It’s wallpaper, but not as we know it
Wallpaper is not only back in vogue, it’s being used as a form of giant art on the walls.
While wallpaper did fall out of favour in the 90s, Aspiring Walls’ sales and marketing manager Piers Braddock says it’s back on people’s design agendas – with a twist.
‘‘People are starting to be a little bit brave again, bringing patterns and boldness into rooms, and they’re doing it with feature walls,’’ Braddock says.
‘‘If you take away the fact that it’s wallpaper on that feature wall, you can interpret it as giant art, and you’re putting a really personalised expression of yourself in that space.’’
Braddock uses the analogy of a suit or go-to black dress being the three walls around the room, and the shirt or accessories that go with that outfit being the feature wall that ties it all together.
‘‘Using wallpaper rather than actual artwork to achieve that style of transformation really is a cost-effective way to dramatically change a room.’’
He uses a huge floral mural in the foyer of his office as a good example.
‘‘We’ve tricked it to look like a gigantic painting by putting plaster cornices around it which we’ve painted gold, and that gives the effect of a grand master.
‘‘The total cost of that was
$1400, but considering that it’s a statement piece and the transformational effect it has on the room, it’s proven very costeffective.’’
Aspiring Walls has been manufacturing and supplying the New Zealand market with wallpaper products for more than
40 years.
Trending today are the florals, not dissimilar to florals of previous years but bolder, zoomed in and on a larger scale.
Geometric patterns are also strong. So, too, are botanical or nature-inspired themes such as palm leaves and flamingos, all designs that make wallpaper look like art.
‘‘If you want something that will be the hero of a room or just something to liven up the space, it can be quite dramatic,’’ Braddock says.
Wall murals in the form of botanics, geometrics, structural such as concrete, bricks and timber, and even world maps are increasing in popularity, too.
‘‘Murals are basically a huge piece of artwork on the wall – wallpaper is a pattern or picture repeated whereas a mural is the world’s biggest poster on your wall,’’ Braddock explains.
Murals and wallpaper ‘‘artworks’’ are adorning all sorts of spaces, including living areas, master bedrooms, entranceways, bathrooms and offices.
Entranceways are becoming a popular place to use wallpaper effectively, Braddock says.
‘‘In a lot of new homes, the entranceway tends to have a short wall, and clever designers are using wallpaper for a 3D-type effect.
‘‘So you see a patterned version of a textured wallpaper when you first walk in, then you look through to the lounge where maybe the texture is picked up without the pattern, and it all ties together. It looks cool when it’s done well.’’
Fun and whimsical wallpaper is being used more and more, Braddock says, starting in the powder room and outwards.
‘‘There are very quirky wallpapers such as the Kombi van, V-Dub, Vespa scooter print, dogs on Vespas, and even bring pink lobsters on a bright blue background.
‘‘These are really just ‘out there’ statement pieces that people can use in areas they know they can change out easily if they get bored,’’ Braddock says.
‘‘A lot of people are being quite brave in the knowledge that they can very quickly and effectively change it out and give it a new style on a whim.’’
While many homeowners are having fun with wallpaper, some still have memories that put them off it altogether.
‘‘For some reason they have this trigger in their memory that wallpaper is old-fashioned. The reason is that the last time they remember seeing it, it wasn’t their type of fashion – it was in their grandmother’s house.’’
And Braddock understands that mindset. ‘‘For me, it was my grandmother’s spare room. There were strawberries everywhere, strawberries on the wallpaper, on the curtains and the duvet covers as well, it was an assault on every sense possible.’’
But as Braddock says, wallpaper has changed. Not only is it easier to hang and strip for DIYers, there’s also more than 5000 designs to choose from.
‘‘Wallpaper is a fashion that moves just like any other fashion – in my home every room is wallpapered, just not with strawberries.’’
Wallpaper, Braddock says, introduces a feeling of warmth to a space, and also gives an insight into the homeowners’ personality.
‘‘Wallpaper is an expression of you, in mine and my partner’s own home. There’s nobody who would walk in and take a look at any room and not understand a little bit about us.’’
Hotels are a good example of just how much impact wallpaper can have.
‘‘I haven’t been proven wrong yet, but walk into any nice hotel and you’re surrounded by a really rich, warm feeling and that often comes down to the wallpaper.
‘‘A nice, dark, moody floral will bring exactly that feeling to a room, while a nice white clean geometric will introduce that kind of feeling to a room.’’
Whatever the vibe, Braddock says there is a wallpaper to suit every personality.
‘‘Embrace the world of wallpaper, whether you want something a little bit different, or an expression of you, you will find it. It does exist.’’