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The best faux effect prints to bring your walls to life
IF online statistics are anything to go by, the popularity of wallcoverings has been growing fast this year. We’re not talking twee designs of hot air balloons and ladybirds – raw, rough and ready finishes are where it’s at. “We saw this trend accelerate to a truly impressive +303pc on Pinterest,” says Olivia Szczeblewska-Moore of Murals Wallpaper, taking marble as a particular example.
“One of spring 2016’s biggest interior crazes has moved on to our walls, in 2017.”
And faux marble isn’t the only finish adorning our walls at the moment.
Exposed brick, stucco detailing and wood paneling, HD printed on to high-quality papers, are so life-like they command to be looked at closely. “The use of faux-effect wallpapers adds an element of grandeur to a space, but in a way that has a light touch,” says Brendan Young of Mineheart. “Using the right wallpaper produces a thoroughly convincing result that makes people feel the need to reach out to touch the paper, just to check its authenticity.”
In this respect, HD wallpapers are the ideal candidate for rental properties that need a personal touch or for the trend-conscious renovator who likes to change things regularly. Yet, with such statement-making designs, many of the harder, industrial variety, balance is ever-important. “With the faux effect wallpaper murals, you’re working with primarily natural textures like wood, stone and marble,” says Olivia. “These murals usually stand as the main event in a room, so my advice is to keep the rest of the interior clean and simple,” she adds, suggesting Nordic vibes.
Brendan tends to agree, saying, “Be careful of mixing patterns, though, as this can be a little tricky – designs can often clash or be too confusing. If using a really bold wallpaper design on one wall, it can help to combine with lighter more neutral colours on the surrounding walls. This keeps a feeling of space, and stops it from being too overpowering.”
With any wallpaper, the same, traditional rule applies. Always buy from the same batch, thus avoiding mismatched tones further on down the line. Buy your paper in one swoop and remember that it’s always better to have too much, rather than too little.
“The better quality papers will, of course, be more realistic,” says Niamh Courtney of MRCB Paints and Papers. “Think about where you are putting the paper and how realistic the area is. A typical mistake, I’ve encountered, is using brick paper on one wall above a dado rail. If it’s going to be a brick wall it is more likely to be a full wall without fancy woodwork around it,” she says.