Raleigh, North Carolina, is a beautiful city. It definitely has its own style! But you probably already know that, since you’re looking at wallpaper installation in Raleigh. So what wallpapers are best to suit the atmosphere here?
How do you use wallpaper and interior decorating to embody the feeling of Raleigh in your home? That’s what this blog post aims to answer.
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How To Move Raleigh’s Style Into Your Home with Wallpaper Installation
Our rich history as state capitol, the research triangle, and all our beautiful oak trees definitely create a unique environment. Despite Raleigh being the second-largest city in North Carolina, our many trees keep our city green and natural. Yet there is also expansion- both in structures and of mind. Raleigh is one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States, and it was built to handle growth! Set up in 1789 as one of the earliest “planned cities”, Raleigh has been a hub for research and advancement from the moment it began.
After installing wallpaper in Raleigh for years, we feel we’ve got a pretty good handle on the different types of wallpaper we see around town. Of course, trends are always changing, but these choices reflect a certain timelessness that goes beyond trends. If you see something you like here, let us know if you need help installing any of these wallpapers!
Raleigh’s Corner of The Research Triangle
“The Triangle” was birthed in the 1950’s when The Research Triangle Park was created. It contains three major universities; North Carolina State University, Duke University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and three main cities; Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill, Raleigh by far has the most population of all the cities in The Triangle.
Funny enough, “the Triangle” doesn’t look very much like a triangle at all.
Even though that “triangle” is more of a slime mold shape, we still love triangles in architecture and design. These wallpapers are perfect for installation in the home of any academic, tech, or lab worker in Raleigh.
Ethan Pearl Triangle – Decorline Wallpaper
This is from Decorline’s Prism book. The subtle white triangles leave room for your space to breathe, and won’t overpower your interior design. This is a great wallpaper for minimalists and people who like to give their brains a blank slate to think with. Get it here.
Facet Black Gold Metallic – York Wallpaper
York Wallpaper is perhaps one of the best established wallpaper brands. You can be sure any wallpaper you’re installing from them will be high quality. What we like about this particular design is its distinguished feel. The black and gold together create a very authoritative yet approachable atmosphere. Due to the darker colors of this wallpaper, we recommend it as an accent wall and not to paper an entire room in it. Alternatively, this could be a great wallpaper for a library or study. Call Raleigh Wallpaper if you need installation decision help.
Pink and Gray Mod Triangle Wallpaper – NextWall
This NextWall design goes for a softer look. The pink and grey combo will give any cozy home am elegant edge without taking away the welcoming atmosphere. This is also one of the more affordable wallpapers on our list, which means it’s easier to get wallpaper installation along with it! Take a look at current prices.
The Beauty of Nature In The City Of Oaks
Did you know that the construction of downtown Raleigh was designed to keep as many trees in tact as possible?
When William Christmas inspected the plot of land purchased by the North Carolina commissioners from Joel Lane, he described the abounding presence of trees between Crabtree Creek and Walnut Creek as a “beautiful eminence” with “groves of young oak and hickory” all around. The oak trees of North Carolina are native to the area, and were there long before colonization.
If you have house plants, these wallpapers will be for you!
Silk Tree Parchment Upholstery Fabric – Groundworks
A very subtle pattern adorns this elegant silk wallpaper for home use. At Raleigh Wallpaper we love silk wallpaper installation because it’s just such a fantastic, high quality material. We know it will beautify the space for years to come.
Oakleaves White Oak Multipurpose Fabric – Lee Jofa
Here’s another great fabric wallpaper. The oak leaf pattern is from the Lee Jofa Fabrics from the Blithfield Fabrics. Oak leaves are defined by their lobed appearance. In this wallpaper for home or commercial use they are also embellished with designs.
Woods Green and Gold Wallpaper – Cole and Son
Our last wallpaper is the most woodsy. This wallpaper would look best in a home with lots of natural wood accents, such as hardwood floors or wooden chairs and tables. If you’re an avid hiker or hunter in the mountains surrounding Raleigh, you’ll feel right at home in this wallpaper.
Embracing Raleigh’s Black and Brown Cultures
In the American Community Survey of 2019, the city of Raleigh’s population was estimated at 474,708. The racial makeup of Raleigh in 2019 was 52.5% non-Hispanic white, 28.3% Black or African American, 0.4% American Indian or Alaska Native, 4.0% Asian American, 0.1% from some other race, 2.1% two or more races, 12.5% Hispanic or Latin American of any race.
Getting “African-inspired” or “Latino-inspired” products that are made by white folks is not exactly supporting the cultures those designs came from. A great way to support the fantastic diversity Raleigh has is to buy directly from BIPOC (black, indigenous people of color) organizations and creators. This is because white people tend to dominate most business spaces… in fact, pretty much all the wallpapers on this list (besides the ones in this section) are made or sold by white people. That’s why it’s so important to uplift Black-owned businesses.
Although we weren’t able to find any Raleigh local BIOPC wallpaper creators, there are plenty of melanated businesses owners out there who are making amazing designs. We also know there are plenty of BIPOC wallpaper installation techs all across Raleigh.
