Gallery walls have long been the default solution to a blank expanse of plaster. Whether in neat grids or a curated jumble, they've promised a varied and affordable way into art for modern homes.
However, the picture wall – for all its charm – may be ready for a well-earned retirement. In its place, designers are turning to something softer, older and infinitely more atmospheric: the tapestry.
The resurgence of this archaic design feels like a return to form – and to a time when textiles were just as important to architecture as they were to furniture. Long before framed prints were affordable or commonplace, walls were properly dressed in wool and silk – in town and country houses alike.
Medieval halls were lined with woven scenes not merely for decoration but for insulation, historic storytelling and status. They absorbed draughts, softened acoustics and wrapped cavernous rooms in colour and texture. They were not merely accessories, but instruments of domestic comfort.
Today, we might admire such relics in draughty castles and heritage properties, but what if we ourselves could source, hang and style them – bringing warmth, tactility and age in one fell swoop?
If that sounds like your home (or the home you want), read on for our foolproof tapestry guide.
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Why are tapestries back?
We've been keenly recording how interiors are pivoting away from the crisp minimalism of the 2010s towards something more storied in the 2020s (much to the Country Living team's delight). Painted panelling, inherited furniture and hand-thrown ceramics have all found their way back into favour; now, textiles are following close behind.
Unlike framed art, a tapestry introduces depth. Its weave might catch light differently throughout the day, while its colours and shapes vary, shifting in tandem. There are practical virtues, too. In older properties – particularly those with high ceilings or exposed beams – a substantial textile can temper echo, while modern properties will benefit from the softening of harsh lines.
Bella Valeniza and India Holmes, founder and creative director of Pelican House respectively, say: "To us, tapestries are such an unexpected, eye-catching way to fill a wall. They instantly bring warmth and texture, and a sense of depth and layering we love. They can have huge impact because of their scale, and you can install them in really interesting, creative ways."
Far from the pernickety demands of gallery walls – where fiddly frames, holes in the wall and placement regrets stack up – a tapestry offers one large swathe of décor. It's like a shortcut to artwork with triple the visual impact.
What is a tapestry?
The word can summon images of faded woodland scenes and medieval hunting parties, and while such styles remain covetable, a tapestry is less about subject and more about structure. Traditionally, it describes a textile in which the design is woven into the fabric itself.
In modern interiors, that definition has broadened for the better. Contemporary woven artworks (abstract or figurative) will sit easily alongside antique pieces. Vintage quilts, Welsh blankets and hand-stitched coverlets also offer similar warmth and narrative when hung flat against a wall.
Even a silk scarf or a linen tea towel (if you don't believe us, keep reading) can be elevated with thoughtful mounting. Given space and scale, even humble textiles can take on the presence of art; what unites them is their tactility.
"Tapestries have been made with so many different techniques and materials, and have had so many uses over the centuries, too," agree Bella and India.
"This means they can bring a real sense of cultural depth to a space. Contemporary pieces are made using age-old crafts, so every piece carries the legacy of traditional techniques passed down through generations. That history gives the work a soul in a way that’s hard to replicate with anything mass-produced – and it works beautifully in modern homes."
How to style tapestries
There is no single way to hang a tapestry. In fact, some of their renewed appeal lies in their adaptability: equally at ease in a rustic farmhouse scheme as in a colour-drenched sitting room.
To lean into country character
In more rustic settings with lime-washed beams, carved furniture and stone floors, antique quilts and folk textiles feel especially at home.
In their cottage in Bannau Brycheiniog (below), antiques dealers Christine and Philip Havard have rigged up a scarlet 19th-century Welsh quilt that contrasts elegantly with the rest of their scheme.
Placed behind a simple wooden chair, it deepens the room’s sense of age. These pieces need not be rare museum artefacts; hand-stitched quilts, heirloom blankets and 19th-century textiles all possess the same impactful authority.
To add depth in small spaces
Tapestries are not reserved for grand drawing rooms. In fact, they can be particularly compelling in compact, contemporary spaces – as proven in this sky blue nook below, where a £36 linen tea towel by Amuse La Bouche has been transformed into an affordable, modern take on tapestry.
Hung above a painted fireplace, as here, a wallhanging draws the eye upward and creates a focal point without the visual clutter of multiple frames. In rooms that are already colour-drenched, a textile like this prevents the scheme from feeling one-dimensional.
Similarly, traditional and antique tapestries can be bought in long, thin shapes. Often more affordable, such designs can be hung in awkward nooks or wall spaces along doorways that would otherwise be difficult to dress.
As a headboard alternative
Bedrooms offer another natural home for wallhangings and tapestries, as places already loaded with inviting textiles. Mounted above built-in shelving and layered bedding, a richly patterned hanging can function as a soft headboard substitute. Unlike upholstered boards, textiles can be swapped seasonally or easily passed down across generations.
"We love them inset into walls or hung above the bed connected to the headboard – especially when it helps to extend the headboard right up the wall," say Bella and India. "For us, it's all about doing something unexpected."
How to hang tapestries
As ever with more complex design choices – particularly those pertaining to precious antiques or brand new buys – the method matters.
For heavier pieces, a discreet wooden batten or rod threaded through an existing sleeve distributes weight evenly. Conservation specialists often recommend Velcro systems stitched to a backing strip, allowing fragile textiles to hang without strain.
Direct sunlight should be avoided, particularly in south-facing rooms, while very delicate pieces are best lined to protect them from dust and draughts. By the end, your tapestry should hang with the natural gravity of cloth, not the rigidity of canvas.
What to look for when buying
If you're rummaging for an antique textile to hang, it can be easy to underestimate scale – particularly as prices start to climb. Unfortunately, the rule is simple: measure the wall, then go slightly larger.
Condition should be examined carefully: moth damage, threadbare patches and fading are common but not necessarily disqualifying. Indeed, gentle wear can add depth. Structural weakness, however, may require professional reinforcement.
Bella and India say: "If you go bespoke, it becomes even more special. You can weave in rich storytelling – something personal to a home, a family or the history of a property. We love displaying rugs as true works of art, giving them the respect they deserve – elevating the artisan and celebrating the hands behind each piece."
Colour is equally important. Rather than matching precisely to upholstery, consider tonal compatibility; ideally, a tapestry will converse with its surroundings, not mimic them.
This is also where provenance can lend satisfaction. Knowing a piece once hung in a farmhouse or manor – even approximately – adds another layer to its story.
Ultimately, gallery walls will no doubt endure. But in their softness, their history and their theatrical opulence, tapestries offer something more immersive. In a culture increasingly alert to craft and longevity, this old-world trend feels likely to stick around.
Maddy is the Homes Writer at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she can be found writing about the latest interiors news and collating inspiring trend edits. She has previously worked for Good Housekeeping, Prima and Red, and has an MA in Classics and Ancient History from the University of Manchester and a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia, where she was the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper.
