Dept. of Denmark. We think that wallpaper is coming back. It's hard to believe. We don't even like it yet. But we expect to be seriously considering it for our apartment in the next few years. Totally rad.
One example of some new approaches that have caught our eye is this inventive new line of wallpaper by the Danish designer Lene Toni Kjeld. Colorful and somewhat of a play off of organic, computerized and traditional shapes, it comes in 7 patterns and 4 hybrids that can be used to transition from one pattern to the next. (Via Metropolis) MGR
Guilty. I have to admit my love for wallpaper. I know a lot of people think they are tacky, uncool or will "date" quickly, but I always seem to be taking note of new papers I see. I had a seagrass wall in a previous apartment, and now I have (gasp!) a photo-collage of a forest in my bedroom. (Do I hear an audible "Eeew!" from the AT faithful?)
I became fascinated with wallcoverings shortly after the Standard Hotel opened on Sunset Blvd, LA several years back. Their full-wall photocollage of a desert scene seemed so cool and ironically hip at the time that 2 of my friends did the same thing at their places (and still have it in place today.) Another inspirational wall for me is at Paladar Cubano Bistro in Hollywood. One wall is covered with lacquered tobacco leaves! Really, really good...
It's really hard for me to not get caught up in wallpaper frenzy since all the UK mags featuring the retro-70s foiled papers about a year and a half ago. Tacky, yes. But, also kind of fun. (But what do I know? I like wood paneling, too--well the newer, updated looks not 70s stuff you saw in Calvin Klein ads or Terry Richardson photos.)
I love wallpaper, and I'm proud of it.
Was never a huge wallpaper fan (though fond memories of wallpaper books and the wallpaper in my Mom's kitchen...), but I do like some of these new wallpaper ideas, love grasscloths, and love some of Laurinda Spear's papers for Wolf Gordon. Wolf Gordon btw had one of the best display set-ups at this year's ICFF (imho).
(www.wolf-gordon.com)
sorry, but what are grasscloths?
patrick(too). I can't seem to maneuver through the Wolf Gordon site, but am curious to see the product. And you're right, I meant grasscloth (not seagrass) in my first post. I had a deep charcoal/tan paper up on the back wall of the bedroom in a previous place, and I really loved it. The combination of color and texture really warmed up the room.
to clarify my question a bit--i'm picturing "grasscloth" as some sort of burlap-in-wallpaper-form, is that right? b/c i could probably go for that. but regular wallpaper, i've never really liked; it's too "busy" for my taste. could be fun as a temporary thing, i guess, but then i could never go to all that trouble for something temporary.
sooj--
Funny you say that about Wolf-Gordon's site... I was actually going to put up a disclaimer with the URL, since I think the site navigation sucks. Jeez, the window resizing! The pop-ups! The animation! Enough.
So, Wolf-Gordon-- high marks for presentation in real world, low marks for presentation in cyber world.
Re-- grasscloth
What I think of that encompassing is generally a paperbacking (that shows through, so it can be/usually is a color) upon which has been secured (generally "sewn" in appearance, but I suspect glue is also involved) various types of organic, grass-like material. I too love the look and texture. I do think it is a trifle harder to maintain than say a vinyl paper or plain-painted surface, perhaps more temperamental to install, and given the texture it would collect some dust, but no firsthand experience.
For the glitzier paper fanciers out there, how about Maya Romanoff's glass bead encrusted papers...
www.mayaromanoff.com/collections/glass/index.html
Could be cool in the right setting, assuming you can get past-- 1) the name "Bedazzled" and 2) the fact that one of the papers was used in a Lynn Spear's (mother to Britney) designed room in Boston's "real life" Onyx Hotel.
(Whoops- that wasn't sooj's comment about W-G site... sorry Enrique!!!)
thanks, p(too)!
enrique - i actually went over to the w-g site to try to see some examples of this famed grasscloth. i found that after you click on "products" and then on whatever subcategory ("vinyl", "texture", etc.) then when you go down & click on "samples" you can see the actual products. sorry i'm not explaining this very well, but i hope it helps.
My parents had grasscloth wallpaper when I was a kid. I don't remember it getting dusty or dirty, but I do remember that it was a lot of fun to pull the individual pieces of grass off the wall [they are indeed individually glued as well as sewn] and the grass would get worn in places where furniture scraped against it or doorknobs hit it. The cats were also big fans.
I fell totally head over heels for hand finished wallpaper from an English designer mentioned in Domino's wallpaper feature. Louise Body (www.louisebodywallprint.com) fab sparrow covered paper. Its alot per roll, but surprisingly cheap to hang.
Don't like it. Never have. Too permanent. Won't live with it. Your mileage may differ.
