Wallpaper in the Bathroom: What Works (and What Doesn't)

In this article you'll read per zone what works and what's better avoided, how you can wallpaper all the way into the shower using a waterproof wallpaper system, and why washable vinyl is the practical choice for many bathrooms. Prefer to browse right away? Our bathroom wallpaper collection brings together all suitable designs.

Can wallpaper work in the bathroom? Consider it zone by zone

Not all walls are created equal. If you're considering wallpaper in the bathroom, it's best to divide the space into three zones. How much water and steam a wall has to endure determines which wallpaper can be used there.

Zone 1: the shower zone

This is the wall that gets directly wet. Standard wallpaper doesn't belong here: paper and regular non-woven wallpaper can't handle direct water contact, no matter how well you ventilate. In the shower zone, only one solution works, and that's a wallpaper system specifically developed for wet rooms.

Zone 2: the splash zone

The wall around the sink and bath gets occasional splashes and lots of steam, but no continuous water stream. Washable vinyl wallpaper works well here, provided the edges are properly finished and you ventilate well. A mirror or a low tile strip above the sink catches the direct splashes, the wallpaper handles the rest of the wall.

Zone 3: the dry zone

The wall by the toilet, behind the door or opposite the shower typically stays dry. Here you have the most freedom and can choose based on design. Still, steam remains a factor: choose a washable or moisture-resistant top layer here too, and the wall will look good for years.

Can wallpaper really go in the shower?

Yes, you can also apply wallpaper in the shower. For this wet zone you do need a wall covering specifically developed for direct water contact. Regular non-woven or vinyl wallpaper isn't sufficient here.

Various design brands have developed their own bathroom quality for this purpose. Wall & Decò offers the WET SYSTEM™, Glamora has GlamFusion™ and Tecnografica is available with H2O. Inkiostro Bianco with EQ Dekor Fiber Glass, LondonArt with Blue Glass Finish and Instabilelab with Fibratex also offer solutions for application in wet rooms.

This gives you much more design freedom than you might expect from a bathroom. A pattern can for instance continue from the wall by the sink all the way into the shower, without a tile edge interrupting the design. Especially in a smaller bathroom, such a continuous image creates more calm and can make the space feel optically larger.

Which bathroom quality is most suitable depends on the chosen design, the location where it will be applied and the manufacturer's system. The construction, substrate and application also differ per brand. Therefore, get advice beforehand about the right execution for your bathroom and ensure proper installation of the complete system when applying in the shower.

Every waterproof wallpaper system works differently

Waterproof wallpaper isn't one type of wallpaper. The different brands have each developed their own material and system for use in humid spaces and with direct water contact. One system consists of printed fiberglass that's finished on the wall with a protective coating, while in another system the waterproof protection is already incorporated in the material.

This difference determines not only how the wallpaper feels and is delivered, but also how the wall must be prepared and which adhesive, primer, finish or sealing is needed. That's why it's important to always follow the complete system from the relevant brand.

Wall & Decò — WET SYSTEM
WET SYSTEM is Wall & Decò's waterproof wall covering system for spaces that come into intensive contact with water, including the shower. The design is produced on technical fiberglass material and forms one system together with the prescribed preparatory and protective products.
The wall is first prepared, after which the fiberglass wallpaper is applied with the designated adhesive. Then the surface is finished with a transparent protective layer. This creates a continuous, water-resistant wall surface where a design can continue from outside the shower into the wet zone.

In broad strokes: substrate → primer → adhesive → printed fiberglass wallpaper → protective finish.

Glamora — GlamFusion
Glamora chooses a different technique with GlamFusion®. The decorative wall covering already comes with a protective, waterproof finish. This means that after application, no separate transparent finish needs to be applied over the entire design.
During installation, the preparation of the substrate and the prescribed adhesive are important. Edges, corners, pipe penetrations and other critical connections are also carefully sealed. It's precisely these details that ensure the system functions correctly even in a shower environment.

In broad strokes: prepared substrate → special adhesive → pre-finished waterproof wall covering → sealing of critical connections.

Tecnografica — H2O
H2O is Tecnografica's bathroom quality and was developed to allow the brand's distinctive murals to be applied in wet rooms as well. The basis is a technical fiberglass material that becomes part of a complete wall construction.
Not only the printed material is crucial, but also the preparation of the substrate and the prescribed finish are decisive for the final result. The material itself should therefore not be seen as a standalone roll of waterproof wallpaper: the correct application completes the system.

Inkiostro Bianco — EQ•dekor Fiber Glass
EQ•dekor is a technical fiberglass fabric on which Inkiostro Bianco's designs are printed. After installation, the surface is finished with the prescribed protective coating. This allows a decorative design to be applied in places where traditionally tiles or another hard wall finish are often chosen.
A practical difference from regular wallpaper is that the material is produced as custom work. The necessary products for adhesion and finishing are matched to the system, so the different layers together form the final wall finish.

