THIS IS WALLPAPER? Trends incorporate faux treatments, glittering jewels and 3-D effects By Elaine Rogers
Celebrities reinvent themselves all the time, so why not a design element that has graced walls since the days of ancient Rome? Playing second fiddle to plaster and paint since the '90s, wallpaper is shaking things up in the design world again with curiously inviting surfaces, tone-on-tone patterns, surprising color schemes and sparkling embellishments. Here are three top trends: TRADITIONAL, WITH A TWIST Traditional patterns look new in fresh color palettes. "Blue Mountain" from Sherwin-Williams reinvents a classic damask in chocolate on turquoise (www.sherwin-williams.com), while Cole & Son gives mauve and orange hues to vaguely familiar patterns in its Classic Exotic Flock line. (www.cole-and-son.com) At Farrow & Brown, the Broccato Papers collection's lavender "Crivelli Rose" renews a brocaded design of oak-tree plumes, acorns, roses and trellising (us.farrowball.com), and at Stark Wallcovering, "Lace, Beaded Black," created by British textile and wallpaper designer Jocelyn Warner, pays tribute to broderie anglaise lace with a graphic black-on-white interpretation of it (www. jocelynwarner.com). Modern wallpapers are also replicating traditional woods. From Wallpaper Collective, "Scrapwood," designed by Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek, captures the look of old, distinctly colored vertical planks (www. wallpapercollective.com). Meanwhile, masonry and the look of a well-loved library comes from "Bookshelf," a clever offering of Basildon Wallpapers' Special Effects collection (www.wallpaperandborders.co.uk). ARTISTIC APPLICATIONS Modular wall coverings - available with intricately carved wood, metal, vinyl and even leather panels are also springing up in paper formats. Mio's modular, 116
recycled paper-form collections are available in styles with names like "Flow," "Ripple" and "Acoustic Weave" (mioculture.com). Designers Jaime Salm and Kris Daniel created the lightweight 3-D wallpaper tiles on the theory that two dimensions simply aren't enough, and DIYers can rotate and paint individual tiles for unique results. Paintable papers have also come on strong this year. "Eden," a paintable paper with a leafy texture from Graham & Brown, can be hung in its pure white state or painted to your color scheme (www.grahambrown.com). And to get truly interactive with your wallpaper try "Frames: Black & White" by Graham & Brown artists Taylor & Wood. The lively pattern of whimsical geometrics encourages doodling, piecemeal painting and ever-changing displays of keepsakes and small family photos. BLING'S THE THING Wallpaper gets glamorous with enhancements like metallic shine, lacquer and even crystals. At York Wallcoverings, Candice Olson Dimensional Surfaces enhances papers with glass, sand and metallic thread,
while offerings like "Mystic Vine" from Stacy Garcia Luxury Wallpapers buff up a botanical theme with embedded glass beads (www.yorkwall.com). Maya Romanoff specializes in designing exotic wall coverings from paper that feels like leather (www.mayaromanoff. com). This year's True Paper Croc, embossed with a crocodile pattern and lacquered with latex for durability and gloss, comes in gleaming hues like a crimson Ruby Roo and a popular Saddle Brown. Swarovski Elements takes things a step further by embedding crystals in several wallpaper patterns (www. swarovski-elements.com). "Plume" depicts velvetflocked ostrich feathers against a solid backdrop styled with a metallic leather effect, then puts the finishing touch with tiny Cabochon pearls and Xilion crystals on the quills. And for those on a budget, Design Your Wall's Glitter Collection offers options like "Iridescent Paisley Damask" and "Iridescent Reflective Green Stripes" (www.designyourwall.com).
Š 2011 Distributed by MCT Information Services.