“This season’s product collaborations have us feeling both nostalgia and wanderlust” ADPRO Guide to Fabric Wallcoverings
At La Belle Maison, we love high-quality and aesthetically pleasing wallpapers that bring the room together. In a world of colors, patterns and ever-changing interiors, there’s one thing that we do know, and that’s wallpapers are here to stay. There really is no other decorating product that offers so much color, design and coverage to suit any mood and taste out there. As styles, color palettes and trends emerge, wallcovering designers capture it, define it and present it in a way that transforms your space. It’s a timeless decorating product and has the ability to truly capture your own personal style from contemporary to romantic to eclectic.
Wallpaper by Jupiter 10
What exactly are fabric wallcoverings?
Well, it’s a modern twist on traditional wallpaper. With the depth of fabric and the multitude of textures, it seems like a no-brainer. Fabric wallpaper is a do-it-yourself décor treatment that’s been catching on recently, with all the Instagram DIY’s out there, the trend is here and it looks like it’s staying. Fabric panels are cut to fit the height of your walls and attached with liquid starch—a lightweight, removable adhesive usually comprised of cornstarch, borax and/or baking soda, and water. A major advantage to having fabric wallcovering is, it can peel off easily leaving no evidence of it ever being there. All you need to do is apply water to the adhesive and there we go, it’s peeled off. Meaning you can switch up your interiors when seasons change. Wallpapers, on the other hand, are made up of different materials and are intended to be permanent or semi-permanent as it’s applied with a heavy-duty paste. Traditional wallpaper is usually made up of solid paper, paper backing with a vinyl coating, fabric backing with a vinyl coating, or solid vinyl and is applied with a heavy-duty paste.
Wallpaper by Kelly Wearstler
We had a look through the ADPRO Guide to Fabric Wallcoverings, and we wanted to share their take on these timeless pieces. There are so many emerging wallcovering designers who reflect their travels, life experiences and views of the world through their designs. A way to express themselves through art and at the same time giving us beautiful pieces of fabric that we can incorporate into our homes.
“Designers and brands riff on classic motifs and find inspiration via international travels” - ADPRO Guide to Fabric Wallcoverings
Kendall Wilkinson is a good example of how finding inspiration all around you when traveling can materialize into beautiful conceptual products for all of us to enjoy.
“Designer Kendall Wilkinson turns her travels into color stories for a new fabric and trim collection with Fabricut, set to be released in October. Her classical prints, embroideries, and wovens are divided into three worldly narratives: Cityscape’s neutrals, Coastline’s blues, and Jardinière’s jewel tones.” - ADPRO Guide to Fabric Wallcoverings.
Another designer who has caught our attention when paging through the ever-inspiring ADPRO guide was Timothy Corrigan. The way he utilized old world influences in such a way while using his hands to create solution-dyed fabrics is definitely worth shedding some light on him.
“In his debut line with Perennials, Timothy Corrigan draws from trips abroad and Old-World influences (think traditional chinoiserie, bamboo lattice, and romantic damask) to create solution-dyed acrylic fabrics and rugs.” - ADPRO Guide to Fabric Wallcoverings
“Perennials by Timothy Corrigan introduces fabric designs that take inspiration from Timothy’s projects around the globe. A combination of Old-World elegance, California comfort and Perennials Performance, Perennials by Timothy Corrigan is a collection that's so easy to live with, it's kind of hard to imagine living without it.”
An incredible wallcovering designer which ADPRO brought our attention to is Adelphi Paper Hangings, her wallpapers are reproduced from original documents and hand-printed by skilled artisans using the same methods and materials employed in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
With courtesy of ADPRO, let’s take you through some of the intricate design processes Adelphi goes through to create these rare pieces.
DESIGN “Patterns are drafted from original 18th- and 19th-century wallpapers by hand. The printing blocks are laser-engraved from these patterns onto hardwood-faced blocks. After the blocks are cleaned and fitted with registration pins and handles, printing can begin.”
COLOR “Each color requires a different block and a separate session on the press. All rolls are printed with one color before advancing to the next color.”
PROCESS “Printing takes place on a foot-operated printing press, the design of which is based on a late-19th-century model. A roll of paper is placed on the bench and the first print paint is brushed onto a felt in an adjoining paint tray. The block is tamped into the paint and then placed on the paper. Then, a metal arm connected to the foot pedal is positioned over the block and pressure is applied, usually in several places. The block is then carefully lifted and returned to the paint tray; the paper is advanced one repeat length and the process is repeated.”
ACCURACY “The registration pins on the side of the block are used to assure proper positioning for both the first block of a pattern and subsequent ones.
MATERIALS “Our paper is primarily made of cotton, as the historic papers were, and is acid-neutral. The first step is to apply the background paint, a modified version of the traditional distemper paint, onto the paper. As each roll is completed, it is hung on a rack to dry overnight.”
In the design world, there are always current trends and upcoming trends, they’re constantly evolving with people's experiences, nothing ever stays the same. And this applies to wallcoverings too. ADPRO has enlightened us with their picks, with names and descriptions like these, how could we not share them with all of you?
1. Moody Florals | Set a dramatic tone with emotive blossoms that are anything but flowery.
2. Printed Matter | The subtle texture of the grass cloth wall covering gets a punchy upgrade with these lively prints.
3. TROMPE L’OEIL | These wall coverings play visual magic tricks of the chicest kind.
4. Americana | At once decorative and utilitarian, this crop of patterns conveys the sophisticated simplicity of American folk-art forms.
5. Found in Nature | With delightful swirls and organic patterns, these marbleized designs lend visual interest to previously plain walls.
6. Plaid, reinvented | Traditional tartan- inspired patterns get a spirited update.
7. A Different Stripe | The newest lines— pardon the pun—are often patterned, sometimes painted, and always perfectly offbeat.
8. Flock Together | These uplifting patterns feature winged visions from creative collaborators, like John Derian for Designers Guild.
9. Geometry 101 | Dare to go bold with patterns that make basic geometry feel a lot less like homework
Design is born out of the desire to elevate our experiences. It encourages us to explore and experiment. Being original, brave and un-conforming. Next time you’re choosing a wallcovering for your home, maybe it’s time to look at how this reflects your personality and how you can relate to these depictions of people’s experiences in life. After all, it’s more than a wall covering but a piece of art.
At La Belle Maison, we have partnered with one of the best wallcovering brands there is out there. And we’re an authorized dealer of their exquisite products. Tecnografica, an Italian brand that we couldn’t help but bring onto our platform to showcase to our clients.
Get in touch with us to elevate your home interiors to the next level by incorporating some wallcovering ‘art’ into your homes. Our international designers have the expertise and global knowledge of the trends taking over the industry.
Website: www.la-belle.maison
Contact: alex@la-belle.maison
Offices in Dubai, India and Austria
Global design ideas. Global designers.