic canvases in the neoclassical, scandi, loft, boho, or contemporary styles.
Modern wallpaper for a small kitchen: current design
Wallpaper for a small kitchen, visually increasing the space, can be stylish at the same time. Let's look at what finishing design is trending now.
Plain
In a room of modest size, you can without hesitation take materials of any neutral colors without a pattern or with a barely noticeable embossed pattern. This is always a timeless classic that looks good on any decor and is easy to combine with anything. In addition, most types of wallpaper that are suitable for the kitchen in terms of performance characteristics are produced for painting and are just plain canvases. Therefore, the trend combines minimalist aesthetics and practicality.
Imitation of materials
If total monochrome seems boring to you, pay attention to textured canvases that look like brickwork, concrete, wood, or marble. Imitation wallpaper is made from non-woven fabric, vinyl, and paper (the latter option is not the best for the kitchen, unless it is combined with the living room).
The most important thing when choosing such a design is the quality of printing on the canvases. A cheap image of a marble or any other surface will immediately catch the eye, give off falsehood, and cheapen the interior. Also, do not place imitation wallpaper and the real texture that they copy next to each other - this will emphasize the difference even more, and the finish will definitely not look advantageous.
Geometry of shapes
Geometry is always relevant, but remember that this group of patterns has powerful optical effects. So, you should not choose horizontal stripes for a kitchen with low ceilings, otherwise the latter will literally “collapse” on your head. With vertical ones, it’s also not so simple, but if you limit yourself to one wall and the stripes are of medium width, the vault will visually rise. Diagonal ones will add volume to the room.
