Taking your children’s bedroom decor inspiration from their favourite books is a great way to encourage a love for reading and fire their imagination.
Team a story-inspired wallpaper with plenty of bookshelves, and toys that encourage them to act out scenes from their favourite stories or extend their imagination beyond the books.
Little ones’ tastes can be fickle, so if you’re worried that they may grow out of a particular theme in a few years, remember that posters can always be used to cover the walls and showcase their personality, or just opt to paper one feature wall, as this won’t dominate the space too much. Read on to discover our top tips on recreating children’s book worlds with your DIY interior design.
8 Kids’ Wallpaper Designs Inspired By Classic Children’s Books
From Harry Potter to The Jungle Book and from classic fairytales to 101 Dalmatians, classic children’s stories provide so many springboards for decor inspiration for bedrooms and playrooms.
1. Glow-In-The-Dark Harry Potter Wallpaper
If your child or teen loves the magical world of the Harry Potter franchise, it makes a brilliant theme for a bedroom. Bring all the magic of Hogwarts to their room with the Harry Potter Mischief Management Parchment Themed Glow in the Dark Wallpaper (priced at £15 per roll), which has an extra element of wizardry thanks to its glow-in-the-dark nature.
There are so many options when it comes to creating a Harry Potter-inspired bedroom, whether you’re inspired by the rustic, homemade feel of The Burrow where the Weasley family lives, or the cosy Gryffindor dormitory.
Complete a Harry Potter bedroom with:
- A full set of the books on their bookcase
- An owl soft toy
- A Harry Potter bedspread
- Bunting in their Hogwarts house colours
- A toy broomstick
2. Floral Wallpaper Inspired By The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett has been captivating children’s imagination since its publication in 1911. The classic children’s novel follows orphaned Mary Lennox, who is sent to live with a distant relative at Misselthwaite Manor, where she is incredibly lonely. She befriends a robin, who leads her to a hidden door, which opens onto the beautiful secret garden, and her world is transformed.
Recreate the hidden garden in your child’s bedroom or playroom with the Arthouse Summer Garden Multi Colour Sunflower Butterfly Leaf Motif White Multi Wallpaper (£11 per roll), which features gorgeous designs of sunflowers, butterflies, and climbing flowers.
Go all out with The Secret Garden theme and team this stunning floral wallpaper with:
- Butterfly stickers for the walls
- A low-maintenance cactus or succulent for your little one to water occasionally
- A robin redbreast soft toy
- Artificial leaf vines to trail around the tops of the walls
- A beautifully illustrated copy of The Secret Garden
3. Animal Wallpaper Inspired By Dear Zoo
A classic, much-loved book among younger readers, Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell provides perfect nursery decor inspiration. The story takes the form of a letter, in which the narrator is writing to his local zoo to ask for a pet.
If your little one loves the story or is simply animal-mad, the Holden Decor Jungle Friends Children’s Animal Teal Wallpaper (£13 per roll) is the ideal choice, with lion, giraffe, monkey, and elephant illustrations on a vibrant blue background.
Extend the theme throughout a bedroom or playroom with:
- Wooden zoo animals
- Plenty of animal soft toys
- Paper and pencils or crayons so they can practice writing their very own letter
4. Ballerina Wallpaper Inspired By Ballet Shoes
First published in 1936, Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild continues to delight readers with its beautiful tale of a little girl who discovers a passion for dancing. If you have a little one who loves to dance, this is a gorgeous theme for a bedroom, even if they’re yet to discover Noel Streatfeild’s much-loved story.
Create the perfect backdrop to a dance-themed bedroom with the Holden Decor Ballerina Dancer Pattern Children’s Yellow Wallpaper (£12 per roll), which features beautiful illustrations of birds, butterflies, and ballerinas.
Complete a Ballet Shoes-themed bedroom with:
- A selection of tutus for dress up and dance
- A barre where they can practice their ballet steps
- A traditional music box, preferably with a twirling ballerina in the lid
- Their very own pair of ballet shoes
- A boxset of Noel Streatfeild’s books
5. Narnia-Inspired Wallpaper
Take a trip inside the magical world of C.S. Lewis with a Narnia-inspired bedroom. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is the best-loved of The Chronicles of Narnia, with its snowy landscapes and memorable creatures.
Bring a slice of Narnia to a children’s bedroom with the Arthouse Frosted Wood Forest Pattern Trees Glitter Silver Wallpaper (£14 per roll), which features snow-capped trees, creating the look of a wintery forest, especially when used on all four walls.
Take inspiration from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe throughout a children’s bedroom with:
- A big old wardrobe – great for storage, and for fantasies about hidden worlds!
- A lion soft toy – their very own Aslan
- A white fluffy rug to create the illusion of a snowy floor
- An electric tea light candle in a lantern holder
- Green, fir-like tinsel to hang from the ceiling – extra points if it has white, ‘snow-capped’ tips
6. Dalmatian Print Wallpaper
Your little ones may be more familiar with the Disney animation, or even the live action version starring Glenn Close as Cruella Deville, but the 1956 book 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith, is just as brilliant.
If your child is obsessed with dogs, the Holden Decor Dalmatian Dots Wallpaper (£12 per roll) is the perfect addition to their bedroom. It comes in a classic black and white, as well as pink and black for those obsessed with all things pink.
Lean into the dalmatian theme when designing their bedroom and make sure they have:
- Plenty of dog soft toys
- A dalmatian print onesie for dressing up
- A Cruella-esque dalmatian print fluffy rug
- Accents of red in cushions or their duvet cover, inspired by Cruella’s lipstick
- A copy of the Dodie Smith novel by their bed
7. Wallpaper Inspired By The Jungle Book
Whether your little one is more familiar with the 1894 Rudyard Kipling novel or the Disney adaptation from 1967, The Jungle Book has been capturing children’s imaginations for more than a century. The beloved story provides a great bedroom theme for animal-loving children, who are ready for something a little more grown-up than our Dear Zoo theme.
The Arthouse Jungle Mania Animal Pattern White Wallpaper (£13 per roll) features gorgeous illustrations of monkeys, parrots, toucans, tigers (reminiscent of Shere Khan himself), and bears (just like Baloo), making it the perfect addition to a The Jungle Book-themed bedroom.
Bring the jungle to a child’s bedroom or playroom with:
- Plenty of animal soft toys
- A hammock hanging from the ceiling for all of those soft toys to sleep in
- A teepee filled with blankets and cushions for cosy reading/jungle camping
- An illustrated copy of the Rudyard Kipling novel
8. Fairytale-Inspired Disney Wallpaper
If your child loves classic fairytales, a Disney wallpaper could be the perfect choice for their bedroom. The Disney Bookshelf Multi Coloured Wallpaper (£14 per roll) features pictures of book spines for classic tales like Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, and Alice in Wonderland, alongside favourite characters including Alice and Mickey Mouse.
Take the fairytale theme one step further with:
- Use fabric drapes to create a princess-inspired canopy over a bed
- A toy tea set for their very own unbirthday party
- A classic illustrated edition of Grimm’s fairytales
- Toadstool wall stickers
Children’s Wallpaper At I Want Wallpaper
From Disney wallpaper to Harry Potter wallpaper and beautifully illustrated nursery wallpaper, there’s a brilliant choice of children’s wallpaper to be discovered at I Want Wallpaper.
Browse our full collection today to find the perfect wallpaper for your bedroom, nursery, or playroom. If you have a question about any of our designs, please don’t hesitate to contact us here.