Damask a decorating ‘aha moment’
Lush wallpaper transforms room with focal point
How much time we spend thinking about the colour of our living room or what tile to put in the bathroom varies greatly according to our interests, budgets and partners. But I wager that at some point almost everybody has a personal experience with decorating, and an “aha moment” when they discover a piece of furniture or a paint colour or a fabric design that defines their passion.
I have a good friend who has never had the desire to spend much time thinking about home decor. In fact, her home is lovely, but art and furniture have been collected over the years because she loves their look or feel and it all goes together or not.
This is the story of her decorating “aha moment,” when a chance encounter with a stunning wallpaper inspired her to delve into the decorating world for the first time, and get that look for her home. It started at a dinner party … and this is not as unusual as it sounds. Major events have been triggered by a good soiree — novels written, plays produced, political mayhem begun. The inspiring paper was hanging on the wall of the guest bathroom and Cecile thought “Gorgeous!” Back home, she determined to learn more about the pattern that had made such a remarkable impression.
Cecile searched the Internet and discovered damask has a rich history. Damask is named after the 12th-century weavers of Damascus, who were known for the intense hues and high quality of their yarns (mostly silk). The intricate design was produced by crossing single strands of yarn to form a raised pattern. We still value the fine, handmade quality of damask in bedspreads, tablecloths, draperies as well as fabulous clothing.
Damask wallpaper patterns are copied from the original fabric designs. There are papers available that show the pattern flat, and the more tactile papers, called flocked wallpapers, that have a raised design that feels like velvet. Traditional black and white and the subtle monotones have always been favourites, but more colours are now appearing that bridge modern and classic styles.
Cecile has a large extended family and does lots of casual entertaining. Her spacious dining room is home to an eclectic collection of art gathered over the years when on holidays. There’s a sculptured heart from Florence, a French Canadian oil painting, a Tuscan scene, tall vases from Provence and a table runner from India. Was it possible to add another feature, especially one as strong and captivating as a wall of damask? Cecile didn’t give it a moment’s thought. This is where her focal wall was going to be.
A search for damask wallpaper led her to Graham and Brown’s website and the choices were all glorious. Their Kinky Vintage pattern in the plummy colourway called Bordeaux Bordello was perfect. The product description said it all: Marrakesh meets Marie Antoinette in a flirtatious fusion of east-snogs-west tactile indulgence. And Kinky Vintage feels as good as it looks with its flocked texture.
When the paper was hung, Cecile was delighted to see that the entire main floor was transformed. Just one wall, but you can see it from the kitchen and hall and it draws you in. The colour and texture is so alluring that you have to go up and touch it. Other than the wallpaper, the room remained the same — the drapes, paint colour, artwork and accessories cheer each other on and welcome the stunning new feature wall.
Is her “aha moment” and sojourn into the realm of decorating destined to be repeated? Thoughts have now turned to the bedroom and a feature wall behind the bed. The story continues ... as all decorating tales do.