In Wallpaper, Lachlan Blackley shows how this once unpopular wall covering is making a comeback with a new sense of style. Today's wallpapers combine art and design for a unique way to bring style to a home's interior design.
Wallpaper and Wall Coverings
When decorating a wall, there is more to chose from than the traditional paper roll. Vinyl adhesives, stickers and decals, 3D, animated and interactive wallpapers are some of the ways wall coverings are now created. Computer graphic design and photography have opened a multitude of new designs that can more closely reflect a homeowner's sense of style.
Interactive Wallpapers
The fear of boredom has stopped many a homeowner from papering a wall. It is not as easy to change wall coverings as it is pillows or rugs, and that fact can make papering intimidating from a design standpoint. Interactive wallpapers to the rescue. Today, a host of new-age wall coverings can be changed as quickly as a television channel. Choose from these interactive wallpaper options:
- Solar-powered
- UV-sensitive
- Noise reactive
- Wallpaper embedded with electroluminescent materials
- Interactive display wallpaper
Modern Wallpaper Design Choices
Modern wallpaper designs are no longer limited by simple repeat patterns, or even the need to cover a wall from floor to ceiling. Today's designs are created by artists who see the wall covering as simply another canvas on which to express their imaginations. Graphic designers, artists, illustrators, photographers, fashion and product designers have all entered the field of wallpaper design, bringing some very unique elements to the medium.
Home Décor Cost Management
Homeowners hoping for a new look on a tight budget will find these new wallpapers offer effective home décor cost management. An artfully-designed wall covering makes a bold statement, and can become the focal point of a room, allowing for more subdued and affordable furniture selections. Rugs, window coverings, framed artwork and accessories can play a secondary role in a room's design when the right wallpaper is the main feature.
Finding Design Inspiration
With such a broad spectrum of choices available, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Follow the lead of design professionals and start with a simple piece of inspiration. If nature is most appealing, look at the works of Keith Stephenson from Absolute Zero Degrees whose work features bees, deer, swallows, or their abstract counterparts. A fashion junkie will enjoy Rachel Kelly's "New Shoes," as inspired by the Sex and the City television program.
Summary
Wallpaper is a wonderful book from which to begin an interior design project. This book creates an eye-opening experience that will have home designers rethinking their plans. The designs featured here cover an incredible array of styles, and reflect some of today's top designers. It will surely offer wall covering inspiration to even the most wallpaper-resistant homeowners.
Title: Wallpaper
Author: Lachlan Blackley
Publisher: Laurence King, 190 pages, $40
ISBN: 9-781856-695022
 |
