Among the variety of interior decoration options, one of the most unusual, but at the same time effective solutions is checkered wallpaper. Various designs, colors and ornaments can make the ambience of your room not only individual, but also very attractive.
It should be noted right away that this option is quite strict and classic. It is for this reason that it will fit perfectly into interiors of this type. What attracts people to this drawing? Why is wallpaper with tartan gaining popularity? Let's figure it out.
Checkered wallpaper: a variety of motifs
Many interior design experts believe that the basis for an attractive and original interior of any room, be it a kitchen, a nursery or a corridor, is a bright and unusual pattern, detailed ornament or contrasting image. It is for this reason that a cage, which allows the use of the widest range of colors, can become the very solution that will optimally fit into the interior of a country house, city apartment, cottage, and even non-residential premises such as bars and restaurants. English or Scottish wallpapers are especially popular when decorating pubs, bars and themed restaurants.
They can be used equally successfully with a modern, but at the same time, strict interior, as well as in a more classic environment. A certain restraint and even severity do not, however, interfere with using the cage in the interior in such a way that the internal image of the room becomes more “warm” and welcoming, and the atmosphere in the room becomes more homely and cozy. As for the variety of options, first of all, this pattern may differ in such parameters as:
- Color. These can be blue, gray, red, brown, green, etc. checkered wallpaper (See examples in the photo).
- Size. The tartan itself can be either small or quite large.
Possible applications
In order not to be unfounded, let's look at the use of such paintings in rooms of different directions.
Living room
It is not often possible to find tartan-colored wallpaper in the living room; this is the exception rather than the rule. However, such wallpaper can be used to highlight the main areas and create accents in the classic interior of a luxurious living room. At the same time, most often they allocate one wall for them, which is not cluttered with furniture and do not hang pictures, a TV, since their perception will be difficult.
The interior has a clear English theme.
Bedroom
For the bedroom, checkered colors are more common. It can be used not only on wallpaper, but also on textiles, furniture, accessories, for example in the form of a soft blanket. However, colors for this room must be chosen that are softer and more comfortable, aimed at calming rather than irritating. It will be easy and comfortable to be in such a harmonious environment.
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Cozy bedroom in light colors
If you want to add bright colors to the bedroom, then this can be done fragmentarily, for example, by covering the bedside area with Scottish colors, and prefer a neutral background for the rest of the walls. The result will be an excellent contrasting interior, just in the spirit of our times. You will enter a cheerful room and fall asleep in a calm atmosphere.
Children's
In the children's room you can find a cage in the play area. Here it is appropriate not only because of its bright colors, it also helps to clearly zone the space of the room. The colors of the checkered pattern on the wallpaper in the play area are not particularly important, but for the main background of the room it is best to choose a tone in accordance with the gender and character of the baby. So, for active children, it is advisable to choose a light palette of colors, and for calm ones, a more saturated one.
Child's room in the attic
Kitchen
The cage is not uncommon in the kitchen; it is a favorite pattern of many designers. Most likely, associations with a checkered tablecloth, firmly rooted in our minds, play a big role here. In any case, this ornament was perfect for the kitchen, and many experts even claim that it awakens the appetite.
Whether this is true or not, you can always find out for yourself by gluing canvases with a checkered pattern in the eating area. By adding decorative elements with a similar motif, you will make the interior of this room even more balanced and harmonious.
Using green colors in the kitchen
Cabinet
In a home office, such an interesting wallpaper pattern would be extremely appropriate. Firstly, it puts you in a working mood, secondly, along with seriousness and severity, it brings comfort at the level of pleasant associations, and thirdly, it harmonizes perfectly with objects and furniture made of natural materials: wood, silk, stone, iron. With such wallpaper it is easy to create a classic English interior in the best traditions.
