Here I am trying to find and understand the pattern match on this very difficult to see faux reptile pattern.All this is more confusing because the little box toward the left on the bottom of the manufacturer’s spec sheet says this is a drop / offset match. It is not – it’s a straight match . The instructions also say it’s 64cm (25 in). That’s not true, either. It’s more like 12.5″ The pattern also repeats itself once horizontally across the strip. Found the match!Problem is, when I followed the manufacturer’s instructions and hung the material as a matched pattern, I got paneling . This means that the material is darker along the left edge than along the right. Therefor, when you place one strip next to another, you see an abrupt color change , as shown in the photo. The pattern may match, but this color variation is pretty unattractive.So I followed what’s pretty standard protocol for textured and natural materials (such as grasscloth , paperweaves , cork , etc. and even this vinyl .) I took that strip off the wall, repasted it, and hung it again – but this time upside down. By doing this, you’re hanging the left side of one strip against the left side of another strip. Because it’s meeting up with itself, there is no or minimal color difference. Hard to explain, and if I could figure out how to draw some arrows or diagrams …. well, I can’t, so you’ll just have to try to follow along. Bottom line – you hang one strip right-side-up and the next strip upside-down . Keep track of which is the top on each of your wallpaper strips, and mark on the wall (in pencil) which direction each strip should be hung. Made by Super Fresco Easy , called Crocodile . Really nice material, and affordable.
The homeowners are into comics and fantasy art. While I hung a calm crocodile hide textured wallpaper in the home office, the couple chose this wild and boldly hued zebra pattern for the adjoining bathroom. I just love the way the bright orange pops out against the white vanity, countertop, toilet, floor, shower tile, and moldings. This pattern is called Lost World and is by Clarke & Clarke . It’s a nice non-woven material, was easy to work with, and will hold up well, even under humid conditions if the shower in this bathroom is used.
Here’s an accent wall in a home office. Textured wall has been smoothed, primed, and is ready for wallpaper. Finished. Sorry – the bright light coming in the windows makes for a dark, crappy photo. But the wall looks really good!This gives you an idea of the realistic pattern and texture. A bright piece of artwork will hang on this wall between the windows. Close up of texture.Manufacturer is Super Fresco Easy from Australia. Pattern is Crocodile This non-woven material is thin, strong, flexible, and a joy to work with. In addition, it’s designed to strip off the wall easily and in one piece when you redecorate.
From flat and white to textured and black, this powder room took a trip to the wild and exotic. The embossed vinyl wallpaper mimics the look of crocodile hide.
I centered the design on the sink wall, so the pattern would frame the mirror evenly. Then, since the toilet wall is the first thing you see when you enter the room, I thought it would look nice to have the pattern centered on that wall, too. Usually, you can only balance the pattern on one wall, and after that, the design has to fall sequentially as it works its way around the room. But I did some engineering, and figured a way to place the pattern in the center of the toilet wall, too.
The material is an unusually thin and flexible embossed vinyl on a thin non-woven substrate. It’s my second time in this year to hang this, and I like it a lot – much better than most non-wovens, which can be thick and stiff and can bruise easily.
Non-wovens have some fiberglass in their content and do not expand when they are wet with paste, nor do they shrink as they dry. They can be hung immediately after pasting – or you can use the paste-the-wall method. Non-wovens are designed to strip off the wall easily and in one piece when it’s time to redecorate.
This is in the SuperFresco line by Graham & Brown, one of my preferred manufacturers. You don’t need a retailer, because this can be bought directly from the G&B website.
The home is new build, contemporary in style, in the Montrose area of central Houston.
alligator installer
After determining the pattern match – which was no small feat on this very eye-crossing design – I am measuring and cutting my strips.
Those that have already been cut are rolled up and placed in the order they will be hung.
There is a piece of dark chalk I am using to color the edges of the paper, to prevent the white backing from peaking out at the seams.
And to keep the white primer from doing the same, you can see that I have plotted out where the seams will fall, and have striped black paint on the wall.
I don’t need my work table for this job, because it’s a paste-the-wall material, so no need for a table to paste on. And there are no corners to turn, so no need for a table to trim on.
The pattern has a crocodile hide look.
This Superfresco brand is by Graham & Brown. It is an embossed (textured) vinyl on a non-woven backing – which has a fibrous, fiber-glass composition, and is made to strip off the wall easily and in one piece when it’s time to redecorate.
This material was a lot more pliable than most non-wovens, so it was quite nice to work with. Although there was some stretching and warping. On a longer wall, that could have caused some panels to develop wrinkles.
I hung this wallpaper in a recessed headboard niche / accent wall in the master bedroom of a newish home in the Rice Village area of Houston.
installer alligator
The father in this family is from Africa, and they had a lot of African crafts and artwork in the home. They have lived in several large European cities, and have come back to Houston to settle down. The mom wants to freshen and update the house. This faux crocodile print goes nicely with the artwork in the home.
The wallpaper is by Designers Guild, and is on a non-woven substrate and is a paste-the-wall product. It went on one wall in the living room.
Interestingly, the homeowner had me put the same pattern in a guest bedroom, but in a soft teal color. But that room has mirrored end tables, mercury glass lamps, frilly bedclothes, and a clear Lucite chair topped with an eye-catching furry pillow. In a glitzy, gutsy, feminine sort of way, it is stunning! (Sorry, no photos 😦 ) Same paper, but the look is completely different.
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