WONDERFUL WALLPAPER HOMEOWNERS REDISCOVER WALL COVERINGS IN ALL COLORS AND TEXTURES.Byline: Suzanne Sproul Staff Writer Wallpaper is no wallflower wallflower, Mediterranean perennial (Cheiranthus cheiri) of the family Cruciferae (mustard family), particularly popular in Europe, where it flourishes on old walls. anymore. The one-time wall-covering mainstay is making a fashionable comeback. With new designs and technology, wallpaper is allowing homeowners to create effects that paint can't seem to match. Lou Marsten, owner of the Wallpaper Bin in Northridge, has seen wallpaper fade in and out of the public consciousness during his more than 25 years in the wall-covering business. Now he sees the pendulum swinging back toward wallpaper, thanks in large part to new materials that make it even more durable, attractive and easy to maintain. ``With the new technology, (wallpapers) are washable, they're scrubbable, and they retain their color integrity indefinitely,'' said Marsten. And homeowners are taking notice. ``The comments are more and more, 'I love wallpaper; I don't know Don't know (DK, DKed) "Don't know the trade." A Street expression used whenever one party lacks knowledge of a trade or receives conflicting instructions from the other party. what was the matter with me. The rooms had no personality before; now the rooms have come alive,' '' Marsten says of his store customers. ``These are the things that are happening.'' New products have caught the eyes of consumers. One of them is the nonwoven non·wo·ven adj. Made by a process not involving weaving. Used of textiles. n. Material or a fabric made by a process not involving weaving. wall covering. It is environmentally friendly Environmentally friendly, also referred to as nature friendly, is a term used to refer to goods and services considered to inflict minimal harm on the environment.[1] and made of synthetic fiber Noun 1. synthetic fiber - fiber created from natural materials or by chemical processes man-made fiber fiber, fibre - a slender and greatly elongated substance capable of being spun into yarn acrylic, acrylic fiber - polymerized from acrylonitrile , paper pulp Paper pulp is a material for making paper. It is usuallly cellulose fibre, and could be wood pulp or non-wood pulp See also
adj. 1. Suitable or pleasant for breathing: breathable air. 2. Permitting air to pass through: a breathable fabric. . Julie Smith of For Your Walls Only, a full-service home design company in Upland, said there are paintable solutions for problem walls. They include a collection of prepasted dimensional wall coverings that conceal cracked walls, drywall, paneling, stucco and ceilings. You can even paint on this wall covering or create your own designer effect with a sponge, rag or hand roller. One particular plus of wallpaper is the sense of texture it can provide in a room. The new torn-paper concept is proving successful. This concept can offer such effects as multilayer faux finishes in faux marble, faux stone or faux leather; harlequin patterns; distressed crackle crackle /crack·le/ (krak´'l) rale. ; patinas; and metallics. ``This line has been expanding to include such distinctive looks as hearthstone hearth·stone n. 1. Stone used in the construction of a hearth. 2. Family life; the home. 3. A soft stone or composition of pipe clay and pulverized stone used for scouring and whitening hearths or doorsteps. , script illusion and Florentine marble. The newest finish is travertine travertine (trăv`ərtĭn, –tēn), form of massive calcium carbonate, CaCO3, resulting from deposition by springs or rivers. ,'' she said. ``And soon, Venetian plaster Venetian Plaster (or Stucco Veneziano) is a Faux Painting or Faux Finishing technique using thin layers of plaster applied with a spatula or trowel and then burnished to create a smooth surface with the illusion of depth and texture. will be hitting the marketplace. One of the reasons that wall-covering sales have been diminishing is due to the popularity of faux painting Faux painting or Faux finishing are terms used to describe a wide range of decorative painting techniques. From the French word for "fake", faux painting began as a form of replicating materials such as marble and wood with paint, but has come to encompass many other . Now you, the consumer, have another option to faux painting.'' Another advantage of textured wallpaper is its ability to subtly reflect light, Marsten said. ``They have textures, so the designs are light-reflective. For instance, with flowered wallpaper, you can have the blossom itself reflect light in a way that is really quite beautiful.'' Kerry Thomson isn't ready to admit that she's a convert to wallpaper. ``I don't love wallpaper to the point that I want it on every wall of my home, but I do think that it gives my home a different look. I wanted each room in the house to have a different feel. Wallpaper has helped do that,'' said Thomson. For example, her home office has