How to Choose Wallpaper

How to Choose Wallpaper

Last updated: August 2026

A practical guide from
La Muur WALLPAPER
SOUTH AFRICA

Choosing wallpaper can feel surprisingly overwhelming.

You start with one idea, then suddenly you’re comparing fifty shades of beige, saving screenshots you’ll never find again, and wondering whether the room should be lighter, darker or completely different.

The good news is that choosing wallpaper doesn’t have to start with colour.

In fact, we think it works better when it doesn’t.

Lifestyle image of wooden desk from above. Featuring wallpaper samples, colour charts, paint swatches, textured fabric samples plus a hand holding cup of coffee

where would you start?

The simplest place to begin is with the room itself.

How does it receive light?
How do you want it to feel?
What already lives there?

Once you answer those questions, choosing becomes much easier.

Step 1:
Choose the Feeling First

Before looking at patterns or colours, think about how you want the room to feel.

Calm and quiet
Warm and welcoming
Fresh and light
Grounded and natural
Bold and dramatic

This gives you direction before you start browsing.

A bedroom usually asks for something different from an entrance hall.
A dining room often wants a different mood from a home office.

The feeling becomes your filter.

Step 2:
Look at the Light

Light changes wallpaper more than most people expect.

The same wallpaper can feel completely different depending on the room (on on a different wall in the same room).

In South Africa:
North-facing rooms receive the strongest sunlight throughout the year.
West-facing rooms get intense afternoon light.
East-facing rooms enjoy softer morning light.
South-facing rooms generally receive gentler, more even light.

Don’t choose wallpaper based only on a photograph.

Choose it for the light your room actually has.

Step 3:
Think About Texture

People often focus on colour first.

We’d encourage you to notice texture instead.

Texture adds depth without making a room feel busy.

A linen effect, soft plaster finish or woven surface catches the light differently throughout the day and often creates a richer, more natural feeling than a completely flat wall.

It’s one of the easiest ways to make a room feel considered without overwhelming it.

Home office with woven grasscloth wallpaper grey installed on the wall. Also features a small desk, black chair, wall mirror and shelves. Background shows a couch, mat and monochrome picture on wall.
Crocodile Wallpaper Black installed onto a lounge wall. Foreground is the top of a table with gold lamp and gold pineapple
Walol with textured greige wallpaper, sun is shining through Venetian blinds casting a shadow. Foreground shows a leather armchair.

Step 4:
Let the Room Do Some of the Talking

Wallpaper isn’t the only thing people will notice.

Look around.

The wooden floor.

The curtains.

The sofa you’ve loved for years.

The artwork waiting to be hung.

The goal isn’t to match everything perfectly.

It’s to create a room where everything feels like it belongs together.

Sometimes that means choosing a quiet textured wallpaper that lets the furniture shine.

Sometimes it means allowing one wall to become the focal point.

Holding a wallpaper sample from an interiors mood board

Step 5:
Order a Sample

If there’s one piece of advice we give most often, it’s this:

Order a sample first.

A sample tells you things a screen never can.
It shows you:

– the true colour
– the texture
– the scale
– how the wallpaper responds to your own light

Stick it to the actual wall and live with it for a few days.
Look at it in the morning.
Look at it in the evening.
Let the room have its say.

Step 6:
Choose the Right Wallpaper for the Space

Not every room asks the same things of a wallpaper.

A busy family hallway has different demands from a guest bedroom.

A bathroom has different considerations from a dining room.

Think about:
– Washability
– Moisture levels
– Sunlight
– Everyday wear

Choosing the right wallpaper for the room often matters more than choosing the perfect colour.

A Simple Checklist Before You Buy

Before placing your order,
ask yourself:

  • Does this create the feeling I want?
  • Have I considered the room’s natural light?
  • Does the texture suit the space?
  • Does it work with the furniture already in the room?
  • Have I ordered a sample if one is available?
  • Is this the right wallpaper for this room’s conditions?

Final Thought

The best wallpaper isn’t always the one that catches your eye first.

It’s the one that still feels right after you’ve lived with the sample, watched the light change across the wall
and imagined yourself in the room every day.

Choose the room first.

The wallpaper usually follows.

Ready for the Next Step?

Whether you’re narrowing down a few favourites – or starting from scratch,
these guides will help you choose with confidence:

Shop by Feeling: A Different Way to Choose Wallpaper

Wallpaper Samples: Why They’re Worth Ordering

How Much Wallpaper Do I Need?

Or explore The Edit, our curated collection of in-stock European wallpaper brands,
ready for faster delivery across South Africa.

shop the edit