Sheila Bridges Hopscotch Wallpaper
Redoing a nursery, playroom, or children’s room? This whimsical wallpaper will instantly brighten up the space! Sheila Bridges is an a-list interior designer based in New York City. She was named “America’s Best Interior Designer” by CNN and Time Magazine. She creates more than wallpaper, adding furniture, fabrics, dishware, and more to her impressive portfolio. She also has a TV show called Sheila Bridges Designer Living.
Browse Sheila Bridges wallpaper.
Kali in Olive & Peach – Forbes & Masters
Kali in Olive & Peach – Forbes & Masters
Forbes &Masters is an Atlanta, Georgia based collaboration between two highly acclaimed interior designers; Monet Masters and Tavia Forbes. Their wallpaper collection is full of soft earth tones, subtle shapes, and fabric textures. “Kali” means energy in Swahili, and this energetic wallpaper is a winner for just about any room.
Mexican Jars – Chulachulita
This Mexican jars wallpaper from Spoonflower designer Miranda Magaña brings joy to any pottery enthusiast. It is also one of the more affordable home wallpapers on this list, coming in at$72/roll. Miranda’s signature repeating patterns can be found on both wallpaper and fabrics.
Finding Inspiration From The Arts
Did you know that Raleigh has over 15 museums? That’s not even counting art parks, performing arts centers, and yearly celebrations like the Jazz festival. The multiple colleges and universities also add to opportunities to view performances and gallery displays. Clearly, we have good taste! Here are a few wallpapers that reflect Raleigh’s love of the arts.
In this collection we’ve gathered some paint-style wallpapers. These are a little busier than most of the other wallpapers on this list, so if you fall in love with these, make sure to have a good interior design to compliment them. Unless you love the loud look, it’s important to balance your use of patterns. These will look best with solid colored furniture. But of course, the spunk level is up to you! If you enjoy the energy and chaos of multiple loud prints, go for it!
Impressionist Floral Copper Blue – York Wallpaper
A colorful impressionist-style wallpaper, this will look beautiful after installation in your Raleigh home. Accenting the outdoor flowers in springtime, and everlasting blooms in the wintertime, this wallpaper will bring the beauty of all four seasons into your building.
Metallic Squares Soft Blue Purple Pink Wallpaper – Casa Mia
A more subtle way to add some color. The sheer white overlay in this wallpaper design will lend itself to more flexibility for overall room feng shui. Cool blue fades into warm purple to bring an overall sense of balance and peace to the room. This agreeable pattern can lend itself to just about any room in the house- bathroom, bedroom, living room and more.
Curie Floral Gold Wallpaper – Seabrook
Lastly, keeping with our paint theme, these large painted flowers are big enough to keep the wallpaper pattern from becoming too busy and overwhelming. The Curie Floral also comes in other colors, such as black and red. This natural wallpaper will add a feeling of creativity and sophistication to any Raleigh home.
Bonus: Wallpaper in Art
It’s arguable that wallpaper itself is art. But what about wallpaper in art? Artist Corey Pemberton’s Creature, Comfort collection is a series of mixed-media collages set inside homes, showing vulnerable yet everyday moments of marginalized people. This collection was on display at Raleigh’s Contemporary Art Museum in 2018. There are several pieces with wallpaper in the background, but this is our favorite.
Repping Raleigh Sports
No Raleigh list would be complete without a shoutout to our local teams! Raleigh’s oldest official sports team is our NCAA football team, the Wolfpack. Established in 1892 as our North Carolina State University football team. Having so many universities in the area, there’s no shortage of college football rivalries!
The newest addition to the Raleigh pro sports family is our women’s soccer league, the North Carolina Courage. After launching in 2017, they’ve dominated the field by earning 2 titles already.
There are so many college sports teams here that it’s impossible to tip our hat to all of them in this article. If you are interested in a whole article dedicated to best wallpapers for all the sports fans of Raleigh, let us know! We just might write one!
Here are some Raleigh sports-inspired wallpaper for installation in your game-watching room.
Piero Ruby Slipper Wallpaper – Winfield Thybony Design
A gorgeous red brick color, our favorite thing about this Piero Ruby Slipper Wallpaper is the embossing. Raised embossed designs are a great way to add texture and movement to a room without an overwhelming pattern.
Merlot Bamboo Wallpaper – Astek
Bamboo is an environmentally friendly wallpaper material. The amicable texture and deep red wine color of this wallpaper is best for installation in cozy Raleigh rooms like a bedroom or study.
Red Damask Wallpaper – York Wallpaper
A classic wallpaper pattern that looks good no matter what year it is. What we at Raleigh Wallpaper like about this installation is the subtle color shifts. There is nothing too jarring for overwhelming about this pattern.
Raleigh Wallpaper Installation
We hope you enjoyed this list of best wallpapers for Raleigh. By now you should have plenty of inspiration on your next home renovation project! If you need help with your wallpaper installation, Raleigh Wallpaper is here for you. We can help you determine the dimensions of your room, how much wallpaper to order, what paste to get, and how to prep your walls for their new covering.
Give us a call at 919-858-2214 for a free consultation today!
Just for fun, we’ll finish up with a wallpaper by York actually called “Raleigh”