Home office in subdued colors
Wallpaper with tartan: what you need to know when choosing
It would seem that checkered wallpaper has many advantages. However, to date they have not achieved the same popularity as their monochromatic or simply more traditional counterparts. What's the matter? As evidenced by reviews from those who have tried to use such solutions in their own apartments, as well as according to the assurances of numerous interior design specialists, the main reason is the difficulty in choosing the right combinations when decorating the walls of a room. In addition, choosing suitable accessories, as well as curtains and pieces of furniture, becomes quite a difficult task.
The fact is that any detail in the interior should not just be used because the customer or designer wanted it. It is necessary that it fits harmoniously into the interior. Checkered wallpaper for walls is no exception. It is not enough to simply buy and glue such coverings. Before making a choice, it is necessary to take into account some features that may be characteristic of this coating:
- First of all, you need to pay attention to the size of the cage on the wallpaper that you plan to paste in the room. As noted just above, this type of drawing can be both large and quite small. At the same time, we should not forget about intermediate, medium sizes. And each of them has its own possibilities for application. Thus, small checkered patterns can be used in almost any room, without regard to its size. At the same time, due to some contrast, as well as very variegated shades, it is advisable to use such pints exclusively as companion wallpaper, which only complement the main color of the walls of the room, but at the same time are not the dominant solution. At the same time, a large cage can be the optimal solution for fairly free and large walls and unsuccessful for a small kitchen, small hallway and narrow room.
- The configuration of the design itself, as well as the color scheme used, can also be a determining factor. For example, a classic Scottish or English pattern will most likely fit perfectly into a calm, conservative interior. At the same time, brighter exotic options will be an excellent choice for more modern interior solutions.
- The color of tartan, which is used in checkered wallpaper, also cannot be discounted. In any case, it is better to avoid gloomy and dark shades, since they create, to put it mildly, not the best atmosphere not only in residential, but also in non-residential premises. At the same time, obviously light color options will not be ideal for places such as the kitchen, dining room or hallway. The same can be said about the children's room. The fact is that the walls in all these rooms are subject to fairly frequent contamination. For this reason, the best solution may be to either avoid light colors or buy wallpaper that can be washed.
By the way, since options have been mentioned using combined wallpaper of companions and using cages as a material for individual sections of the walls, it must be said that it can be very successfully used as a covering that concentrates attention on a particular area of the room, due to its originality and unusualness.
We must remember! Traditionally, it is believed that wallpaper with checkered patterns in the British style is best suited for decorating classic interiors. On the one hand, this is true. However, we must not forget that a high-level designer, who is a recognized professional, will always be able to choose the right solution for more modern styles, even such as loft or hi-tech.
Subtleties of choice
Despite its high popularity, checkered wallpaper options will never reach the level of demand for regular plain canvases. This fact is largely due to the difficulties in choosing wallpaper companions, their colors, furniture, curtains, household items and accessories. However, those who choose similar options for decorating the walls of their rooms never wish for their original choice.
To get a high-quality and balanced interior, you need to match the wallpaper and arrange pieces of furniture and other elements in the room so that you get a complete picture that is pleasant to look at. Therefore, before purchasing wallpaper with a similar pattern, it is advisable to weigh the pros and cons of such a decision.
To make it easier for you to decide, you can pay attention to the following features in using such an extravagant type of pattern on wallpaper.
Fresh bedroom interior
We are looking for a good option
The most important criterion for wallpaper with a checkered pattern will be the size of this very check. Conventionally, we can distinguish large, medium and small ornaments, and each can be used in different ways:
- It is acceptable to choose a small cage for any room; it does not spoil the geometry and looks cute and cute. Most often it is used as an additional background designed to emphasize the color variation of the room. In this case, wallpaper with other geometric patterns can serve as accent wallpaper. Small patterns on wallpaper are used to decorate walls in living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens.
- The medium cell is similar in characteristics to the small one, so its style of application is appropriate, but the large version is used differently.
- A large cage looks good only in large rooms; in small ones it loses its attractiveness and has a bad effect on the visual perception of the room. The use of such a pattern in a small kitchen, in a small hallway or a narrow corridor is unacceptable.
