Trends come and go, but some things just remain in vogue no matter what. Wallpaper might be one of them. Sure, we had a brief stint of minimalist metals and plastics in the eighties where everything just had to be white white white, but shortly after that we revived all the decades of years of yore and not so yore and somehow wallpaper outlived these revivals and is still in fashion in trends today.
Funny that. Wallpaper is a nightmare to put on our wall, especially if the decor needs to fit precisely with the slap next to it . But to get it off is even more of a dread. Try steaming off jute! (I predict jute wallpaper will be the rigueur of interior trends in the very near future by the way)
But wallpaper does provide instant and very dramatic results and can change any blend and dull room into a stunning and richly decorated boudoir, something paint can not always provide for. But wallpaper can also give your home a more personal signature. So if you are willing to spend time and a few years of your life on a ladder holding a 3 meter long roll of sticky paper, then these sites might inspire you.
Bold and big patterns are still, or is it again, part of most collections of most wallpaper designers. A significant trend is the bohemian or eclectic pattern. Patterns as if created in a drug induced trance or doodling while on the phone such as the Topo Azul wallpaper in the Allang the Gallant collection below.
Topo Azul, part of the Allang The Gallant collection. Design: Ana Montiel
Further to the doodling trend, there are wallpapers actually designed to be drawn or painted on. One example is the Tick-Tock wallpaper for sale at Minimoderns.com. Great for in kids rooms or for the wall next to where you call your mom.
Tick-Tock
To make sure you don’t miss a single appoinment ever again Dutch designer Christiaan Postma designed this wall sized diary.
Christiaan Postma
Swedish designer Lisa Bengtsson designed a wallpaper pattern that has been around for a while but still deserves a spot in this line-up. It is drenched in nostalgia and might turn out to be a bit too much if you do your entire room with it, but it’s fantastic.
'The Family' by Lisa Bengtsson
You can see more of Lisa’s work here
A fun, yet very 2002, way to spice up a wall is to create your own wallpaper with your favorite photographs. Most online photo development and gift shops offer the possibility to upload a photograph and have it turned into wallpaper to fit on a specific wall.
Wallpaper of your favourite picture
This does however mean that you can also have wallpaper made from pictures or drawings you or your kids made. Endless possibilities therefore. Just make sure to scan the design in high resolution and upload it into any online tool that creates wallpaper. Examples of such tools are to be found here, here and here. The last one actually does not allow you to upload the photograph of your choice but asks you to forward it to them. In general this trend has not reached the US as much as it has Europe, the Netherlands in particular.
More classic and traditional wallpaper can be found in the collection of Eijffinger, the Dutch importer and distributor of interior fabrics and wallpapers. Also
Eijffinger
Dutch speaking interior buffs might like the online wallpaper shop Behangwereld. Literally a world of wallpapers. From understated stripes, to baroque patterns and decorative wall stickers. They also carry many big names like Eijffinger, Esprit, Voca and AS
Esprit home collection
.
AS; Creation Chateau
In a DIY store or paint shop, colours look so different from when you actually put them on your wall. Also, that hint of egg shell tint that looks almost to faint to notice in the shop can make your bedroom look like a giant Easteregg when all walls are painted. Another mistake often made is that relatively dark colours can make rooms look smaller. The contrary is more true; colours that are to pale and lack any contrast make a room look not only smaller, but also darker. Shadows appear much more grey and grim on light colours such as yellow and white than on dark ones like red and darker blue. Especally in darker rooms. Don’t be afraid to paint north facing rooms in darker colours. It will likely add more warmth and depth to your room than a lighter shade will. Currently all our walls downstairs are white. We still don’t know what colour to paint them, but some of the walls will get a contrasting lick of paint.
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