Wallpaper trend: the six names you need to know now
Wallpaper is back, and better than ever. We look at the resurgence of this interiors essential and highlight the designers you should watch.
When it comes to wallpaper there’s no need to be shy. Find out why it’s making a comeback and learn more about the six key names you need to know.
Adorning your walls with pattern is having something of a comeback, thanks to ever more bold prints and the marrying of ancient processes with cutting-edge technological advances, wallpaper is cool again.
Last year, the Serpentine Galleries put wallpaper firmly in the spotlight when it launched its inaugural collection by artists and architects, such as Ai Weiwei and John Baldessari.
Choosing it is about knowing where to turn. Just like any other area of interiors, designers are often specialists in certain techniques or styles.
Nina Campbell and Thibaut, produce beautifully elegant prints (we love the painterly birds and ornamental branches in Nina Campbell’s new collection for Osborne & Little and Thibaut’s zebra stripe Serengeti paper below).
SIX NAMES TO KNOW
What’s really exciting is that, when it comes to wallpaper, there really is more choice than ever before, look at our pick of the best right now.
Sian Zeng
From £65 for a Hua Trees panel (70cm x 300cm) or £175 per 10m roll. sianzeng.com
Sian Zeng’s dream-like wallpaper narratives range from roaming dinosaurs to tropical blooms that appeal to both children and adults alike. China-born, London-based Zeng marries the ancient art of painting using Chinese inks with cutting-edge digital printing.
Helen Strevens
From £55 per sq/m. tektura.com
New Zealand-based Helen Strevens started out designing the sets for The Lord of the Rings films before setting up HMS Studio five years ago. Her designs range from line drawings of make-believe interior scenes to motifs loosely based on architectural themes. Look out for her latest ranges, swirly Topography (above) and leafy Arabesque.
Tracey Tubb
From around £695 per sq/m. traceytubb.co.uk
Royal College of Art graduate Tracey Tubb uses pleating and origami folding techniques to transform a smooth, flat non-woven wallpaper into a textured 3D surface. She also produces bespoke panels made from a series of separate pieces that are folded and stitched together by hand, so that they resemble intricate artworks.
Helen Wilson
£240 per roll. witchandwatchman.com
This Central St Martins graduate, who set up her brand Witch & Watchman two years ago, begins by painting oil on canvas and digitally reproducing the designs for a modern take on Chinoiserie. Her newest design Xanadu, which launched at ICFF in New York, is inspired by historic houses and films such as Citizen Kane.
Tracy Kendall
From £200 per roll. tracykendall.com
Artist Tracy Kendall is known for her colourful, contemporary designs. Her latest include Abstract Painting; a hand-coloured, hand-painted wallpaper inspired by Gerhard Richter and Geffrye Archive No 1, which takes patterns from the Geffrye Museum’s archival material and captures them in repeating circles.
Claire Coles
Wall panels from around £1,500. clairecoles.co.uk
Hand-cut leather cascades from screen printed branches and neon pink washi tape – freestyle stitching and the layering of vintage wallpaper, silks, gold leaf and leather means that each design is unique. About as far away from traditional wallpaper as you can get.
With more exciting designs available than ever before, which will you dare to try?
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