Hygge & West Wallpaper – Curling at the Seams

Digital Image

Digital Image

Digital Image

Hygge & West, an on-line company, makes some darling wallpaper patterns. But I don’t enjoy hanging their papers. Because they use ink that fight the substrate it’s printed on, which causes curling paper and “pouched” seams.

Some inks smell like moth balls, and those tend to cause the curling problems. What happens is, the inked areas absorb moisture from the paste differently from the paper backing (substrate). The substrate expands, and that causes the paper to curl backwards. The second photo shows an extreme example of that.

Usually, once the paste dries, the paper shrinks back and the seams lie flat. But you can never count on that – the first photo shows a seam that has been on the wall for an hour or so, and the green ink is still curling away from the wall. The tendency is to keep pushing the seams flat – and that can cause overworking of the seams, stretching, burnishing, or other damage.

It helps to lightly sponge the face of the paper with water before pasting the back. This helps equalize the absorption of water, and evens out the expansion rate of the wallpaper. Make sure there is paste all the way to the edges of the paper – but not past the edge or onto the surface, which could cause staining. And use a little less paste on the edges, so it will dry faster and grab onto the wall. It also helps to stripe the wall behind the seam with a roller of paste – not much, but enough to put a layer of paste onto the wall, which can be drying and tacking up, ready to grab onto the edges of the strip of wallpaper.

Marbleized Trend In Wallpaper

I’ve had a number or clients express interest in patterns like this recently. A faux-finish or marbleized pattern.

I didn’t realize that this was a hot decorating trend, until I saw it in a nation-wide magazine.

This is a nice backdrop pattern. Nothing to jar the eye or steal the show … Just an easy pattern in a muted color scheme. A perfect backdrop for business or home.

Uncovering the Original Wallpaper

I love old wallpaper, and it’s a real treat when I’m stripping off existing paper and discover the paper that was original to the house underneath.

It’s especially exciting if the house dates back to the ’20’s, ’30’s, or ’40’s, because the patterns back then were so delightful. Amazingly, the colors are usually just as bright as they were when the paper was new.

Today, working in a kitchen, I tore off the top layer and found a paper original to the 1968 ranch style house.

I can’t say I love the pattern or color, though. It was a dark brown paper with drawings of spice drawers, and other kitchen-related items, in a block pattern. Since the paneling at the bottom 1/3 of the walls was originally stained brown, the room must have been pretty dark overall. That’s common to the style home, and the time period.

The current home owner has painted the paneling bright white, and the new wallpaper will be a pretty medium-toned blue. Bye-bye 1968 spices and drawers!

Wallpaper Making a Comeback, So Says the National Association of Realtors

From the website of the National Association of Realtors, No. 7 of the Top 12 Hot Home Ideas:

Interior wall treatments other than paint….

Why trendworthy:

Easier to install; more personalized patterns, colors, textures.

Less popular in recent years, wall treatments other than paint are making a comeback, says Atlanta-based interior designer Brian Patrick Flynn, who cites several reasons: New bolder graphic wallpaper patterns, some in shiny metallics and textured leathers, and easier and less costly application due to new primers.

Wallpaper is cropping up on a single focal, or accent, wall, which saves money.

Flynn predicts more home owners will cover an entire wall with an enlarged photo mural printed in sections.

http://www.realtor.org/rmohome_and_design/articles/2010/1002_home_2010hometrends