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Style
For adherents of the classic style, an English or Scottish check would be an excellent solution. This pattern will be the optimal backdrop in a conservative and austere interior of a living room or home office.
For modern, fashionable trends, a cage in an original color, to some extent even exotic, would be appropriate. Such an ornament can become fundamental in the interior, and other important elements will be selected for it.
Refreshing colors in a south-facing living room
The coloring of the pattern and its formation can become the starting point for choosing a style direction, while the cage works equally well in both classic and modern design. Most often, British check is used in styles such as classic, loft, country, high-tech, although sometimes it can be seen in modern. However, only professional designers can successfully integrate such an original design into a non-standard interior.
Color
Note that the color of tartan most often has a dark color base. Classic Scottish colors have always been dominated by black, red, blue, yellow and brown. All these colors are of natural origin; they were the symbols of certain territories of a large country.
However, such a color scheme will not always be appropriate in the house; for example, in small rooms, dark colors will create a gloomy and uncomfortable interior. Therefore, it is best to use a combination of colors, or turn to light colors. Of course, light shades are not always appropriate, for example in the kitchen or hallway, but these are private options.
The cozy atmosphere of one of the rooms in the house
It is best to use traditional Scottish colors to set the right accent, and lighter tones from the presented palettes will help to support it. Thanks to their original, unique design, such paintings will quickly become the center of attention, and for the rest of the walls there will be only a background lot.
How to create an attractive environment
Experienced designers are good. But what if you cannot count on their help, for one reason or another? Let's now look at some basic principles to consider when designing a room with Scottish wallpaper.
In fact, there are quite a lot of features that need to be taken into account when planning the interior. One of them is the use in interiors with English and Scottish themes not only of checkered wallpaper, but also of corresponding additional interior items, decorative elements, textiles and even curtains. We must not forget about such structural elements as doors and even windows. It is highly desirable that they are made not from PVC and similar materials, but from natural wood.
Any person who wants to decorate such an interior should know a few facts about this very notorious tartan. Historically, it so happened that initially tartan (Scottish check) was a special design that signified that a person in this predominantly mountainous country belonged to one or another clan. As a rule, the cage was not just a decorative pattern, but also a source of pride and distinction. For example, the tradition of wearing the famous Scottish kilts has survived to this day. Many years have passed since that ancient time. Scotland has long ceased to be an independent kingdom and became part of a united state - Great Britain. The purpose of the cell has also changed. If earlier it was used on fabric and worn on items of clothing, today, as a rule, such ornaments are used in decorative cases, including on wallpaper.
One of the styles that also allows for the use of such “highlights” is country. Its roots also go back centuries and into the tradition of arranging people's homes. Interestingly, a cell can consist of both light and dark elements. This style also involves the use of other thematic elements, such as furniture, household textiles, decorative items, etc. The main colors that are popular in country style are softer and lighter tones.
On a note! Photos with checkered wallpaper can be used as decorative elements. Moreover, this applies not only to the classic ones described above, but also to some modern styles in interior design.
By the way, the cage on such wallpaper can be barely noticeable, not clearly expressed. Such wallpapers look almost monochromatic in appearance, and the designs on them are made using monochrome shades. In other words, not different colors are used as components of the color scheme, but tones that belong to the same color, but are more or less bright and saturated. For example: brown, light beige and brown are all colors that belong to the same range.
Each interior style, in fact, requires the use of one color scheme or another. Therefore, before you buy checkered wallpaper, you need to keep this in mind. The cell can be black and white, with shades of blue, brown, red, etc. Combinations using green are also very common. An interesting feature of the use of checkered wallpaper in interior design is that it can become not only an aesthetic addition, but also a very practical solution that can help hide some of the shortcomings of internal walls and partitions. The fact is that such a colorful pattern slightly distracts the eye from unevenness, scratches and other damage that may appear on the wall.
As you can see, the use of such patterns has its own specifics. Well, now let's take a closer look at examples of using checkered wallpaper with tartan in different places in the apartment.
