Wall Flower - Goodrich Wallcovering

Wallcoverings still get inspired by nature but some man-made elements also influence design.

“BRINGING THE GARDEN” indoors is not a new idea,” says Amanda Clark of Altfield Interiors in Hong Kong, “but it is one that European designer lines such as Colafax and Fowler and Manuel Canovas have been perfecting over the years. “There is a modern take however, that updates the current crop of floral designs.

The 2010 Canovas collection has just launched a design called Zara, a meandering vine, with Asian style flame form floral buds picked out in glass beads against a pearl or metallic silver ground…stunning in the way it reflects light. Another large scale floral, Serena, shows overblown scattered peonies, but in a colourways that play on todays taste for neutral lines or greys with white. These modern takes on floral designs twist the scale, the colouring or the texture to bring them completely up to date.

“We have seen restaurants, and retail spaces in particular playing with pattern and colour on walls in an exuberant and joyful way over the last few years, which I am sure will carry forward, ‘says Clark. “There has never been such diversity and choice in the market for wallcoverings.”

Omexco started their own production of textile wallcoverings in 1981 and today selling about 30 collections in more than 70 countries worldwide. Omexco’s design studio is permanently in pursuit of new and original designs materials and colours to make each new range exclusive and attractive.

‘Manhattan’ is the name of Omexco’s latest stripe collection and takes its influence from the eponymous island’s architecture – a ‘vertical’ skyline with skyscrapers in different heights and widths, symbolising a place bubbling with energy and activity.

Not only do the colours and widths of the stripes differ, but there are also a great variety of structures and materials to choose from in various combinations: a mineral stripe with mica; non-woven embossed with metallic foil; glass beads on linen yarns; a mixture of mica and olefin; and printed rayon yarns. All these stripes can be installed either vertically in the more traditional way or hung horizontally to create a less conventional look.

The rhythm of all these stripes and colours switch from pearly white and grey, to luxurious gold, silver and copper – from cool Verdigris and turquoise to warm red, honey and ginger – from classic beige and grey to trendy mauve and taupe.

Omexco tries to make their products in the most environmentally friendly way possible.

Printing pastes used for the production are water based and no solvents are used. Before bringing new products into the production process, they are screened on their effects on the environment. In fact, the majority of the Omexco products have an ecological label.

Goodrich global is one of the largest distributors of wallcoverings in Asia and the Middle East and offer a wide range of brands and materials suitable for many hospitality applications. Their latest range from Dutch manufacturer, Eijffinger, is Belle de jour’ – which is French for lily. Organic plant0like shapes and big flower ornaments from the base of this unique collection. There are basic designs mostly only in two colours. The material and colours are the strength of these designs. The substrate is 100% non-woven; the colours of this collection are inspired by plants, flowers vegetables and spices like curry, hosta, blueberry and carrot. There are also natural colours like pebble stone, sesame and white onion. Some designs have a luxurious look due to the shiny mica accents.

They have also designed matching fabrics, with among others outspoken leaves designs. The fabric can be seen on the pictures in the book and are also mentioned in the back of the book. The matching fabric collections are Bastone, Daryl, Quintus and Twitter.

Belle de Jour is a fashionable and special collection with which various moods can be created. There is the vintage look with a soft fresh colours, the romantic look with pastel colours and flower designs and the modern look with the design elements with shiny and mat effects.

Featured in Hospitality, Vol 2, Issue 5, 2010.

Image from Manhattan,Kleine Beelden & Eijffinger, Belle de Jour.