I think Kjeld's designs above, are the future. The blue paper is magnificent. Ther is nothing wrong in treating just one wall with paper. I would like to know how would one go about making it at home.
I use a wide bamboo window shade (rolling), purchased in Chinatown to cover the wall behind my bed in lieu of a headboard. I love it, AND it is inexpensive--doesn't eat up those much needed inches (small bedroom) that a headboard would require. I'm thinking about covering a wall in my sitting room in a similar way--maybe bleached bamboo rolling shades. The great thing is you don't have to use glue. It's also easy to take down when I get antsy to change things again.
Wallpaper is problematic for us renters.
I get tempted by some of the new mod-ish papers, but growing up with a mother who wallpapered anything that didn't move (and with some scary 70's papers), I still cringe at the thought of putting it in my own place. Plus, I seem to have a serious case of "fear of decorating commitment" and even that supposedly easy-to-strip wallpaper seems too permanent for me. I might consider making a folding screen and using some snazzy artsy paper on it, but, knowing me, it would be temporarily adhered to the surface so I could keep changing my mind.
Just the word wallpaper for some reason evokes for me images of some faded, peeling floral pattern in an old house. Although after I'd left home my mother did wallpaper one wall in her bathroom as an accent which wasn't offensive.
My mom "surprised" me one day and I got home from school to find my room wallpapered in this glossy vinyl stuff with bright green foliage covering bright yellow lattice shapes. I was scared to fall asleep - I knew something living in all those neon leave would come out and get me...
I love wallpaper. So cut my legs off and call me shorty.
Actually, I, too, am a bit commitment-phobic about the whole thing - painting is bad enough, but the thought of stripping an entire room - *shudder*.
Todd, did you just hang the blinds on the wall (with hooks or something) instead of gluing them?
Enrique - I covet your photo-collage.
I'm not the most unbiased commenter here, considering that I work at a studio that makes hand-painted wallpaper, but I love it. But I can definitely see how a lot of it would overpower a room. But I love the paper shown here and I remember liking the paper in Hilary Swank's living room a lot (see NYT H&H from a few weeks back). My mom was also a wallpaper aficianado but the rule was- wallpaper only kitchens and bathrooms. I remember her using a funkadelic metallic on the ceiling of the entry hall (just the ceiling!) that I would love to have again.
A couple of years back, I helped my sister pick out papers for the kitchen and bathrooms of her condo in Atlanta (we were well-trained) and I made the comment that the rule of home-buying is- you always hate the wallpaper that's up when you buy a place. And you wonder- out of the thousands, if not millions of designs, you picked this?
Ruth, do you have a link for your studio's wallpapers?
Walldecoration of to day is much more than Queen Victoria.www.walldecoration.biz works professional with HAND-PAINTED WALLPAPER.Sophisticated environments with a touch of humour and elegance give room for personal identity which noone can buy if you do not have this approach of charisma yourself.Thats the secret behind the growing demand for a noble touch of wallpaper or artworks created with good stencils.Try and do not ask your mother first !
Seven Gothic Waves is a danish company working with this take off.
RUTH and ENRIQUE MAY FIND THIS AND START A TREND.
Walldecoration.biz shows the original wallpaper.Plagiarism is a poor thing.Wallpaper from Lene Toni Kjeld, Denmark is a simple plagiarism taken from my designportfolio allready shown in Elle Decoration and well known in Denmark.The designer Jane von Rathsach works with Royal Copenhagen.The Ministry of danish Culture is blaming this kind of plagiarism.Please ask for genuine and original design. Copies are too poor for demanding people with knowledge.
I am interested in finding the 70's foiled or mylar wallpaper that Enrique speaks about. Please someone send me some places I can contact for this kind of paper. I have been looking for months.
Thanks.
Hi, I am looking for a kind of wallpaper that is a huge picture that can be repeated severat times , as flowers, or leaves or water.
Is there something like that in NYCity?
Tank you.
Wallpaper or decoration is certainly back in focus.Copenhagen based Interior designer Jane von Rathsach knows the secret of good feeling and working flowers and ornaments on the wall.Please take contact by my mail for further dialogue. I work with nature and culture as complementary partners. This is like the feminine and masculine universe in one world. Do not hesitate to ask for more and have it. You are welcome.
Jane von Rathsach.
T R E N D S IN PLAGIARISM are O U T.Poor ideas will go under like Lene Toni Kjeldsen wallpaper copy.I have researched and found the ORIGINAL ONE.
Jane von Rathsach works professional with Interiors. Her genuine and timeless design is based on Art & Culture in Interiors. Go to site www.walldecoration.biz
2007 is the take off for Original Design Movement.