Types of cages in the interior
The cage is not as boring as ordinary people might think. This pattern has many variations and is distinguished not only by color combinations, but also by the special arrangement of lines, their thickness and clarity.
The list of main checkered patterns used in interior design includes:
- Scottish tartan. “Family” pattern of one of the peoples inhabiting Foggy Albion.
- Lightweight gingham, which is used in romantic interiors.
- French Vichy. In the 70-80s of the last century, such ornaments were widely used in clothing design. Now it has been carefully preserved by Provence.
- Burberry. This ornament got its name in honor of the company that first used it. The burberry pattern was liked by English football fanatics, so it is invariably associated with hooligan motifs and at the same time personifies everything British. Against a background of a usually light shade, groups of wide and thin lines intersect at right angles.
- Chess combination based on the principles of contrast and analogy.
- The houndstooth pattern is still used in the design of outerwear, trousers, and jackets made from thick, natural fabrics. The ornament seemed to be created by painted bird feet, the owners of which flew out of the cage and stomped on the canvas.
- Stylish argyle. This “ribbon” usually adorns classic sweaters and pullovers, but it harmoniously fits even into austere interiors. Argyle combines dark shades.
Each of the above checkered patterns is suitable only for certain styles and may look advantageous on some surfaces, but completely inappropriate on others.
Scottish check or tartan
The ornament is obtained by weaving twill threads, which are dyed in advance. There are many variations of tartan. In Scotland they use a special “encoding” that can only be read by locals. Different types of ornament indicate belonging to a particular organization, locality or clan. The pattern became the hallmark of not only the Scots, but also their specific clothing. The famous kilts are made from tartan fabric.
The pattern consists of horizontal and vertical stripes, which are combined with areas painted diagonally. The width of the lines may vary. The pattern is popular far beyond its homeland. Although tartan has an almost unlimited number of color variations, the most “favorite” combinations are black, red and green. Tartan can be asymmetrical or symmetrical. Bright options are combined only with plain surfaces. For example, the upholstery of a sofa in a rich checkered pattern will become an accent in the interior, so adding other flashy decor and distracting attention is not recommended. Tartan is used not only in textiles, but also in wallpaper, flooring, countertops and even furniture fronts.
Although tartan is an ancient pattern, it has a number of imitations. One of them was the “country” check, which is created from threads dyed in neutral shades and is not characterized by contrast.
Contrasting checkerboard
Checkerboard is a classic way of decorating surfaces. Depending on the color scheme it can be:
- Similar, that is, discreet, combining shades that are close in spectrum.
- Contrasting. The combination of colors in such a cage is catchy and colorful. If the pattern is small, then it literally begins to “ripple in the eyes.”
Among the variations of contrasting chess, the black and white version is popular. It organically blends into interiors in the style of high-tech, loft, minimalism, chalet, constructivism, futurism and even modernism. If the combination seems too catchy, then you can choose a three-color option, where there is a neutral tone for balance: gray, beige, brown.
Tile manufacturers are very fond of chess. This pattern decorates many kitchen and bathroom interiors.
French Vichy
Vichy is a “light” checkered pattern that used to decorate mainly women’s summer clothing. It was invented in the French town of the same name. The ornament has incredible lightness, which is achieved through a combination of white and playful, romantic shades: blue, green, light blue, yellow, pink, red, lilac. There are three types of cells in the pattern: two main tones and one intermediate tone, which is obtained by mixing them. Vichy looks incredibly gentle and soft when paired with delicate openwork. Since the pattern comes from France, it was first integrated into the interior in this country. Moreover, the lightness and airiness of the ornament did not appeal to the strict elite styles that were popular in big cities.
Vichy merged with Provence - the direction of the French hinterland, and remained there. The pattern looks organic not on hard surfaces, but in textiles of curtains, tablecloths, upholstery, furniture covers, pillows, blankets, napkins, towels.
