WallTrends Issue 1Wallpaper, for a time, has been considered to be too old fashioned, out of step and uninspiring to even think about as an option for decoration. Indeed Oscar Wilde’s famous last words… “Either the wallpaper goes or I do” seemed to epitomise the general attitude that held sway by a large majority of consumers to the product. Times do change however, and now wallpaper is firmly back on the agenda as a viable option when renovating or addressing the décor of new housing. What’s happened to cause the change? For a start manufacturers have got smarter by producing collections that are more exciting and in tune with current market taste. Alongside this a natural cycle is occurring whereby both designers and consumers are rediscovering how great rooms can look when dressed with an appropriate paper. Currently wallcoverings with a textured effect are in demand. The trend in this area leans more to a natural fabric look such as linen, shot silk or Hessians. They look great on the wall, providing the perfect backdrop for most areas of the house especially when coloured in neutral tones. Another trend affecting wallcoverings in a very positive way is the return of the feature wall. Over the last few years, ‘Feature’ or ‘Statement’ walls have been gaining more acceptance into interior schemes by way of using stronger accent colour in either paint or textured paper. From this developed a growing receptive attitude back towards pattern design as an alternative to the stronger accent colour, illustrating a design cycle of pattern coming back into fashion. Sensing this, manufacturers started to include bold large-scale pattern in their collections to answer this emerging trend. Today there are many collections with a lot of feature designs in them. There are, of course, many different pattern styles to select from, however there is a strong trending toward a traditional look. One could say that there is a strong element of nostalgia pulling this theme through and that traditional styles herald stability etc. One thing's for sure, they are certainly more sophisticated than previous ones. These new traditionals are not like the ones we remember from before. The kaleidoscope has turned and they have been re-interpreted. No longer are they multi-coloured and busy in appearance - rather a simpler look with silhouette shapes that enhance the elegant line work and shape of classical designs. Botanicals, also becoming popular in this area, have likewise been simplified down to rely on outline and design layout. A style that will soon be seen in Visions new “Statements” collection to be launched early 2010. To complement this approach in design, colour has been kept to a minimum, which enhances the symmetry of design layout as well as allowing for an easier approach for colour co-ordination with the other three walls as well as soft furnishings. This balance of colour and pattern can work very well in producing colourways to suit a variety of tastes. Moody sophistication with a masculine touch such as matt black flock effect on top of a black pearlescent ground, as seen in the Bloomsbury collection, or create bold contrast by black and white combination. Generate an opulent ambiance by having metallic backgrounds of either gold, copper or silver with top print of matt ivory, navy or russet. Whatever the options chosen, the finished result provides a contemporary edge to an interior that has a style that gives definition to another 19th century icon, William Morris, one of the founding fathers of wallpaper design… “Whatever you have in your rooms think first of your walls for they are what makes your house a home and if you do not make sacrifices in their favour, you will find your chambers have a kind of makeshift lodging house look about them however handsome your movables may be”. Resene, having recognised this trend for ‘Statement’ papers, has recently launched the Resene WallTrends collection consisting of an eclectic mix of feature designs along with coordinating background textures that will provide exciting solutions for contemporary interior décor. Thanks to Pacific Wallcoverings. |