a Brazilian feel to it. One side of the room has wallpaper and another side is painted. The laundry room A laundry room (also called a utility room) is a room where clothes are washed. In a modern home, a laundry room would be equipped with an automatic washing machine and clothes dryer,and often a large basin, called a laundry tub, for hand-washing delicate articles of clothing such features warm and whimsical wall treatments. And wallpaper adds a certain touch of elegance in one of the bathrooms. ``Wallpaper has come a long way from what it used to be. Some of the styles are just beautiful and the designs are great. In my business, I see many homes and people are rediscovering wallpaper,'' said Thomson, a real estate agent with Keller Williams Realty in Rancho Cucamonga. Everything old is new again, at least when it comes to wallpaper. Traditional patterns such as large prints and bright colors are flooding the market. Murals also are popular once again. Another trend is the retro look of the 1950s and 1960s, with licensed images such as Radio Flyer, Santa Fe Railroad Santa Fe Railroad, former U.S. railroad, chartered in 1863 as the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe RR; opened to traffic in 1864. Construction continued, and in 1880 it reached Santa Fe, N.Mex.; the following year the railroad connected with the Southern Pacific RR. , Mustang, Thunderbird thunderbird In North American Indian mythology, a powerful spirit in the form of a bird that watered the earth and made vegetation grow. Lightning was believed to flash from its eyes or beak, and the beating of its wings was thought to represent rolling thunder. , Ford pick-up and Campbell's Soup vintage labels as big sellers. A new line of natural grass paper is another potential avenue for adding texture to your room. With this type of paper, blades of grass are woven together to create a raised texture, bringing a feeling of nature indoors. From the finest weaves of grasses to shoots of bamboo, the textures and color options are limitless. ``And, yes, flocking has returned. These newer, raised textures are created by applying tiny shavings of crystals to the paper that gives the pattern a hint of glitter that changes as light passes over the surfaces. Another pattern that seems to be popular is infused cork with metallic inks. These textured papers are not cheap. They are handmade and start at $36 per single roll, and can go as high a $300 per single roll,'' Smith said. `I've seen this industry first-hand reinvent itself time after time, and I'm always amazed at the new products that come into the marketplace each year. Wall covering is not for everyone, but I think everyone should have at least one special room in her home or office that is wallpapered.'' Very versatile Here is some information from the Chicago-based Wallcoverings Association. With so many decorating options, why wallpaper? --Wallpaper is a great impersonator. It can change the appearance of a room by brightening up a dark room, adding character to a dull one and helping to reveal your personality more than any other wall treatment. -- Wallpaper makes a great impact on a room in one application. -- Wallpaper is economical. Consider its long-term use and the fact that most types can be cleaned with soap and warm water. -- Wallpaper can set a theme in a room and help you to make the most of your favorite things. Do you love sailing or golfing? There's a wallpaper for you. -- Wallpaper can cover flaws in a wall surface where paint sometimes can't. It can be a fast fix for those selling their home. -- Wallcoverings originally sought to imitate tapestries. Their woven looks have remained popular, but design and color trends come and go. Damask damask (dăm`əsk) [from Damascus], fabric of silk, wool, linen, cotton, or man-made fibers, with a pattern formed by the weaving; e.g., the ground may be in twill weave, and the contrasting design in satin. designs and Oriental patterns once again are popular. - S.S. CAPTION(S): 7 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) ON THE COVER: Kate Larsen's rich, pink ``Crazy Eyes'' wallpaper from Graham & Brown Inc. For more information, call (800) 554-0887 or visit www.grahambrown.com. (2 -- color) A combination of paint and wallpaper with a stylized styl·ize tr.v. styl·ized, styl·iz·ing, styl·iz·es 1. To restrict or make conform to a particular style. 2. To represent conventionally; conventionalize. curlicue design adds interest to a home office. (3 -- color) Textured wall covering with a subtle diamond pattern warms up a powder room. (4 -- color) Above: Chair-print wallpaper adds a quirky touch to an otherwise utilitarian laundry room. Thomas R. Cordova/Staff Photographer (5 -- 6 -- color) Lego, left, and Word Search, both from Graham & Brown. (7 -- color) Left: The raised surface of Tread gives this wall covering its name. Box: Very versatile (see text) |
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