Wallpaper trends 2026: Botanicals, handmade designs transform Indian homes

The verdict is in. Wallpapers are here to stay. The Indian wallpaper market is expected to reach $947.14 million by 2030, according to the report ‘India Wallpapers – Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts’ (2025-2030).

So, what was once considered a niche interior design choice is now finding more takers, thanks to a wider range of options, price points, and new innovations.

Wallpaper from Livspace.

We speak to designers and creators in this burgeoning wall covering space, on the trends that will shape the contours of this market.

Timeless botanicals

Shabnam Gupta

Maximalism took a brief intermission, but it is back in 2026 with main character energy. This time, it’s not over the top; instead, it showcases botanicals in layers, creating a feeling of calm. Shabnam Gupta, founder of Peacock Life, a maximalist brand located in Mumbai, says, “Botanicals are timeless, especially for those who live in concrete jungles; there’s an inherent craving for nature within us. I do see a change towards larger, bolder motifs, too.”

January 19 marked the launch of Neelvana, a collection of panoramic wallpapers by Life n Colours, co-created with acclaimed interior designer Shabnam Gupta.

It’s not just foliage, but layered storytelling with texture that’s taking centre stage. For a design studio in Mumbai that champions handmade, textured and embroidered wallpaper, Sahiba Madan, founder of Kalakaari Haath, says minimalism might have had its moment, but maximalism is making a comeback. “Growing up, we have been surrounded by print, pattern and colour. In the past few years, people have created minimal spaces with bare plastered walls and clean lines. But now, I predict people are slowly coming back to what their roots were, to acknowledge the balanced kind of maximalism that we have all grown up with.”

Botanical wallpapers lush with floral and fruit trees offer larger-than-life green landscapes that instantly connect with city goers.

Nilaya, a luxury brand by Asian Paints, with premium wall coverings, collaborated with Ahmedabad-based fashion and design studio Tilla in 2023. Their ‘Painted Forest’ collection remains a firm favourite with homeowners even today. The biophilic range featuring tropical landscapes of palms and plantains, frangipani, kachnar (mountain ebony) and jackfruit, designed by artist Jisha Unnikrishnan, drew inspiration from the garden at Amethyst, the designer boutique and cafe in Chennai.

Amit Syngle

“Evergreen designs such as bold botanicals and fresh florals have consistently been among the top choices, valued for their ability to infuse freshness and dimension into compact urban homes,” states Amit Syngle, MD and CEO, Asian Paints.

Wallpaper from Trumatter Living.

Botanical wallpapers lush with floral and fruit trees offer larger-than-life green landscapes that instantly connect with city goers. For those looking for a refreshing change of pace, biophilic design with a pastel palette is a no-brainer, explains Rukmini Ray Kadam, a Mumbai-based décor stylist and founder of Trumatter Living. “There is a strong return to nature and craft, but interpreted in a modern way. I see a clear move towards texture over just prints. Think hand-drawn florals, gentle geometrics, surfaces that feel almost textile-like. Colours are calmer but deeper: mossy greens, smoky blues, clay and parchment.”

Rukmini Ray Kadam

How to cover walls

Wallpaper from Kalakaari Haath.

When opting for wallpaper over traditional painted walls, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. Is wallpaper suited to every space? Are patterns decided by the form and function of a room? Designers have different schools of thought on how to cover walls. “Be bold. Wrap the room completely,” explains Gupta. “It sounds counterintuitive, but when you cover all four walls, the boundaries dissolve, and the space feels larger, not smaller.”

Rambha Seth and Sripriya Ganesan.

For Rambha Seth, a Chennai-based designer and architect, and co-founder of Studio Neon Attic, “when wallpapers enter the conversation, it’s usually situational. We find it works best in children’s rooms and nurseries, where imagery adds energy. In large office environments, especially on windowless floors, it offers visual relief without increasing material density.” While bold wallpaper statements may be the mantra this year, Harshita Nookula, visual merchandising lead at Livspace, a home interior and renovation company in Bengaluru, adds that busy walls are a strict no. “A common mistake is choosing wallpaper that clashes with furniture, flooring or lighting, resulting in a disconnected and unbalanced aesthetic. When wallpaper is used without restraint or a clear focal point, such as an accent wall, it loses its impact.”

