Photo: Living idea
Short Story
Wallpapers are currently experiencing a sensational comeback - but the wall design is over 500 years old. Today, the collections score with innovative surfaces.
Sticking wallpapers to the wall is actually an age-old story: as so often, the Chinese were pioneers. They were the first to use hand-painted paper wallpaper to beautify their rooms. From the 17th century, the wallpaper made a splash in Europe and replaced tapestries made of fabric and leather. But it was not until the 19th century printing press that mass production became possible, and paper wallpaper became affordable for everyone.
Unusual surfaces and imaginative designs adorn walls and rooms: strong structures are in vogue, high-quality fabrics and materials exude an exclusive touch. Avant-garde collections by star designers raise the four walls to the gallery.
Many patterns of the last decades are revived, and Art Deco and Neo-Baroque are reinterpreted. The absolute hip factor: glamor and glamor - the current models shimmer gold or silver, have metallic effects, are covered area, sparkle or even wear gemstones and pearls.
paper
The classic par excellence is still the paper wallpaper. It consists of at least two layers of paper, the lower serves as a carrier material, the upper is printed. However, it shows with heavy use quickly signs of wear.
plastic
Vinyl wallpapers are a stable alternative to paper. They have a permanently foamed plastic coating bonded to the carrier layer, which makes them extremely robust. This is ideal for heavily used rooms such as children's room, kitchen and hallway. Soiling can be easily removed with water and a brush. On its very smooth surface, bumps are easily visible, so plastic wallpaper needs a smooth wall.
fleece
The ultimate climber is clearly the non-woven wallpaper, its carrier layer consists of a synthetic fiber fleece. Unlike paper, nonwoven is very elastic - an ideal basis for special materials that would otherwise be difficult to bond due to their sophisticated surfaces.
Another advantage of fleece is the ease of processing: The paste is applied directly to the wall, the wallpaper then just hung up. Painting, soaking and wallpapering table are superfluous. If a renovation is on, the wallpaper can be pulled off quickly, again.
