Hardly a Wallflower

Crystal, sand and suede are coming to a wall near you

By Dana Carman
CTW Features

Image courtesy Sue Pelley and Interiors by Decorating Den

In a society full of rapid change, it's easy to understand how painting the walls gained such popularity. You don't like it? Just paint over it.

Wallpaper, on the other hand, requires much more effort to remove and redo. Paint isn't out by any means, but in recent years, wallpaper has enjoyed a comeback, and the offerings explain exactly why.

"We're seeing wallpaper strut its stuff," says Kelly Fallis, president of Toronto-based home-styling company Remote Stylist. "Texture is key. [There's] nothing like running your hand over a wall and experiencing a sensation."

Sue Pelley, of Easton, Md.-based Interiors by Decorating Den, says that innovations in printing have opened up whole new worlds in wall coverings. She's seen wallpapers that have sand in the paper, those with glass beads or some with suede effects. "Even Swarovski crystals are being put in paper," she says.

In addition to this trend of textured wallpapers, "Everybody is going green," Pelley says. Grass cloth, bamboo and natural fibers (even string and cork) are in as are nature prints. Merri Cvetan, founder of MEC Design Studio in Milwaukee, feels one of the most exciting textured ideas she's seen is painted linen on the walls - lengths of the fabric painted, applied to the walls and then painted over again. "It's totally different," she says.

Also an exciting possibility is covering a wall in stone, but not real stone. "It's a stone-replica product," Pelley says. "It's a wall covering that looks like stone. You can use it on walls, floors, countertops. It's fabulous."

Nothing screams fabulous, though, more than sparkle. Metallics are back, says Pelley. "Shiny papers are a hot thing right now," she says. Depending on the room, she suggests even papering the ceiling. "In a small space, the light bounces all around and it really makes for a distinctive look," Pelley says. And keep your eyes on those ceilings, says Fallis, as the "fifth wall" will enjoy more attention in the form of wallpaper into 2009.

Though high-end paint will cost you, there is a significant cost difference between wallpapers and paint, says Pelley. But, these new, textured papers "give such a unique custom look," she says. "Even if it's just one wall. You can give that room a beautiful focal point."

Some are choosing to feature paper as art on one wall, as if the whole wall is one large painting. Cvetan says that she's seeing a retrofit on the walls, where the '60s style of big, bold patterns, prints and colors are groovy, man. Though she notes these papers probably work best using just one wall.

It's not surprising to see old styles reemerge. If that's what worries you about investing in wall coverings, fret not. "People are leery of making decisions that they really could do because it's going to give them a beautiful room for a long time," Pelley says.

Comments	Date

Name:
Email:
Comments :

Copyright © CTW Features