In broad strokes: prepared substrate → specific adhesive → printed fiberglass fabric → protective finish.

LondonArt — Blue Glass Finish
For bathroom projects, LondonArt has the Blue Glass Finish. Here too, not only the design is central, but especially the technical finish that makes the design suitable for application in a humid environment.
The exact construction and application depend on the chosen application and substrate. Therefore, material, preparation and finish are viewed as one whole. This is particularly important when the wallpaper is applied to a wall that regularly comes into contact with water.

Instabilelab — Fibratex
Fibratex is the technical bathroom quality from Instabilelab. This allows the brand's custom designs to also be used on walls where higher demands are placed on moisture resistance and durability.

Like the other systems, Fibratex requires correct preparation and application with the prescribed products. The substrate, adhesion, connections and any protective finish are at least as important as the decorative material itself.

Why these differences matter

On the outside you ultimately see mainly the design. Under and on that design, however, is the technology that determines whether a wall is suitable for the bathroom. A fiberglass quality that's finished with a coating after application requires a different installation than a wall covering that's already delivered with a waterproof protective layer.

Therefore always use the primer, adhesive, finish and any sealing that belong to the chosen system and follow the manufacturer's technical specifications.

For application in the shower, we recommend having the installation carried out by an experienced wallpaper installer who's familiar with this type of wall covering. Especially the preparation of the substrate and the careful finishing of corners, seams, pipe penetrations and connections are decisive for a durable and waterproof result.

At Selected Wallpapers we help you not only with choosing a design, but also with the right quality for the location where you want to apply the wallpaper. This way we determine before ordering whether the wallpaper is intended for a dry bathroom wall, a splash zone or for direct water contact in the shower.

The necessary materials for the waterproof system are supplied with the bathroom wallpaper. Which products exactly varies per brand and quality. Think for example of the prescribed primer, adhesive, finish or sealing. You don't need to source these components yourself: they're matched to the relevant system.

Washable vinyl wallpaper: the accessible choice

Not every bathroom requires a fully waterproof system. For the splash zone and dry zone, washable vinyl wallpaper is the accessible route. The vinyl top layer withstands steam and splashes considerably better than paper and can be cleaned with a damp cloth. This gives you a wall that can handle daily bathroom life.

The basics remain important: a smooth, dry substrate, carefully finished seams and ventilation that quickly removes steam after showering. With these three in order, vinyl wallpaper in the bathroom will last for years.

How do you order custom wallpaper for the bathroom?

Many of our waterproof bathroom designs are produced to measure for your wall. For this you provide us with the wall width × wall height. With panoramic designs we look not only at the format, but also at the composition: which part of the design will look best on your wall?

Therefore measure the wall in multiple places and share as much dimension information with us as possible. Also think about windows, doors, niches and other interruptions. The position of the sanitary fixtures is also important. For example, you don't want a special detail in the design to disappear precisely behind a mirror, sink or other fixed element.

Based on the provided dimensions, we request a visualization of the wallpaper at your wall format from the supplier. This way you can assess beforehand how the design will be cropped, how large the various elements will be and where they'll appear on the wall. Is the composition not quite to your liking yet? Then we can explore whether an adjustment is possible.

Only when you're satisfied with the visualization and give approval do we put the custom wallpaper into production. This way you know before production how the chosen design will look on your bathroom wall.

How do you maintain wallpaper in the bathroom?

Maintenance is simpler than many people expect. Ventilate after showering, so condensation doesn't remain on the wall. Wipe away splashes with a soft, slightly damp cloth and don't use aggressive cleaning products or scouring pads: these damage the top layer. Check the seams and edges occasionally, because that's almost always where any moisture problem starts. Keep up with this, and wallpaper in the bathroom requires hardly more attention than a painted wall.

Is wallpaper in the bathroom more expensive than tiles?

That depends on what you're comparing. If you only look at the material, tiles sometimes seem more affordable, but an honest calculation also includes the labor: tiling is labor-intensive and during renovation often involves demolition work too. Wallpaper is applied faster and much easier to replace later, allowing you to give the bathroom a new look without renovation. A waterproof system for the shower zone is a more serious investment than a roll of vinyl, but then also replaces the entire tiled wall. Have both options calculated for your bathroom, then you're comparing total costs rather than material alone.

Style advice: dare to go big in a small space

A small bathroom doesn't automatically call for a small design. It's precisely a large pattern that can make the boundaries of the wall less emphatic and give the space more depth. A panoramic or botanical design behind the bath or sink becomes part of the architecture rather than just decoration.

Keep the rest of the space calm. Combine a statement wall for example with understated sanitary fixtures, natural stone and one or two materials that recur in taps or accessories. This way the wallpaper gets all the attention and even a compact bathroom maintains a calm and luxurious feel.