Pro & Con:
Oh no, wallpaper?! Oh yes!
Wall decoration is making a comeback.Ornamentation is already here and using wallpaper seems a natural choice. Read our pros and cons which explain why you should or shouldn’t follow this trend.
Contra: Who wants to sit under a palm tree anyway?
A hammock hangs between two slightly bent coconut trees. The blue sea stretches to the horizon and there is a white sandy beach as far as the eye can see. Do you recall that scene? In the carefree spirit of the 1970s when the first solariums started to appear, people brought large-scale tropical beaches into their homes in an effort to compensate for the lack of expensive travel alternatives.
Auntie’s living room was trendy back then, featuring a 4 x 2.5 m photo wallpaper in front of a cosy sofa set....
However, even back then I had my doubts about the appropriateness of permanent tropical island landscapes. Furthermore, the large-scale photographs evoked images of the tacky antler decoration hanging in my parents’ bedroom. Oh, no!
As you can see, some childhood traumas are not so easy to overcome. Therefore, in my case the trendy renaissance of wallpaper does not stand a chance, neither in the latest fashionable colours, nor with a hip retro pattern. I firmly stand by my bare and simple white walls. Who needs paper and fabric on their walls anyway? The former I prefer to read from and the latter I prefer to wear. In tough times like these, we should not waste natural resources, don’t you think?
Anna Voltren
Pro: Create a spatial experience, all-over!
The sun rises above the horizon. A tropical, sandy beach with palm trees standing in the foreground contrasts with the vast ocean behind it. During the 1970s, my childhood friend Gaby had a very modern bedroom with a large-scale photo wallpaper at the centre of it. The image was blown up to several square metres and opened up the narrow space to exotic lands. Instead of a dull wall, this provided an escape to satisfy wanderlust and other unfulfilled whims. Desire was always in sight. I was thrilled and envious about the degree of self-determination at such a young age – and in such a large format!
Wallpapers are great. I was able to ascertain that in the decades ever since then. Nonetheless, fabric, paper or even leather wall decor was considered too conservative and consequently, was shunned by trendsetters. Patterns and textures create a special atmosphere and please the eye. Even when they attract dust – which only accentuates the relief look even more – or when the constant heat generated by the radiator creates brownish spots on the once-white wallpaper. Nicotine adds another special touch. This abstract, random composition can make even the dullest family get-togethers more fun. The worn effect creates a cosy feel. Bare, white walls simply pale in comparison! Sterile and cold, they are more reminiscent of a cooling chamber.
Baby Ben’s first psychedelic experience at the age of three months can most likely be attributed to wallpaper. With a relaxing weekend in mind, the young family ended up in a hotel room that hadn’t exactly been recently renovated. Everything was covered with wallpaper that featured large patterns. You have never seen anything like this, have you, Ben? Impressed by such an amazing sight, the infant enthusiastically began kicking his feet. And the baby was occupied for a while... thank you, wallpaper!
Dora Marquard
