Wallpaper is having a major moment — and honestly, it never left. What has changed is how we’re using it. Peel and stick wallpaper has opened the door to bold, expressive pattern in places people used to overlook. Think feature walls, closets, pantries, even small nooks that deserve a little drama. The result? High-impact design that transforms a space without requiring a full-room commitment — or a lot of product.

Unique, pattern-rich peel and stick wallpaper can make an impression long before guests reach the living room. From the moment they hang their coats to when they set their bags down in the guest bedroom. Homeowners are getting bolder not just with pattern, but with placement. They're using wallpaper in smaller, unexpected spaces to create moments of surprise and personality.

Unexpected Places to Use Peel and Stick Wallpaper

Peel and stick wallpaper is especially powerful in spaces people tend to overlook, including:

• Hall closets
• Kitchen pantries
• Built-in shelving
• Feature walls
• Laundry rooms

Below, we’re showing exactly how designers are using wallpaper in these spaces — and why it works.

1. Big Style in A Small Space

Using Peel and Stick Wallpaper in a Hall Closet

Interior designer Jewel Marlowe of Jeweled Interiors is a longtime lover of color, eclectic glamour, and wallpaper used with confidence. As a military spouse who has moved thirteen times in nineteen years, she’s mastered the art of transforming spaces quickly — and making bold design choices that don’t require permanence.

For Jewel Marlowe, design has always been about more than how a space looks. It's a soulful reflection of the people who live there.

“Home has always been more about the people than the physical location,” Marlowe says. “After so many moves, it became a dream to personalize a home one room at a time. I wanted to reflect our lives, personalities, and preferences.”

After completing major renovations throughout the house, Marlowe found herself drawn to the overlooked spaces. With more time at home over the past few years, she began reassessing how her family actually uses each area.

“That’s when I realized this small hall closet just wasn’t working for our family of six.”

Before the makeover, Marlowe’s hall closet was doing a lot of heavy lifting — storing coats, shoes, and kids’ backpacks. It also showed the wear and tear of years of daily use.

She began by clearing everything out. Sorting through years of outgrown coats and shoes.  Donating what no longer served her family. 

A custom shoe cubby followed. Backpacks were relocated to bedrooms. Out-of-season coats were stored away. With the clutter gone, the closet finally felt ready for its next phase.

“This closet held a decade of scuffs and bumps since its last coat of paint,” Marlowe says. “Rather than just repainting it, I thought a little wallpaper would really dress it up. And man — I was so right.”

What she chose next completely changed how the space felt.

Marlowe chose SmithHönig’s Ravenswood wallpaper in Dream to bring drama to the space. Inspired by the kind of layered pattern you might uncover in a grand, slightly eccentric English country house, Ravenswood balances irreverence with history. It's dventurous, but grounded.

“I love the scale of the Ravenswood wallpaper,” Marlowe says. “It’s large enough to make a statement, yet still completely workable in a small space.”

With the unexpected addition of wallpaper, the once-practical closet became a moment. Watercolor ravens and foliage transformed the space. Now it's a hidden surprise that rewards anyone who opens the door.

2. Show-Stopper Pantry Shelving

Why Peel and Stick Wallpaper Works in Pantries

Marlowe isn’t alone in rethinking overlooked spaces. Houston-based interior designer Emily June Spanos recently used SmithHönig’s Moroccan Knot wallpaper to transform a kitchen pantry — turning a purely functional area into a true design moment.“

“This wallpaper became the centerpiece of the pantry,” says Spanos. “My clients and I loved the kaleidoscopic pattern. The color and movement turn this small space into the jewel box of the kitchen.”

For Spanos, every room should feel alive with personality — with all traces of safe or forgettable firmly banished. In this pantry makeover, SmithHönig’s Moroccan Knot wallpaper takes center stage, layered with thoughtful details like the Shibori Indigo Wanderer Tote and its multicolored handmade tassel.

She encourages clients to think beyond full rooms, using wallpaper on accent walls, the backs of built-in shelving, or even the fronts of dressers and nightstands to create moments of surprise. Peel-and-stick wallpaper makes these moves easy — no installer required, just a willingness to commit to the details that make a home feel personal.

Moroccan Knot is rooted in a classic Moorish motif, refreshed with layered color for a look that feels timeless rather than trend-driven.

“You’d be surprised how much of a difference bold wallpaper can make in a linen closet or laundry room,” says Emily June. “Those small spaces are the perfect place to take a risk.”

You can read more about this pantry party here.

Whether hidden behind a door or front and center, wallpaper has a way of changing how a space feels.

3. Feature Wall Drama

How to Create a Feature Wall with Removable Wallpaper

For those who prefer to go all in, feature walls are where peel-and-stick wallpaper really earns its keep. Sarisa “Risi” Muñoz — the creative force behind The Indigo Leopard Home — used SmithHönig’s Shibori Indigo wallpaper to create a bold focal point that anchors her space.

Muñoz has a natural instinct for pulling spaces together, guided by a confident, anything-goes approach to decorating.

“If I like it, I buy it and find a way to mix it in,” Muñoz says. “Don’t be afraid to experiment. It’s fun discovering how pieces that don’t seem to ‘go’ together can actually create a harmonious, eclectic space.”

You can explore the full makeover here.

SmithHönig’s peel and stick wallpaper makes it easy to experiment with bold pattern — no long-term commitment, no residue, and no damage to walls when it’s time to remove it.

We’ve never believed in playing it safe, and it’s been exciting to see wallpaper embraced again as a true design tool. As maximalists, we’ve always loved the drama it brings — and it’s clear that this isn’t a passing moment. Wallpaper is back, and it’s being used in smarter, more creative ways than ever.

Ready to add an unexpected, personality-filled moment to your space? Explore SmithHönig’s peel and stick wallpaper collection and create your own show-stopper.