Designers say this whimsical feature in Joanna Gaines' powder room has a 'transformative' power

Few designers are quite as influential as Joanna Gaines, so it's only fitting that she has adorned her powder room in one of the industry's most renowned wallpaper prints. 

The Cloud Wallpaper, celebrated among Fornasetti's most 'enduring' designs, is a staple from the Milanese powerhouse, which is already no stranger to setting European wallpaper trends. However, it would seem their influence has gone Trans-Atlantic, reaching Waco, Texas, where the Magnolia founder resides with her husband (and HGTV counterpart), Chip. After returning from a concert, Joanna shared a mirror selfie with her followers, and sure enough, Fornasetti's cloudy design dominates the backdrop.

According to the brand, the sky was often a recurring vision for Fornasetti, and this iconic design features etched 'little clouds,' delicately depicting those 'tempestuous, rolling skies.' 

A design like this is likely to transcend any fleeting 'trends,' meaning it's a safe investment in the powder room (like Joanna) or any other space in our home. However, as designers explain, all scenic wallpaper is a long-term investment worth making – and since these prints are becoming increasingly popular, there is no time like the present. 

'The reason wallpaper is on a high is because there's no quicker way to transform any room than with wallpaper,' comments Martin Waller, the founder of Andrew Martin. 'You can ricochet between a Renaissance painting or an industrial warehouse through to the magic of traditional wallpaper to the opening lines of Nicholas Nickleby.'

Martin Waller

Martin Waller is the founder of the globally renowned design house Andrew Martin, and he remains at the heart of the brand to this day. The London-based designer has shaped furniture, fabric, and wallpaper trends through his experimentative designs – based on a variety of cultures. At the turn of the millennium, he published his bestselling design book Fusion Interiors (now available on Amazon). 

'Walls dominate an interior space more than any other component, so creating interest here is key. There always has to be a surprise in a room.' And, of course, Joanna's bathroom delivered just that. 

For a designer who is known for her pared-back modern farmhouse designs, her powder room is not what we might have expected, but it's this element of surprise that makes it so impactful (and quickly one of our favorite spaces in her house).

As Martin reminds us, scenic wallpaper spans from Joanna-inspired clouds to Renaissance-style paintings but as designer Naomi Astley Clarke explains, we should also look for paper (or bespoke design paper, if possible) that taps into some of our favorite memories, as she has done for some clients. 

‘I love to recreate the panorama of someone's favorite places or memories. I have commissioned a mural in the past where a client's childhood home is nestled in the landscape,' she says. 

Is it time we follow Jo's lead? We can pick up her exact paper below.