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Home Top 10 Empire-style wallpapersTop 10 Empire-style wallpapers
The Empire style, which emerged in France at the very beginning of the 19th century under the impetus of Napoleon I, is one of the most emblematic decorative trends in the history of French decorative arts. Heir to neoclassicism, it drew its references from Greco-Roman antiquity, while incorporating a grandiose display of power. This solemn, structured aesthetic is strikingly evident in the decorative arts, particularly in wallpaper.
The stylistic characteristics of the Empire style
Empire wallpapers feature rigorously symmetrical, ordered compositions, in keeping with the classical thinking that dominated the period. Motifs are often inspired by Antiquity: palmettes, eagles, laurels, medallions, crowns and mythological symbols populate wall surfaces, sometimes in repetitive patterns, sometimes in large panoramic scenes. The color palette is both rich and sober, with deep tones such as empire red, dark green, black, ivory, midnight blue and gold.
Iconic patterns: stripes, draperies and plant motifs
Vertical stripes (see our Imperial Stripes wallpaper model), common in Empire wallpapers, structure walls while evoking antique columns or military tents, as in our Malmaison Tricolore wallpaper pattern. They are sometimes adorned with imperial symbols (bees, stars, laurels) or enhanced with gilding. Another striking motif is stylized draperies, often in trompe-l'œil, which give the illusion of suspended hangings, contributing to a theatrical effect.
Plant motifs also play an important role, as in our Josephine patterned wallpaper: acanthus leaves, floral garlands, rosettes, palmettes and laurel wreaths are widely used to punctuate or frame surfaces. These decorative elements are not merely ornamental, they carry a strong symbolic charge: laurel for glory, acanthus for strength, vine for abundance.
Scalloped motifs with a "tent" effect: a real style for contemporary interiors
Our Malmaison tricolor wallpaper, for example, is a perfect example of this. Empire-style wallpapers today have a surprisingly modern effect. Thanks to their geometric motifs (stripes, garlands, draperies, imperial symbols, festoons) and timeless aesthetic, they fit perfectly into contemporary interiors in search of character. Their sober yet spectacular graphics create refined ambiences with restraint.
Empress Josephine's influence on interior design
While Napoleon 1st imposed an aesthetic of power and order, Empress Josephine, as a major sponsor, infused the Empire style with a touch of softness, femininity and nature. At La Malmaison, she developed a personal taste in which plant motifs, flower garlands and light colors created an intimate, elegant atmosphere. Her interest in gardens, the decorative arts and rare objects guided the manufactures in their choice of motifs and moods.
At the time, prestigious manufacturers such as Joseph Dufour excelled in the production of Empire wallpapers, in particular panoramic designs printed on plates. These panoramas depicted exotic, mythological or historical scenes on several continuous panels, transforming the wall into a fresco. Other papers with repetitive motifs adorned secondary rooms or simpler apartments.
Empire decors to add style and heritage to your premises
They are particularly suited to upscale public spaces such as charming hotels, gourmet restaurants, reception rooms, luxury boutiques or guest houses that wish to assert an elegant, singular visual identity. In a lobby, corridor, library or dining room, Empire wallpaper can serve as a theatrical backdrop evoking tradition while asserting a contemporary vision of elegance.
In residential spaces, these papers are equally at home in a Haussmannian apartment, an urban loft, a country house or in modern architecture. Combining an Empire motif with more contemporary design elements (sleek furniture, raw materials, contemporary lighting) creates a harmonious contrast between classicism and modernity. Used in dashes - on a section of wall, a niche, a headboard - or across an entire room, these wallpapers anchor history in the present, while asserting a bold, cultivated aesthetic approach.