Aerial gynemon
Guinem is one of the varieties of Vichy. The ornament differs only in its special brightness and large cells, which look impressive either on wide surfaces or in large spaces. In English-speaking countries, Vichy is called “gingham,” which causes confusion in the names of patterns for Russian-speaking people. Ghinem, in turn, is close to the pepita pattern. It is created according to the same principle, but the cells are formed on the basis of a combination of white and black, brown. Pepita is suitable for decorating formal rooms: offices, workshops, uncompromising living rooms or spacious hallways.
Patchwork
The patchwork technique is used to make blankets, rugs, pillowcases, towels and rugs. Many different colored patches (usually the same size) are simply sewn together. You can follow the principle of the traditional combination of three shades or make an incredibly bright and colorful decoration for your home. Such elements look organically in light, casual styles (Provence, fusion) and a number of ethnic trends. By the way, patchwork does not impose restrictions on the shape of the patches, but we are only interested in the squares. Hot mittens, towels and napkins, in which plain pieces are combined with patterned fabric, look incredibly “warm”.
Application examples
Bedroom with checkered walls
Despite the fact that this room is not one of those in which tartan is used most often, we must not forget that its use in the bedroom is also quite acceptable. However, it is necessary for me to take into account the fact that the bedroom should have a finish that would not irritate or disturb. For this reason, it is best to wallpaper walls in softer, pastel colors. As an option, brighter colors can be used. But in such cases, it should be only one of the decorative elements, which is used fragmentarily, or for the so-called zoning of the room.
In other words, the cage in the bedroom should be a secondary element of the interior. At the same time, it will be very harmonious if you use curtains, pillowcases or blankets with checkered patterns.
Hall
A living room with checkered walls is also a fairly rare occurrence. On the other hand, cases of using tartan to highlight some functional areas or to decorate certain sections of one of the walls are not so rare. The optimal solution would be to avoid installing furniture, floor lamps, a TV and other large items and household appliances next to such a wall.
Children's room
There are not so many examples of using checkered wallpaper in a children's room. As a rule, the interior for children is usually decorated in other colors, more traditional. For boys, blue and blue wallpapers are best, and for girls, pink and lilac combinations are chosen. On the other hand, it is quite possible to paste such wallpaper in separate areas. This way, you can bring some fresh ideas into the design of the nursery, and do it quite inexpensively.
Kitchen and dining room
But as for these places, the cage in such rooms is much more common. It is generally accepted that certain color combinations help stimulate appetite and even promote better digestion of food. At least a number of experts in the field of psychology claim this. In addition, the kitchen interior is often decorated with a checkered tablecloth. As you know, when the interior contains several decorative elements with the same or very similar motif, this will make it more “complete” and harmonious.
Wallpaper with a cage in the hallway
The corridor and hallway (which are often perceived as one and the same thing) are one of those places where the use of cages in the interior is quite common. Unfortunately, it turns out that these places have some restrictions on the use of auxiliary decorative items, such as textiles. On the other hand, this is not a reason to worry, since the cage can take on the role of the main decoration of the interior space of the corridor.
Design tip! When working with checkered wallpaper in the hallway, try not to overdo it, since too much attention to such patterns can create the visual illusion of a narrowed space.
By the way, the same recommendations that apply to the hallway apply to the office. Try to follow them, because otherwise you may end up with an interior that is not conducive to creating a work environment.
Features of use
As we have already said, it is best to let a professional designer work with the cage, but if we don’t have one at our disposal, then we can try to build the interior ourselves, based on the basic rules for using wallpaper with a Scottish theme.
There are plenty of subtleties and nuances when working with checkered English wallpaper. It is advisable to use natural materials for finishing: wood, iron, stone. It is important to choose the right decorative elements, high-quality textiles for curtains, and noble wood furniture. Ideally, when decorating a room in tartan colors, you need to have at least a vague idea of Scotland and its tartan. By the way, tartan literally means “Scottish check”.
