Contract Wallpaper Designs: What To Look for and How To Choose

Selecting the perfect wallpaper for a retail, office or hospitality space can be a challenge. It involves finding the balance between creative flair and universal appeal, while also accommodating the functional needs of the space.

Commercial-grade wallpaper must adhere to strict standards of safety and quality. But contract wallcoverings don’t have to be plain or standardized when it comes to design. In fact, Mitchell Black offers a wide array of contract wallpaper designs that are just as bold, eye-catching, creative, and tasteful as our residential offerings – while exceeding the rigorous requirements of the contract market.

Key Features of Contract Wallpaper

Contract wallpaper is designed for use in apartment buildings, hotels, hospitals, schools, office buildings, and retail outlets. These wallcoverings are manufactured to meet certain performance metrics delineated by the General Services Administration (GSA) in Federal Specification CCD-W-408. 

Contract wallpaper is made from both vinyl and PVC-Free materials: Type I (for light traffic) and II (for moderate or heavy traffic).

While Type I and Type III vinyl wallpapers may be suitable for particular use cases, contract Type II vinyl is the gold standard for most contract installations. Type II vinyl wallpaper meets all the functional and aesthetic demands of modern buildings. It comes in a wide array of patterns, colors, and themes, and it’s highly durable and easy to maintain.

Commercial-grade wallpaper offers a few key advantages:

• Durable: Made from long-lasting materials like vinyl or fabric backed vinyl, contract wallpaper offers enhanced strength and damage-resistance.

• Easy to clean and maintain: High-quality commercial wallpapers are scrub- and scratch-resistent, making them ideal for spaces that require frequent cleaning.

• Fire-safe: Contract wallpaper meets strict standards of fire safety for commercial and industrial spaces.

• Versatile designs: Vinyl wallpaper comes in a wide array of colors, patterns, and themes for diverse uses.

• Insulation and acoustic properties: Some types of contract wallpaper offer soundproofing or heat insulation benefits.

What To Consider When Selecting Contract Wallpaper Designs

Type of Space

As with any interior design choice, the wallpaper you choose should first and foremost be fit for purpose. While a cute animal print might be the perfect wallcovering for an elementary school or daycare facility, a professional office space or high-end retail outlet needs a more sophisticated design, such as a subtle geometric pattern or a delicate floral.

Traffic Level

High-traffic areas such as hallways or meeting rooms may benefit from richer colors and more complex designs, because these characteristics help hide the appearance of dust or dirt.

Functionality

Select finishes that are suited to a room’s purpose and use. For example, water-resistent materials like contract type II vinyl are ideal for bathrooms, kitchenettes, and other rooms where humidity is elevated.

Color Scheme

The color scheme you choose has a big impact on the overall mood of your space. Choosing between light vs. dark wallpaper can completely transform not just the look of the environment, but also the feelings it inspires in users. The individual hues in your wallpaper pattern may also evoke certain emotions or motivations. For example, blue is associated with calmness, trust, and strength, while yellow encourages happiness and hope.

Pattern and Design

Wallcoverings are just one element of a holistic interior design. Consider the overall look and feel you’re hoping to achieve before you settle on a wallpaper design. From flooring and light fixtures to furniture and wall art, it’s important that your wallpaper accommodates the other design features.

Lighting

The natural and artificial lighting can drastically alter the appearance of a given pattern or color combination. Think carefully about the lighting in the space, and consider testing a few different patterns before choosing a winner.

Choosing Contract Wallpaper Designs for Different Uses

Hospitality

With enhanced durability and nearly limitless patterns to choose from, contract Type II vinyl wallpaper is the ideal addition to hospitality-industry buildings. Hotels, apartment buildings, resorts, and casinos have unique requirements when it comes to design. The goal is to create an environment that feels comfortable and welcoming for the user.

Ideally, you want your wallcoverings to hold universal appeal, so it’s often best to stick to relatively neutral colors and patterns. The splash tan sand wallpaper is the perfect example of a neutral design that still adds creativity and depth. However, if you’re aiming for a specific interior design style like vintage, industrial, or mid-century modern, you may want to select a bolder, more specific pattern.

Retail

From funky vintage shops to sleek tech stores and high-end designer boutiques, retail is a big and ultra-diverse category. Designers really need to understand the specific vision, goals, and offerings of retail clients before selecting wallcoverings and other finishes. 

A retro clothing shop selling rare vintage finds may benefit from a bold, color blocked design like the infinity blocks blue horizon wallpaper, while an upscale retailer of salon-quality beauty products might be suited to a more delicate pastel design like the splash flamingo pink wallpaper.

Offices

Professional office spaces require a great deal of strategic thinking when it comes to design. Certain furniture orientations, color schemes, and lighting designs have actually been shown in research studies to improve productivity and employee motivation. Many authors suggest that blue ranks first among colors that encourage productivity.

Consider opting for a blue wallcovering on interior walls, such as the tall tiles blue glaze wallpaper for more traditional workplaces or the clouds black and blue wallpaper for creative firms.

Health Care

Designing health care facilities can be tricky. Ideally, you want the atmosphere to appear modern, clean, and clinical, while also making patients and visitors feel welcome and comfortable. It’s often a challenge to find the delicate balance between the two.

Hospitals, clinics, and dental offices each have their own unique needs when it comes to wallcoverings. Clinics and private practices tend to benefit from more unique and colorful designs, such as the stalks juniper floral wallpaper or the stacked wall mural olive wallpaper, while hospitals and other in-patient facilities are best suited to symmetrical and neutral-toned patterns like the silver flora wallpaper.

Education and Child Care

Designing environments for children is an entirely different undertaking than designing those for adults. It allows for free-flowing creativity, fun, and adventure. Color is extremely important when selecting wallcoverings for kids. In fact, studies suggest that bright, playful colors encourage positive emotions in young children, while darker, less vibrant hues elicit negative responses.

Consider a colorful, animal-themed wallpaper like the gentle giraffe grape chartreuse wallpaper by Blessed Little Bungalow, or a vivid option like the sailboats popsicle wallpaper.

Take Advantage of Unmatched Quality and Unique Contract Wallpaper Designs

Wallpaper is one of the most effective tools in a designer’s kit, especially in the commercial space. Designing hotels, health care facilities, office spaces, and other non-residential buildings requires intricate attention to detail and a comprehensive understanding of users and how to design for a broad audience. 

Mitchell Black offers a diverse collection of top-quality contract wallpaper designs that are available to design professionals and their clients. Our contract Type II vinyl wallpaper adheres to the highest standards of craftsmanship, durability, and safety, and we work with talented designers who bring unique perspectives to their designs.