The Wallpaper Book

Book excerpt: A wealth of design inspiration for any home: wallpaper styles to suite every taste, from nostalgic floral prints to playful retro revivals. While it has long been an essential element of interior decor, wallpaper is currently experiencing a creative boom. This everyday material has always reflected social shifts as well as changing fashions, and now designers everywhere are rediscovering its versatility, using it to achieve a variety of imaginative effects. It can add texture, warmth, wit, or personality to any space, becoming a tranquil backdrop or a striking conversation piece. A room may be papered with a profusion of patterns, or a wallpaper mural can make a bold statement, even blurring the boundaries between design and art installation. This book explores the art of wallpaper from its historical beginnings to the present day. Beginning with the handcrafted papiers peints of the eighteenth century through the Arts and Crafts movement, modernism, and Pop art, it traces the influences behind today’s popular motifs and showcases a dazzling selection of the very best in contemporary wallpaper. Some designers are reviving and reinventing traditional craft techniques while others embrace the latest in digital printing technology, even incorporating glow-in-the-dark effects or LED lights.