Rental homes don’t have to be boring: how wallpaper helps your listing stand out

When you scroll through property portals or Airbnb and Booking, it gets obvious pretty fast how similar most rentals look. Grey sofa, white walls, one colourful throw, and a “live, laugh, love”–style print above the couch. Nothing wrong with it – but nothing that sticks in your mind either.

If you want to rent out your apartment – whether long term or as a short-stay place – faster or at a slightly higher price, this is where wallpaper comes in. It’s a simple and relatively affordable way to create a real focal point for the eye. Both in photos and in real life.

Why does interior design matter in a rental at all?

With rentals, you’re basically selling a photo. Before anyone ever rings the doorbell, they’ve already made a first decision based on your listing images. Good wallpaper helps you to stand out at first glance and be remembered. People see dozens of listings in a single evening, but “that flat with the green jungle wall in the living room” sticks.

A visually thought-through apartment feels better maintained and more valuable, which makes a slightly higher rent easier to justify. Plus, one good wall mural can easily replace several cheap mass-produced prints, shelves and random decor.

Wallpaper as a quick fix: big change, small renovation

One of the most practical options is non-woven wallpaper. It’s strong, hides minor wall imperfections, and the best part – it can usually be removed in panels rather than scraped off in tiny pieces. Perfect if one day you feel like changing the design or repainting.

For short-term rentals (Airbnb, Booking, etc.), it’s worth looking specifically at wall murals and photo wallpapers:

• forest scenes, city views, stormy sea, elegant graphic patterns – all of these are great for creating that “Instagram corner”.
• Guests often choose a place because of that one special photo that looks different and “worth posting”.

Which wall should you wallpaper? 3 safe bets

1. Living room feature wall – behind the sofa

• The classic move: a wall mural behind the sofa.
• Works especially well: soft geometric patterns, nature motifs (leaves, forest, plants), calm tones (beige, green, dusty blue).
• This wall will always end up in your listing photos – so think of it as your main “photo wall”.

2. Bedroom headboard wall

• Wallpaper behind the bed frames the whole room, even if the rest of the furniture is very simple.
• Neutral pastels or subtle patterns keep it calm and renter-friendly while still looking intentional.
• In photos, this kind of “hotel-style” bedroom always looks more inviting than a plain white wall.

Bold statement or calm backdrop – how personal should you go?

With rentals, balance is everything. A good rule of thumb:

• one eye-catching mural or patterned wall,
• the rest of the room in neutrals (white, warm beige, light grey).

Think about your ideal tenant:

• For a young couple or short-stay guests, you can go a bit bolder – tropical themes, graphic patterns, large florals, vintage-style wallpapers.
• For a family and longer-term rentals, stick to a more Scandi feel: fine lines, marble-like textures, pastels, natural tones.

If you want something very safe, yet still distinctive, look for:

• beige or soft green patterned wallpapers,
• gentle stripes,
• geometric designs that don’t shout (arches, waves, softened shapes).

These usually play nicely with many different furniture styles – today’s renter might bring a dark velvet sofa, the next one a light linen one, and the wallpaper still works.

For short-stay rentals: wallpaper that “photographs itself”

If your place is on Airbnb or another short-stay platform, think like a content creator for a second: Where would your guest want to take a photo?

This is where wallpaper becomes pure gold:

• A mural behind the bed creates a boutique-hotel feel – perfect for your main listing photo.
• A bold patterned wall in the living room + a simple sofa = the ideal “glass of wine on the couch” snapshot.

In the end: wallpaper is your rental’s secret weapon. A rental doesn’t have to be “mostly white, a bit of grey, and one random picture on the wall”. Wallpaper is a simple, logical way to add character to the space, make your photos more attractive, stand out from hundreds of similar listing. And ultimately – turn the apartment into a place guests actually want to come back to.

So when you’re planning your next rental project, don’t start with the sofa. Start with the wall. One well-chosen wallpaper can quietly do most of the work for you.