Wallpaper is undergoing a transformation at the moment, in terms of the public’s understanding of what it can do for a space. No longer is wallpaper just an alternative to paint – it is now being used as an extension of designers’ canvases, whether it be fashion or art. Technological developments in wallpaper, ranging from self-cleaning to scented (both general and ‘scratch and sniff’) are also making it much more than just decoration for the home or office.
Wallpaper once knew its place. Its role as a quiet, decorative backdrop was universally acknowledged. Occasionally, it played a more prominent role as a bold feature wall. Now, however, technological advances and aesthetic development have turned the medium into a powerfully expressive and creative force.
Of course, interior designers no longer talk about wallpaper – it’s wallcoverings – as the concept of wallpaper has developed away from just paper with the use of new materials. Technology has stepped in and created products with compounds that make them washable, pre-pasted, long lasting and bespoke, allowing people to reproduce any style from any period.
Wallpaper can also play an important role in changing the features of a room. Few know of the unique features that can be obtained with wallpaper, and how it can transform a space – for example, stick with neutral colours to give the illusion that walls are further away than they really are or, to create a higher ceiling effect, use wallpaper with narrow stripes of soft pastel colours and white.
Fashion designers have also moved from the catwalk to the wall. Vivienne Westwood has recently realised that a flat surface is just as good a canvas as a body for her art. Westwood’s range, for all the rebellious attitude of her fashion collections, is surprisingly demure and the majority of her prints translate beautifully from body to wall. Wallcoverings are also receiving international acclaim through awards such as the Elle Decoration Design Award – which Eco-Boråstapeter won last year for its London design.
Recently, the first major UK exhibition of artists’ wallpapers, with work by over 30 artists including Andy Warhol, Sarah Lucas and Damien Hirst, went on display in Manchester, England.
Kitsch ideas of home decoration were turned upside down as artists subverted stereotypes of wallpaper by expressing messages about warfare, racism, cultural conflicts and gender.
The paper in the exhibition provided an unprecedented insight into this bold and progressive contemporary art form. Wallpaper has long been thought of as a backdrop to the main event, yet with design expanding into this area of the industry, and with so many prominent designers and artists using the medium as their primary method of expression, this exhibition provided a sincere exploration of the possibilities and power of print.
An Eco-Boråstapeter wallpaper is characterised by being distinctive without being too extreme, which is very timely and appropriate for the market. The key words are young, individual and trendy. The hottest trends right now are smaller patterns and the mixing of mini and maxi designs. Turquoise meets pastels, but also the white-like and black-like, which is to say whites and blacks that absorb other colours.
So the agreed consensus is that wallcoverings are developing into more than just a backdrop. They are more economical, last longer and have much more purpose in the home and commercial space than just a form of interior decoration. They are also a way of communication by expressing strong messages through art, a way to change a space and a way to display one’s personality through design and colour choice.
With regards to the development of wallpaper in the Middle East, it is undoubtedly growing, in line with construction development. Where there are walls, there will be wallcoverings.
Björn Nilsson is design manager at Eco-Boråstapeter, available from Kollektion General Trading, Dubai. Tel: +971 (0)4 3306899; email:
[email protected]
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