Wallpaper

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It’s been a while since I’ve found a new, awesome wallpaper. Wallpaper is on its way back, believe it or not, and there’s no reason eco-savvy home decorators have to be left out of the wallpaper wave.  If your memories of wallpaper involve hours spent with a sponge and a bucket filled with fabric softener and water, you may not be as quick to jump on the trend, but this pattern is so gorgeous, it just might change your mind.

I know, I know — I’m back on my wallpaper fetish again. But let’s be honest…isn’t this delicious?  Brown is by far my favorite color, with gray as a close second, and when paired with bright colors like orange and green, I just can’t resist.  Who makes this beautiful wallpaper, you ask.  Olli & Lime, in their own words:

Olli & Lime is about great design, without compromise. We produce children’s bedroom furnishings, yet we don’t let them conform to the ‘fluffy’ stereotype. We believe in high-quality manufacturing, while respecting the environment. We take all the usual steps; using recycled materials and recycling what we use, wherever possible.

I’ve been really into wallpaper lately. In fact, a beautiful damask inspired the background of the GYD header and the gray page background. It has a way of creating drama in a space that can’t be matched by many other products or treatments. A lot of people think it went out with the 70’s — and they’re right. That gaudy, floral, monstrosity covering the walls of your grandmother’s bathroom has long been out of style. But when you have manufacturers like Graham & Brown creating beauties like this Alice Wallpaper, you have to stop and take notice.

I like to think of my walls as a blank canvas on which to express my personality. And sometimes, personality can mean more than gorgeous shade of zero-VOC paint or non-toxic wallpaper. Sometimes personality needs to be expressed in a much bigger, bolder, in-your-face way. MyDigitalPrints has created an avenue to let you do that.

I posted a few weeks ago about going green in your home using vintage products and elements instead of buying new. Inke Heiland has taken that concept to a new, dynamic level. INKE vintage wallpaper kits are made from unique vintage wallpapers that are cut into wildlife silhouettes, leafy trees, chairs, lamps and other household objects. Put a lion or a giraffe on the wall of your child’s room for a touch of whimsy and imagination. Or if you’re like me and love graphic silhouettes, use it to give the walls in your own bedroom or your main living area a bold focal point. I personally love the tree silhouette, with several wallpaper patterns used for the leaves that create beautiful depth.

Talk about a way to spice up your boring walls!  Adding texture and dimension to your room is a great way to make it interesting, and this innovative product from Inhabit makes doing that quick and easy. The Shangri La Wall Flats essentially are embossed panels that you attach to your walls for instant texture. Leave it white if you love a clean look, or paint it to match the rest of your room.

Wallpaper has definitely made a comeback in recent years, helped along by beautiful patterns like the one in this Rainforest Eco Wallpaper from Eco Centric. It is one in a series of wallpaper designs that are designed to highlight environmental issues. This design features a vibrant pattern in rich colors that are meant to “capture the essence of the Latin rainforest and emphasize the endangered agriculture.”

Why It’s Green:

• - A portion of the sale of these wallpapers will go to Friends of the Earth.
• - Printed on paper from 100% FSC timber sources using water-based inks, with no harmful VOCs or solvents.

Give your walls a little texture and character with this beautiful grasscloth wallpaper by Twenty2 Neptune. The paper reflects light, so it will give your flat walls a little dimension. Create your own island getaway, or use it as a natural complement to your ultra-modern decor. The grasscloth is made of hand-woven jute, a renewable resource, and the color is created with natural, nontoxic vegetable dye. It is available in seven colors clearly inspired by nature: blanche, natural, cacao, chanterelle, grenadine, neptune (shown above with chair) and chlorophyll (also shown above).

Price: $32/yard

It can be tough finding wallpaper that holds up to the scrutiny of the most environmentally-friendly decorator: there is production of the paper itself and the backing to consider, as well as the paintstaking and sometimes toxic task of putting it up. The “Eco-Wallpaper” collection from Charles Rupert does a good job of answering that challenge. These wallpapers are all printed on 100% paper base (not vinyl) and use water-based inks. The formaldehyde-free paper is produced from sustainable, managed forests, and the production process creates mostly benign byproducts such as water. Additionally, the inks and coatings are water-based with very low VOC levels. And for the final part of the wallpapering process, all wallpapers are installed with traditional wheat paste or cellulose paste, which are made from powder and mixed with water and produce no VOCs.