While being conscious of using wallpaper with intention, Kadam adds that it cannot be used as a bandaid — it is not a quick fix to cover up bad paint jobs, cracks or crevices. “Don’t use it because you didn’t know what to do with a wall. Wallpaper works beautifully as a feature in living rooms, bedrooms, dining spaces, powder rooms, and even passages where you want some drama. Where it struggles is in very small rooms with busy designs, or in damp areas without the right material.”

Harshita Nookula

Sanchit Arora, principal architect and design researcher of Renesa Architects in New Delhi, follows a simple rule of thumb when working with wallpaper across commercial and hospitality spaces: “Don’t use it in external areas, especially due to moisture in India’s humid cities. In this climate, even moisture-proof wallpapers don’t really work well.”

Sanchit Arora

Handmade for the win

Indian couture designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee has designed wallpaper collections for Nilaya by Asian Paints, with hand-painted motifs created by The Sabyasachi Art Foundation. Kalakaari Haath uses traditional embroidery techniques on its bespoke wall art. With design houses embracing Indian heritage-led wall coverings, there is a shift towards handcrafted motifs by smaller studios championing craft forms.

“Tactility will be a major driver. Textures, woven grass cloths, and 3D-embossed surfaces will lead interior preferences. Homeowners are demanding tailored design solutions,” says Syngle. “Bespoke wallpapers, custom murals, and designs inspired by traditional Indian arts, block printing, kalamkari, and miniature motifs are entering even mid-segment homes.”

Technique-forward wall coverings that offer texture and craft-led storytelling will be popular in 2026. “Across India, a growing wave of small and independent wallpaper vendors is reviving age-old craft traditions through handcrafted, artisanal designs,” says Nookula. “Craft clusters specialising in block printing in Bagru [Rajasthan] and Bagh [Madhya Pradesh] are inspiring boutique wallpaper collections. A rising sub-trend within this movement is the emergence of hand-painted kolam-inspired decals and wallpapers, offering a culturally rooted yet contemporary way to decorate entrances, puja rooms, and feature walls.”

The writing is on the wall, whether botanicals or block prints, traditional art forms or textured elements, wallpaper is about storytelling. With boutique wallpaper studios, designer collections and handcrafted options, it is just a matter of picking what suits your mood board, budget and palette.

Neelvana brings forests indoors

January 19 marked the launch of Neelvana, a collection of panoramic wallpapers by Life n Colours, co-created with acclaimed interior designer Shabnam Gupta. The collection presents 25 wallpapers across four colourways — Sage Green, Azure Blue, Sepia and Charcoal — extending across walls, ceilings, murals, panels and wardrobes. “The intention was to reinterpret the forest as a surface system, introducing a fresh sense of shade, scale, and layering without visual excess. These deep forests exist as an abstracted sanctuary rather than a direct reference,” says Shabnam. Co-founder Apourva Sharma adds, “The palette in this collection mirrors the shifting soul of the forest throughout the day: the fresh moss green of morning, the warm sepia of high noon, the ethereal blue of dusk, and a charcoal grey that captures the mystery of the deep woods.”

What is trending

Wild botanicals: From lush tropical foliage to delicate florals.

Heritage ink: Block-printed wallpapers with organic patterns and cultural influence create warmth and authenticity.

Natural and earth-derived materials: Natural fibres and lime-washed surfaces to match India’s climate.

Innovation in materiality: Bio-based substrates, recycled fibres, straw integrated backings, low-VOC (volatile organic compound) coatings, acoustic-enhancing wallpapers, anti-microbial finishes, light-responsive pigments, and thermally adaptive surfaces.

Texture over tone: Neutral, textured wallpapers focus on subtle depth rather than bold colour. Linen-like finishes, fine grains, and muted tones create a refined backdrop for modern interiors.

Dimensional drama: Raised patterns and textured effects transform flat surfaces into striking architectural features.

Source: Livspace & Nilaya