Wallpaper brings warmth, texture, colour and pattern to a room.
It can transform the mundane to the spectacular and the cold to the
cosy. Wallpaper can disguise flaws, it can alter perceived proportions
and it can add dynamism, sophistication, elegance or seduction to any
interior. What's not to love about wallpaper?
Selection
Selecting a wallpaper can be quite overwhelming as there is an abundance of choice, growing enormously by the design season. Traditional papers are revised and updated, or lovingly replicated for historical accuracy. Flowers can be found in all shapes and sizes from the large Victorian bloom, to cherry blossom, stylised poppies and flocked chrysanthemums. Textures are becoming equally more alluring through technology as they are more eco through our awareness and demand for environmental sustainability.
Reactions
Certain patterns can make one person feel nauseous, while another will be excited and exhilarated by it. Some people will count obsessively the repeat in a pattern, while others will find the sequence soothing. There are also scientifically proven effects that certain patterns will give us all - optical illusions that will cause eyes to vibrate, making us feel dizzy or simply suspicious that the wallpaper is crawling. You will be pleased to hear that manufacturers are well aware of these psychological effects and test thoroughly before producing a paper.
Hidden delights
However, some designers thrive on what people might discover in their papers and there are many witty editions of Toile de Jouy or more modern cartoon style depictions of everyday life. These can tell stories and will make interesting historical references in future years but they are also very pleasing on the eye - the imagery merging into a soothing pattern from a distance.
Cost
The cost of paper is an interesting point in itself. Some you can pick up for £10 a roll whereas others, hand blocked and of unique design, can run into many hundreds for the same quantity. Metallics will add to the cost of the paper as will flocking, and if the paper is a one-off then the price will naturally escalate.
Trends
I truly value what texture can add to a room, because while pattern, be it wild or subtle, will date, texture will always contribute to a room without it being too offensive to the fashionistas. I suspect that the metallics of today will soon start to fade but I believe that the idea of papers changing in different light conditions will be developed further. Flocking has made a giant comeback (having made its first foray into interiors in the early 17th century) and will undoubtedly go again, as will the gigantic geometric swirls and possibly even the old faithful stripe.
My point is that it doesn't matter, as long as
you enjoy them. Be bold and brave with your walls and put up something
that you adore. It will make the room sing and you will feel great pride
in it every time you see it - and that can't be sniffed at. And that
will probably be the next big thing - perfumed or worse yet, a Roald
Dahl-inspired lickable paper... Something to think about.
Selecting a wallpaper can be quite overwhelming as there is an abundance of choice, growing enormously by the design season. Traditional papers are revised and updated, or lovingly replicated for historical accuracy. Flowers can be found in all shapes and sizes from the large Victorian bloom, to cherry blossom, stylised poppies and flocked chrysanthemums. Textures are becoming equally more alluring through technology as they are more eco through our awareness and demand for environmental sustainability.
Reactions
Certain patterns can make one person feel nauseous, while another will be excited and exhilarated by it. Some people will count obsessively the repeat in a pattern, while others will find the sequence soothing. There are also scientifically proven effects that certain patterns will give us all - optical illusions that will cause eyes to vibrate, making us feel dizzy or simply suspicious that the wallpaper is crawling. You will be pleased to hear that manufacturers are well aware of these psychological effects and test thoroughly before producing a paper.
However, some designers thrive on what people might discover in their papers and there are many witty editions of Toile de Jouy or more modern cartoon style depictions of everyday life. These can tell stories and will make interesting historical references in future years but they are also very pleasing on the eye - the imagery merging into a soothing pattern from a distance.
Cost
The cost of paper is an interesting point in itself. Some you can pick up for £10 a roll whereas others, hand blocked and of unique design, can run into many hundreds for the same quantity. Metallics will add to the cost of the paper as will flocking, and if the paper is a one-off then the price will naturally escalate.
Trends
I truly value what texture can add to a room, because while pattern, be it wild or subtle, will date, texture will always contribute to a room without it being too offensive to the fashionistas. I suspect that the metallics of today will soon start to fade but I believe that the idea of papers changing in different light conditions will be developed further. Flocking has made a giant comeback (having made its first foray into interiors in the early 17th century) and will undoubtedly go again, as will the gigantic geometric swirls and possibly even the old faithful stripe.
Niki Schäfer is the founder of Dwell-being Designs based in Henley-on-Thames. Dwell-being Designs inspiring spaces, inherently yours.
In truth, she's actually far too down-to-earth to be an interior designer, but she's passionate about colour and texture and re-arranges furniture within minutes of entering an establishment so the career choice became more of a must than anything else. She's also a writer. This started with an obsession with Scrabble and grew into sentences and paragraphs later. Niki is a phenomenally inspiring wife and mum and reminds her family of this on a daily basis. In her spare time, Niki experiments in a number of martial arts in a pair of lilac boxing gloves.
In truth, she's actually far too down-to-earth to be an interior designer, but she's passionate about colour and texture and re-arranges furniture within minutes of entering an establishment so the career choice became more of a must than anything else. She's also a writer. This started with an obsession with Scrabble and grew into sentences and paragraphs later. Niki is a phenomenally inspiring wife and mum and reminds her family of this on a daily basis. In her spare time, Niki experiments in a number of martial arts in a pair of lilac boxing gloves.
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