New research from Graham & Brown found that only one in ten Australians have wallpaper in their home, compared to more than half in the UK (56%) and the Netherlands (55%), and nearly two thirds in France (60%). But like many Aussie interior design decisions, could this simply be a response to our climate and lifestyle?
โEuropean countries have beenย incorporatingย wallpaperย as a standardย design feature for years, but the laid back, more indoor/outdoor nature of the Australian design approachย meansย it has been used moreย sparingly,โ says interior designer Lori March of March Twice Interiors. But despite our relative lack of enthusiasm for the product, Lori has noticed it’s becoming more popular of late; something that she puts down to design-savvy clients and the availability of new, more contemporary patterns.
โI think wallpaper had a reputation for being a bit more formal, and sometimes even old-fashioned, and also the styles available werenโt always as appealing to people who had a more contemporary or casual design direction,โ says Lori who thinks the wallpaper scene has been given a welcome breath of fresh air over the past five years.
Interior designer Lynne Bradley agrees, noting renewed enthusiasm for wallpaper in Australia โ something she puts down to Instagram, and television shows like The Block. โClients are realising that wallpaper is an affordable way to achieve โwowโ factor and create depth, scale, colour, pattern and personality in their homes,โ says Lynne.
Like Lori, Lynne believes that Aussiesโ reluctance to use wallpaper is due to the less-than-stylish choices of their childhood, and the unfounded fear of it being difficult to remove. Not only are modern wallpapers simple to remove, thereโs an army of DIY removable ones on the market too. โWe loveย the availability of removable wallpapers,ย especially forย children’s rooms, so they can be updated or removed as they grow,โ says Lori.
And in a sign that Aussies are fully embracing wallpaper, there are a number of local brands creating quintessentially Australian designs. Thereโs Willie Weston, who works with Indigenous artists to produce wallpapers and fabrics, as well as Native Swinson, who focusses on imagery andย patterns reminiscent of the Australian landscape. โThey are both helping to createย wallpapers that areย relevant to Australian interiors,โ says Lori.
As for the rooms in which we are most likely to use wallpaper, both designers cite the bedroom and powder room as the most popular spots. Dabbling with a smaller space is a whole lot less daunting than committing to something bigger, and itโs a great way to dip your toes in. โIf a client is unsure aboutย committing to a material, it is best used in a smaller area of the home, or an area that isย used less often,โ says Lori.
When it comes to trends, both designers agree that grass cloth and textured wallpapers are an enduring, classic choice. โThey are textural, warm and provide a soft feel to the room that does not have the overpowering nature of some more stronglyย patterned wallpaper,โ says Lori. But as for the hottest wallpaper trends of the minute, there’s murals, terrazzo and large-scale florals. โQuiet wallpapers designs are out, and impact is in!โ says Lynne.
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