Move Over, Wallpaper — This Unexpected Wall Decor Is About to Take Over

The 2020s have been all about a wallpaper revival. Whether it’s a classic installation in a home renovation or a peel-and-stick removable vinyl in a rental, people seem very fond of adding patterns, prints, and textures to their spaces through this ancient (yes, ancient — the concept dates back to 200 BCE!) decor style.

While visiting the Pasadena Showcase House in April, I had a chance to preview some stunning interior design trends that soon may take over our spaces. Although wallpaper is not going anywhere — the house featured rooms with custom and hand-painted wallpapering — I can’t stop thinking about the “Grand Living Room,” which was masterfully renovated by designer Amy Peltier of Peltier Interiors. It featured an unexpected wall furnishing you can find at your local garden center: lattice.

The Pasadena Showcase House is an annual renovation project where designers and landscapers revamp an estate home and its surrounding backyard space in the Pasadena area. This year’s home was a Monterey Colonial estate home, designed by architect Reginald D. Johnson and built in 1928. The 15,000-square-foot home sits on a sprawling 5 acres. It includes 18 rooms full of intentional interior moments that usher the space into modern times while honoring its past with design details that feel like they’ve existed within the walls for nearly 100 years. 

Out of everything added to the Showcase space, nothing felt more purposeful (and aspirational) than the wood lattice installation in the Grand Living Room. This space had a modern drawing room feel, with tons of natural light and windows that overlooked the gardens. The color palette consisted of cool and calming blue hues mixed with creamy whites and warm wood tones, and walls lacquered in coats of the dusty blue Dunne Edwards Yreka! paint with an overlay of wood lattice in the warm yet bright Dunne Edwards Milk Glass hue. 

“Such a beautiful and classic color combo,” Peltier Interiors wrote in an Instagram post when sharing design details with followers. I couldn’t agree more. 

The lattice installation has a wainscoting-meets-wallpaper feel that adds a ton of detail and texture to the space without making it look too busy. It’s accented with lots of gorgeous brushed brass details — including sconces and chandeliers from Visual Comfort — with a mix of modern and classic furniture shapes to help tie everything together. 

Installing lattice on the walls is no easy feat, though, and, similar to wainscoting, can have a permanent feel to it. However, like the wainscoting rental hacks we’ve seen all over the internet, I was drawn to this design choice because, with a little bit of creativity, it is something you could probably re-create in a renter-friendly manner. 

All you’d have to do is combine lattice panels ( like this vinyl design from The Home Depot or this Mid-Century Modern design from Etsy), paint them a solid accent color, and hang them on the walls like a piece of artwork. Or you can keep them white, which works beautifully, too! Maybe they could be installed with some kind of peel-and-stick tape, to make this idea landlord-friendly?

So you heard it here first. I can see trellis taking over walls in the months and years to come, particularly in preppy and more traditional spaces.