Would you like to reconnect with your inner toddler and the joys of naughtiness? Well, a wallpaper called Frames may be the one for you. Liberally sketched with black and white animated frames, you can feel free to doodle, sketch or colour-in within them, or apply some favourite photographs without the risk of having the wooden spoon applied to the back of your legs (from Graham & Brown, approx. €35p/roll).
Also by Graham & Brown is Blank Cheques (approx. €35p/roll), another interactive approach to wallpaper that allows anyone who has ever dreamed of writing blank cheques the chance to fulfill the fantasy.
For a little edge with a touch of the sinister, Witness, by designers Taylor & Wood for Graham & Brown, features a pattern of eyes as a reference to the ubiquity of surveillance, and the idea that in addition to walls having ears, they might also have eyes (approx. €35 p/roll).
 Witness wallpaper by Taylor & Wood suggests the walls have eyes as well as ears |
Damask is another option that has been around for centuries, popping up periodically as an interior fashion statement best suited to bedrooms and sitting rooms or more formal dining rooms. Unlike damask pattern of old, new takes on it can work in any size room, as some of the characteristics of its modern interpretation offer varying scale, styles, colours and, often, mere outline sketches that give a subtle suggestion of the pattern.
Flock finished paper - synonymous with damask - has made a come-back, and most manufacturers have come up with ways of treating it to stand up to the rigours of a wipe with a damp cloth. But if you want something that suggests flock with a completely different interpretation, check out Indi by New York-based Trove.
In a tribute to Alfred Hitchcock they’ve made a wallpaper that is like an action shot of a flock of birds in flight, with a slightly un-nerving association with his famous film, The Birds. But, for all that, it’s a beautiful and authentic composition, and one of many such wallpapers on offer at www.troveline.com (price on application).
|
Traditionalists might prefer a floral wallpaper pattern and now is the time to start looking as this season blooms are at the top end of the interior trend scale. But if that seems just a tad too twee and feminine, try the bolder geometric look whose bigger-scale patterns work well in modern properties. Do take care, however, when choosing a geometric as the bigger patterns will completely overwhelm your room unless it’s the size of a barn. Opt for smaller versions, or confine your choice to a single wall if space is tight.
Just to prove we’re still very much in love with the retro look, Cole & Son’s geometric offering includes the honeycomb effect Hicks Hexagon and Hamilton Trellis that reflect design styles we might normally associate with the 1970s. Patterns like the Palm Court Chevron and the silvery glamour of Dolly have their roots in the art deco period, but brought right up to date.
www.troveline.com
www.grahamandbrown.com
www.coleandsons.com