What Spoonflower Wallpaper Samples Actually Look Like
Anastasiia MarmyzovaIf you design patterns for Spoonflower — or you're thinking about ordering wallpaper for your home and wondering whether to trust it — you've probably asked yourself: what does it actually look like in real life?
I recently ordered Spoonflower wallpaper samples of several of my own designs, and I'm sharing my completely honest thoughts. We are talking texture, color accuracy, the feel in your hands, and which options I would (and genuinely wouldn't) choose for an actual project.
At the end of this post I'll also include a short video review so you can see them all up close.
What Types of Spoonflower Wallpaper Are Available?
Before getting into the review, here's a quick overview of what Spoonflower currently offers:
- Peel and Stick — repositionable, no paste or tools required, very beginner-friendly
- Vinyl — textured, durable, suitable for kitchens, bathrooms, and higher-traffic spaces
- Pre-Pasted — the most affordable option, requires water activation before hanging
- Retired Non-Pasted —most traditional wallpaper, requiring installation techniques suitable for a non-PVC paper-based substrate. The alternative is now PVC-Free Type II Wallpaper.
- Grasscloth Wallpaper — is the perfect accent on feature walls in lower-traffic areas, and is great for drawing attention to focal points or unique design features in your most important rooms.
- Metallic Wallpaper (Gold and Silver) — embody luxury and timeless appeal, making them the perfect choice for interior decorators and high-end designers.
The Designs I Tested
I tested five of my own botanical and floral wallpaper designs across the three current types. The collection spans a range of backgrounds and detail levels: from deep forest greens and dramatic orange gloriosa lilies, to soft sage greens with delicate crocus blooms, to light cream botanicals.
PEEL AND STICK: Easy, Flexible, and Beautiful
Peel and Stick Vintage Gloriosa Fire Lily | Peel and Stick Snowdrop Nouveau
Peel and Stick quickly became one of my two favourites. The texture has a lovely soft, slightly woven quality that photographs beautifully and looks genuinely substantial in person — not like a printed sticker, but like real wall covering.
The colors on my fire lily and snowdrop designs came through rich and accurate. The deep forest green of the snowdrop background printed as a true, saturated dark — no muddiness or streaking. The amber and warm tones in the fire lily pattern stayed close to the original digital artwork. The print resolution on both was crisp: fine details in the watercolor-style petals rendered cleanly.
As a practical choice, the repositionability is a genuine feature, not just a selling point. For anyone who isn't a professional installer (which I very much am not) being able to lift and re-apply without damaging your walls or the paper is genuinely reassuring.
PEEL & STICK: Best for: feature walls, renters, first-time wallpaper hangers, and anyone who wants flexibility without sacrificing quality.
VINYL: Another Favourite of Mine for Texture and Quality
Vinyl Beige Crocus Framed
Vinyl was the biggest positive surprise in this review. Of all the samples I received, the crocus ogee pattern on sage green — printed on Vinyl — looked the most like premium wallpaper you'd find in an interior design showroom.
The surface has a subtle raised texture that catches the light beautifully and gives the piece real depth and presence. Holding it, you immediately feel that this is a durable, quality material. It has weight. It has substance. And the color accuracy was excellent — the sage green stayed cool and soft exactly as designed, and the blush pink of the crocus petals kept their delicate, watercolor quality rather than going flat.
If I were papering a feature wall — especially in a kitchen, bathroom, or any space that sees humidity or daily wear — Vinyl would be my first choice. No question.
VINYL: Best for: permanent installations, wet rooms, high-traffic spaces, and anywhere you want the wallpaper to feel and last like a premium product.
PRE-PASTED: Honest Thoughts
Pre-Pasted Elegant Botanical Leaf | Pre-Pasted Beige Botanical Leaf | Pre-Pasted Dotted Nouveau
Pre-Pasted is Spoonflower's most affordable wallpaper option, and in this case, the price does show a little.
My Pre-Pasted samples were noticeably thinner than the Peel and Stick or Vinyl, with less texture and a slightly glossy surface the other types don't have. Held next to the others, it felt like a different category of product.
To be fair: wallpaper behaves differently when it's hung and dry than it does flat in your hands. That gloss might settle once it's properly installed. But even with that caveat, I wouldn't personally choose Pre-Pasted for a project where the look and feel of the wallpaper mattered to me. The print quality itself was fine — the patterns were clear and well-rendered — but the material is the tradeoff.
PRE-PASTED: Best for: budget-conscious projects, large spaces where cost is the primary factor, or test runs before committing to a larger order.
NON-PASTED (Discontinued)
Non-Pasted Sage Green Crocus Stripe
If you loved the old Non-Pasted Spoonflower wallpaper and miss it — the Vinyl is probably your closest current alternative. The Non-Pasted had a matte, traditional paper feel that required standard wallpaper paste to apply, and the Vinyl shares a similar sense of weight and substance. The added durability of Vinyl is actually a bonus over what Non-Pasted offered.
Color Accuracy and Print Quality: Overall
Peel and Stick Snowdrop Nouveau | Pre-Pasted Dotted Nouveau
Across all three types, Spoonflower's print quality is genuinely impressive for a print-on-demand service. Fine watercolor textures, delicate petal veining, and tonal variation in botanical illustrations all came through clearly — which matters a lot when your patterns are built from hand-painted elements.
Colors leaned very slightly warmer on the Peel and Stick than they appeared on my screen, but the difference was subtle — nothing that would feel like a mismatch or a disappointment. Dark backgrounds in particular printed beautifully. The forest green on the snowdrop design and the deep olive on the fire lily were rich, even, and saturated across the entire sample — no banding, no inconsistency.
COLOR TIP: Tip: order a small sample before committing to a full roll, especially for designs with very dark or very light backgrounds. Screen-to-print differences are subtle but worth checking.
Pre-Pasted | Non-Pasted | Vinyl | Peel and Stick
My Final Recommendation
Here's where I'd send each type:
- Peel and Stick — for flexibility, ease of installation, and beautiful everyday results. My go-to for feature walls and any project where repositionability matters.
- Vinyl — for texture, durability, and premium quality. My personal choice for any permanent installation, especially in spaces that need to last.
- Pre-Pasted — a workable budget option where the printing quality is solid, but the material feels thin and glossy compared to the others. Worth it only if cost is the deciding factor.
If you're a surface pattern designer who hasn't ordered wallpaper samples of your own work yet — please do it. There is genuinely no substitute for holding your design in your hands, seeing how the colors render on a real surface, and understanding what your customers will actually receive. It's the moment the work becomes real.
Watch the Video Review
Want to see all the samples up close? I've put together a short video review where you can compare the textures, colors, and finishes in real life.
Enjoyed this? You can browse all of my wallpaper designs on Spoonflower, or explore the full range of patterns and products at staciemar.com.
