From sublime to stunning, today’s wall treatments go beyond paint, and old school wallpaper, to bring statement-making style to any interior. Ranging from grass cloth, silk, bamboo and even burlap, these naturally sourced and sustainable products provide an elegant, earthy and organic element to any home.
Whether your tastes are classic or contemporary, today’s wall treatments aren’t your mom’s wallpaper. The sheer variety of choices and countless applications often provide the spark to our creativity. Acting as a foundation element, wall coverings provide the literal canvas upon which to build and layer other aspects of a design concept.
Our preference is to use natural fiber versions, but lifestyle, climate, children and pets, sometimes warrant consideration of manmade alternatives. Long lasting, well wearing vinyl products, with textile mimicking textures, provide easy care, and design-forward options for many of our projects. But, regardless of whether we use natural or synthetic materials, contemporary wall coverings add dimension and depth, enhancing or elevating the focal point of otherwise ordinary rooms.
Before: Vaulted ceilings and large, uncovered walls needed taming.
When employing wall treatments, keep in mind, you’ll be living with these textures and colors for a long time. We prefer a timeless approach, that is, nothing too nubby or trendy that timestamps the era. Think flocked or mirrored wall coverings that can lock you into a specific epoch.
After: Sea grass wall treatment tamed an expansive wall in a masculine master suite.
We recently completed an architecturally interesting master bedroom for an avowed bachelor. The room’s vaulted ceilings and large exposed walls needed a cohesive element to tame the space and make it more inviting. On the main wall, we employed a subtly textured sea grass treatment in soothing muted blues and subdued greens, then grounded the room with a silk accented area rug in a similar color palette. What was once an unusual and unwieldy space was transformed into a subtly masculine, sexy, and sophisticated master suite.
One of our clients, with a tasteful, yet fearless sense of style, loves the color yellow, and covered all four walls of her dining room walls in mustard-toned sea grass. Working with her existing wall treatment, we tempered the bright color with richly hued wood furnishings, neutral accents, and luxurious floor coverings. The well balanced combination of statement-making color, subtle texture, and timeless mid-century furnishings lend the cozy, urbane space the sensation of a warm embrace, and acts as a backdrop to the family’s many lively dinner parties.
Statement-making mustard yellow sea grass is tempered with richly hued, mid-century inspired furnishings.
Prefer a statement-making approach? Consider covering all four walls. Not for the faint of heart, this bold design decision can produce stunning results but keep in mind, there’s always a happy medium. If you’re considering changing it up in your own home, don’t just limit yourself to paint, but consider the plethora of beautiful, contemporary – and sometimes intriguing – natural (and look-alike) wall treatments.
(A version of this article originally published in the Piedmont Post)
That dining room is FAB U LOUS!