Annapolis

Home & Garden

Wallpapers, the Pretenders

By Kymberly Taylor

Above: Papers with wavy lines departs from serial linear stripes and adds subtle interest without being overpowering.

Wallpaper has always been a “pretender.” There is evidence that, even in 300 B.C., the Chinese pasted painted rice paper on their bamboo walls. Poor 16th-century Parisians covered their shops and huts with papers imitating palace tapestries. During the mid-20th century’s era of cookie-cutter homes, Americans relied on wallpaper to disguise banal interiors and proportions. Today’s hottest wall coverings, like their earliest predecessors, are still impostors, but they are proud of it. Many look nothing like paper and take texture to new dimensions. Pet your wall’s faux beaver or leopard fur or mock crocodile skin. Get close and admire crushed, glittering gemstones (at $200 a yard); loofah sponge; shells; beaded mosaics; and metallic surfaces echoing modern art’s serial geometrics. More traditional choices include sustainable, often washable, coverings made of woven grass, bamboo strands, cork, fabric, and wood pulp.

Another trend is wallpaper printed with full-scale murals depicting historical, nostalgic, or mythic scenes: Parisian cafes, New York street scenes, Old London, a virgin just rescued by a golden unicorn. Also in vogue, says a St. Michaels designer, are “papers on the quiet side that exude a sense of tranquility and aged elegance.” These striking custom papers may draw from historic sources, such as a Celtic medallion, Egyptian scroll, or Victorian textile. Like the elite wallpapers of Elizabethan England, when the most stylish aristocrats commissioned artists to paint scenes on paper, contemporary hand-painted papers evoke everything from a romantic look in blues and grays to a frescoed starry night.

Right: Excess is in, as this brilliant orange gold-dotted wallpaper paired with orange couch reveals. Courtesy Greenbriar.

If, like those in the fashion-conscious past, you want your walls to wow your friends, try pasting on antiqued foil scraps you tear by hand, suggests Eastern Shore designer Lauren Ames. “It’s just gorgeous. Your walls look almost gold-leafed.” She notes that you can do this yourself and points out that, though the process is time-consuming, you can “cover a multitude of sins,” which may be just what you need if you are remodeling or renovating. “This stuff is great if you have uneven walls and don’t want to use regular wallpaper where you can see all the seams,” she says.

Decadence is in for the fashion forward: heavy papers printed with exotic birds and jungle animals in action and raised, sculpted, coverings in abstract designs. The more adventurous, artsy crowd can find wall coverings that appropriate pop art, such as Andy Warhol’s soup cans or Marilyn Monroe portraits and Russian constructivism’s disassembled machines. Though imitative and drained of political reference, these are great conversation starters. If you’re tired of being ironic and prefer a light-hearted approach, you can buy wallpaper mirroring in a giant size a furnishing or accessory you have. For instance, says one Annapolis-area designer and furnishing store owner, “you put your baby grand next to wallpaper that has a huge baby grand on it. Or, even better, you buy a table and wallpaper that, like an overhead mirror, has that same table on it, and wait for people to notice.” He carries these specialty graphic papers and “matching” furnishings and says that, though they aren’t for everyone, he continues to sell them steadily.

Right: Wallcoverings that mirror an instrument in your home are a great way to start a conversation.

Most of today’s wallpapers, like those of King Louis XI in 15th-century France, are easily removed. While today’s decorators are looking for easy ways to change décor, King Louis wanted wall coverings he could transport from castle to castle. He commissioned 15 sheets of blue paper painted with golden angels. These were adhered to walls with tacks, which were cleverly disguised by borders replicating cornices and moldings. Today borders, says Ames, are definitely “out,” but what are in are papers you can remove easily and take with you to your next digs or simply toss. “Some papers are made to pull right off,” she says, noting that at last, those days of puncturing your wallpaper with “paper tigers,” drenching your wall (and yourself) with toxic removers, are over.

Home Editor Kimberly Taylor finds scenic wallpaper particularly intriquing.

Above: Medallion, Raised paper relief, Victorian, Royal Motif Copy

Raised medallions and reliefs add texture to a room. Furnishings can accentuate or de-emphasize the pattern, depending on your style. Victorian roses are still a traditional favorite but with a hand-applied sensibility. This motif, still in use today, harks back to the days when American wallpapers borrowed their content from 19th century royal tapestries.

Right: Courtesy Thibaut

Faux wallpaper is becoming an increasingly popular choice, even in traditional homes. The patterns continue to evolve to reflect nature’s subtle tone variations and are rendered with incredible detail, such as faux alligator skin wallpaper you almost want to touch and this faux leather in Camel. There are also papers made with fine grains of sand.