Wallpaper – a popular trend in interior design
Wallpaper has experienced a renaissance in recent years. The use of wallpaper has a very long history. Originally it was made from goat or calf leather and at that time it was an expensive luxury. During the 17th century leather as the primary material was replaced by fabrics or paper that enabled more design possibilities. In the Czech republic, wallpaper was a big hit during the 1980s and 1990s, however, due to its quality it earned a less than favorable reputation. After that period, it was forgotten for some time, to be rediscovered as an important part of contemporary trends in interior design. Interest has grown as people have learned how much its quality and variety has changed compared to the past. The uniform, drab look and even the not very practical manipulation and application- all of that has disappeared. It used to be almost impossible to remove completely wallpaper once glued to a wall. Nowadays, we do not have to worry about that. The materials used now are completely different and wallpaper can be replaced as needed. In addition to paper and fabric you can also buy vinyl, non-woven, silk or special wallpaper made of cork, reed or artificial leather.
Fresh design
That is why interest in wallpaper has grown even from many former advocates of conventional white walls. Wallpaper is now quite routinely used in offices. The walls of administration buildings are a perfect base for its application, because they are flat. And you do not have to limit yourself to the walls – nowadays, it is common to glue wallpaper on the floor, too.
Customers prefer wallpaper to classic paint, because it is washable and it can be used as a part of a company‘s branding strategy.
Wallpapers trend
Wallpaper is relatively cheap and offers interesting office design at the same time, as the prices fluctuate around 1,000 CZK/m2. „Classic paint is cheaper, but there is no creativity in it. On the other hand a painted wall design is much more expensive,“ Ing. arch. Erika Doláková pointed out. You can use the same design for a wallpaper as well as for a stick -on label and work with it throughout the interior, she noted.
You can stick it on glass walls for example and it can work as a motive continuing throughout the whole interior.
Wallpaper from a photobank
Within the office working area, you can find wallpaper in different places, ranging from the kitchenette to meeting rooms, as far as the interior allows. The selection of colors and designs is large and everybody can find something that he likes. „The most common is wallpaper with a light background, because dark colors make the interior look smaller. This is then complemented with corporate colors,“ decribes Ing. arch. Jan Andrle. He adds, that the selection is very wide and there exist photobanks with already complete designs.
If somebody was not able to find one there, it is possible to produce a wallpaper tailored exactly to the client‘s ideas,“ the architect added
Types of wallpaper
Most frequently, companies choose wallpaper with abstract patterns, repeating shapes or vector graphics. Often they decide for graphics derived from the company‘s identity and client branding. „There are multiple options. For example companies in sports favor design connected to their field. Banks or law firms prefer wallpaper with fabric texture, which creates an exclusive look,“ Ing. arch. Jan Andrle explains.
Vitality of wallpapers
The washability of the wallpaper enhances its durability. The minimum lifespan is commonly quoted at 3 to 5 years. „Offices are being rearranged in the same interval. A big advantage and an important quality of wallpaper now is its UV resistance and thus the fact, that sunlight does not make it fade,“ concludes Ing. arch. Jan Andrle.
