Plaid Wallpaper

What Plaid Wallpaper Is and Why It Works

Plaid wallpaper is a wall covering built from crossed bands of color. Think tartan, buffalo check and fine grids. The lines bring order to a room. The colors bring warmth. That mix is why plaid suits dens, bedrooms and hallways so well.

Giffywalls prints every check to the exact size of your wall. We have shipped this pattern to cabins, kids rooms and city lofts. The thing buyers ask most is how the lines land in a corner. Ours land straight, because we scale the grid to your wall first.

The Main Plaid Styles

Tartan

Tartan is the dressy one. It stacks bands of different widths in deep red, green and navy. Use it in a study, a dining room or a hallway. It reads warm and a little formal. Wood, leather and brass finish the look.

Buffalo Check

Buffalo check is big and simple. Two colors, one large square. Red with black is the classic. Black with white is the modern take. The scale is bold, so give it a clear wall. It is a strong pick for a cabin, a den or a boys room.

Window Pane and Fine Grids

These are the quiet ones. Thin lines sit on a plain ground. They read almost like a texture. Good for a small room, or a rented place where you want calm. In feel they sit close to geometric wallpaper.

Where Plaid Works Best

Start with one wall, not four. Behind the bed. Behind the sofa. Or the back wall of a study. A check on all four walls closes a room in fast.

In a den, a deep check makes the room feel like a snug. In a kids room, a soft check grows up well. In a hallway, a fine grid keeps a narrow space tidy. In a mudroom or laundry it hides scuffs better than plain paint. That is a rustic wallpaper trick worth knowing.

Scale. Getting It Right

Scale matters more here than color. A big buffalo check needs room to breathe. Behind a bed or sofa is ideal. Got a wall cut up by doors, windows and shelves? Pick a fine grid instead. It still reads well when only strips of it show. A large check on a chopped-up wall just looks like a mistake.

Colors to Build Around

Red and green is the holiday classic, so keep the rest of the room plain. Black and white is easy to live with all year. Navy with cream reads preppy and calm. Brown, tan and rust feel like fall. A muted sage or blue check is the softest option of the lot.

Wool, leather, oak and brass all sit well beside a check. Chrome and high gloss do not. One more tip: pick one color out of the grid and repeat it in a cushion or a lamp. The wall then looks planned, not pasted on.

Mixing Plaid With Other Patterns

Plaid mixes better than people expect. Pair it with a small floral for a country look. Pair it with a plain stripe for something sharper, which is where striped wallpaper earns its place. The rule is simple. Change the scale. A big check and a small print work together. Two mid-size patterns fight.

Sizing, Finish and Fitting

Send us the width and height of your wall. We scale the grid so the lines meet the corners cleanly. Here is a tip for checks in particular. A straight pattern shows up a crooked wall. In an old house, hang the first drop to a plumb line, not to the corner. Choose peel and stick for a removable wallpaper finish that lifts off without taking paint. Choose paste the wall if the room is staying put. Panels arrive numbered, with hanging notes in the box. Shipping is free on every order.