In ancient times, the design and color of the tartan indicated that a resident of Scotland belonged to a particular clan. Every resident of this country was proud of his pattern and its colors, because it clearly showed how rich his region was, what natural resources it had. In those days, colors were only natural, and everyone knew what they were made from.
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Contrasting interior of a small bedroom
Traditional Scottish kilts, made in the colors of a particular region of the country, are still worn, but this is rather a tribute to tradition. Much has changed since those long ago days, and Scotland is no longer the same independent mountainous country. However, the classic pattern has taken its rightful place in the world of art; now this print is used on clothing, interior items and, of course, wallpaper.
An interesting detail: many people liked tartan, otherwise how can one explain its appearance in such an American style as country. This style is also not new; its roots go back to ancient times, when proven techniques were used to decorate homes.
Note that the cage used in country style can be made of both dark and light colors.
Unlike prim English interiors, in country style the atmosphere is very relaxed, as softer and lighter colors are used here. At the same time, a huge number of vintage accessories indicate the long traditions of this style.
By the way, checkered wallpaper options can be interspersed into any interior in the form of inserts framed by frames and baguettes. An original solution would also be to insert pieces of wallpaper into a picture frame and hang it on the wall.
Wallpaper for walls in an original checkered pattern can be rich and bright, or it can be faded, with a barely noticeable pattern. From a distance they will look like one color, but when you get closer, the pattern will appear. This effect is achieved by using different tones of the same color, for example, a combination of brown, beige and brown will look very original.
Modern German wallpaper from a famous brand
When choosing wallpaper with a checkered pattern, focus on the basic color scheme of your interior. Most often in wallpaper stores you can find patterns of classic black and white colors, blue, green, red, brown tones. In this case, combinations of several colors are most often found.
Note that such an original design is not only aesthetically attractive, but also practically has a number of advantages, for example, it emphasizes the geometry of the room and hides minor defects in the walls.
Rich in colors and interesting design immediately attracts attention and makes you not pay attention to minor points. Therefore, if you do not have the highest quality preparation of walls for wallpaper, then you may well consider this design option.
Thus, you can use a checkered pattern for wallpaper in any room, the main thing is to correctly build the entire interior, choose sociable wallpaper, furniture, and accessories.
Bottom line
To summarize, we can say that checkered wallpaper, despite its rather rare use, nevertheless finds its place in the interiors of some apartments. Most often they are used not independently, but as an additional element when combined, which, by the way, can be vertical, horizontal or simply zonal. The cage helps you create a custom design at very little cost. The choice of checkered wallpaper today is quite wide, since it is offered by both specialized online wallpaper stores and large chain hypermarkets of goods for construction, repair and improvement.
Design solutions with checkered wallpaper
A cage in the interior will play its role perfectly if it is complemented with appropriate furniture and accessories. An additional element of checkered fabric in the same style will look good with checkered wallpaper. Curtains or chair upholstery, a tablecloth on the table, a checkered lampshade or a couple of pillows on the sofa. The main thing is not to overdo it. Therefore, use one, maximum two additional accents. For example, checkered napkins and a checkered sofa.
With the help of checkered wallpaper in the kitchen, you can zone the space by highlighting the dining area with a checkered wallpaper pattern.
If you are planning to make a bar counter in your kitchen, then pay attention to the design in the style of an English pub. In such an interior, tartan will certainly create the right atmosphere for you.
The cage surprisingly easily joins ethnic patterns in the interior and combines ideally with monochromatic interior solutions. These can be plain, wallpaper-free walls, or plain fabric for curtains or furniture. The interior looks very harmonious, where the tone of the surrounding surfaces and one of the shades of the wallpaper cage matches.
You can choose wallpaper and combine them, placing a plain material in the upper part and a checkered material in the lower part. And divide the upper and lower parts with a cheerful border from the same series.
In any case, checkered wallpaper in the kitchen will add originality to your interior. A bright check will lift your mood and energy, a light check will bring harmony and tranquility.
