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House Beautiful’s 2026 Whole Home report highlights wallcoverings in several small bathrooms, with examples from three design teams. The project’s descriptions show different design approaches, but provide no performance data and do not claim that wallpaper makes a room physically larger.
House Beautiful’s report on its 2026 Whole Home in Charleston features wallpaper in several compact bathrooms. The report describes designers using wallcoverings to add texture, pattern and visual character. The project offers examples of ways to style a small room, but does not present comparative evidence about wallpaper’s effects.
According to House Beautiful’s report, in a powder room, Mark Kennamer, founder and principal designer of his Birmingham, Alabama-based firm, carried the vanity’s soft pink tone onto the walls and ceiling. The report identifies the wallcovering as a mauve moiré by Zoffany, with a subtle sheen and wood-like grain that adds visual texture to the largely monochromatic scheme.
For the primary bathroom, the report says Anissa Zajac of House Seven Design selected a botanical-print wallcovering by Sanderson. Its pattern brings together colors from the room’s palette, while vertical lines complement the fluted vanity cabinets. House Beautiful presents the treatment as a way to connect the patterned surface with other room details.
A third example appears in the gallery bath. House Beautiful credits R&R Interior Design 365 with using blue-brick wallpaper by Perennials. The report says the design draws on Charleston’s cobblestone streets and aims to create a warm, intimate atmosphere. Across the rooms, the report describes distinct uses for wallpaper: introducing shimmer, coordinating a print with existing details, or referencing a material associated with the city.
Wallpaper’s Role in Compact Baths
House Beautiful’s Charleston project illustrates how wallpaper can supply pattern, texture or a reference to place in compact bathrooms. The report describes these choices as part of each room’s design; it does not establish that wallpaper makes a bathroom look larger or compare wallpaper with paint or tile. Its examples are relevant to homeowners considering a wall treatment for a powder room or guest bath, but they are not a tested design formula.
The report’s value as a reference is specific: it shows how designers used surface treatments to give different compact rooms a considered style, from a nearly monochromatic scheme to a botanical print or faux-brick look. These descriptions reflect the project’s design choices, not measured outcomes.
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Three Rooms, Three Design Approaches
House Beautiful’s 2026 Whole Home in Charleston is a design project presenting rooms created by participating designers. In its bathroom coverage, the publication describes wallcoverings in relation to nearby features, including a pink vanity, fluted cabinetry and Charleston’s architectural character.
As House Beautiful presents them, the rooms also show different levels of visual contrast. Kennamer’s powder room stays close to one color family and uses the moiré finish for added dimension. Zajac’s botanical design introduces a more evident print while echoing the palette and vertical forms. R&R Interior Design 365’s blue-brick pattern uses a material-like image to connect the room to Charleston. These are project-specific choices, not a universal formula for every small bathroom.
Limits of the Design Guidance
House Beautiful presents design examples rather than a controlled comparison or installation guide. The report does not specify the bathrooms’ dimensions, explain how the wallcoverings perform in different humidity conditions, or provide maintenance and durability results. It also does not say whether each treatment was installed throughout the room or on selected surfaces.
The report describes the wallcoverings as reliable when installed properly, but gives no technical criteria for what proper installation involves. Readers should check the product maker’s instructions and consult an installer about suitability for a bathroom’s moisture levels before choosing a material. The examples support an aesthetic point; they do not establish that every wallpaper product is appropriate for every bathroom.
Choosing a Suitable Wallcovering
For readers considering a similar approach, the next step is to compare the room’s ventilation and moisture exposure with the wallcovering’s specifications. They can then decide whether the design should harmonize with existing finishes, as in the powder room House Beautiful attributes to Kennamer, or provide a stronger pattern, as in the botanical bath attributed to Zajac. Viewing a sample alongside the vanity, flooring and lighting can help show how its color and texture work in the actual space.
House Beautiful’s report documents choices made for the 2026 Whole Home; it does not announce a new product or forthcoming installation milestone. Further practical guidance would require product-specific information on installation, cleaning and long-term performance.
Key Questions
What did designers use wallpaper for in the Charleston bathrooms?
In its 2026 Whole Home report, House Beautiful describes designers using wallpaper to add texture, pattern and visual character, and, in one room, to reference Charleston’s streetscape.
Which designers are featured?
House Beautiful’s report features Mark Kennamer, Anissa Zajac of House Seven Design, and the team at R&R Interior Design 365.
Does the report show that wallpaper makes a small bathroom look bigger?
No. House Beautiful presents wallpaper as a way to give compact bathrooms character and visual interest, but does not claim or measure an effect on perceived room size.
Can any wallpaper be used in a bathroom?
House Beautiful’s report does not establish that all wallpaper suits bathroom conditions. Check the product’s specifications and installation guidance, and seek advice about the room’s moisture and ventilation.
Source: housebeautiful.com
