Arts & Crafts / Art Nouveau Wallpaper Books at Sherwin-Williams

A lot of my clients are choosing designs that harken back to the turn of the (last) century, particularly by William Morris. A lot of those are made by higher-end companies, and the material can be hard to work with. So I was thrilled when my favorite wallpaper sales person, Dorota, showed me these new books at her Sherwin-Williams store in the Rice Village.
British Heritage is by Wallquest , a brand I like a lot.
Below are room-set photos from those books.

This is the very popular Strawberry Thief by William Morris. I’ve hung it before, and have it coming up again soon in the Heights ( Houston ).

Arts & Crafts designs are very rhythmic and stylized. Some, like this, have a lot of color and impact.

Others, with muted or tone-on-tone color pallets, are more subdued.

Revival is another wallpaper selection book with designs of the same theme. A Street Prints is by Brewster, another great company.
Most A Street Prints are on a non-woven , paste-the-wall substrate, which makes them quite user-friendly and affordable.

CFA Voysey was a designer of the same period. I would say he was far ahead of his time, with some patterns reminiscent of MC Escher, and others bordering on … well, sort of psychedelic. Very progressive for the 1880’s!
He continued to design through the Art Nouveau ( 1920’s ) and Art Deco ( 1930’s ) periods.
I have his Bat & Poppy in my powder room. Search here to see photos.

The fluidity here speaks of the Art Nouveau style. Alphonse Mucha was a European artist known for his elaborate theater and advertising posters in this style.
I was lucky enough to have seen a fabulous exhibit at the Taft Museum when I was in Cincinnati for a Wallcovering Installers Association annual convention.

Not all Sherwin-Williams stores have wallpaper books, so call before you head over. Dorota isat the 2525 University store. This store has more wallpaper books than any other in Houston. Her hours vary, and someone may have checked the books out, so call before you head over. (713) 529-6515

Stay Away from Low-End, Pre-Pasted, Paper-Backed, Solid Vinyl Wallpaper

Do a Search here, or read the page on the right entitled “Stay Away From … ” to read more.

For now, I’ll just say that I really dislike these papers, because the seams are always visible, and usually the paper is curled back a little at the seams.

The reason is because the gritty manila-type paper backing will absorb moisture from a humid room (think steamy showers), or will soak up water if they are splashed on (think bathtubs and kitchen sinks).

When the paper backing swells with moisture, it grows, and it can only go in one direction, which is to push away from the wall. That means that the printed / vinyl surface will bend backwards along with it. So now you have a curled seam.

Sometimes this goes a step further, with the bottom paper layer actually delaminating (separating from) the top vinyl layer, also resulting in a curled seam.

These are not “loose” seams. They cannot be simply glued back down. The curling and the delaminating are characteristic of a lower-end product made with paper on one side and vinyl on the other, reacting to humidity in the room.

It doesn’t have to be a humid room, either. Usually these seams never look good and flat, even when the paper has just been installed. See third photo.

Bottom line: Steer away from these products. Rather, choose a paper wallpaper, or a non-woven material, or other instead. Ask me to check your selection, before you make the purchase.

DON’T CUT UP THE WALLPAPER BOOKS!

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Oh boy. The wallpaper store generously let shoppers take this wallpaper selection book home for a few days, and look at how it was returned. “Someone” took a razor and sliced out the sample of blue cork. And another “Someone” didn’t even bother to be neat, but crudely ripped out the most popular colorway sample of Candice Olson’s “Onyx.”

Wallpaper shoppers – DON’T DO THIS. First of all, we know who you are. After all, to check out the book, you filled out a form with your name and contact info. Oh, and that same form had a waiver that you signed, and the first line, in all capital letters, said, DO NOT CUT THE BOOKS. Did I mention that you signed your agreement that you would not cut up the book, and would return it in its original condition?

But beyond that, there is no need to do this. You can easily and very inexpensively order samples of any wallpaper pattern you like, and that sample will be much larger than the puny page you ripped out of the book. It will arrive in just a few days. But even quicker – you can snap a photo of the sample, front and back, and have it immediately.

Did you stop to consider that those wallpaper sample books cost the stores $100+ each? It takes a lot of wallpaper sales to cover employee salaries, facility costs such as air conditioning, phone/Internet, parking lot, etc., and then extras such as a good selection of wallpaper sample books. And if a page is missing, then another shopper will miss the opportunity to see and consider that wallpaper selection.

Please click and read the “Comment” link below,  which is from my favorite wallpaper retailer.  (Click the page on the right entitled “Where to Buy Wallpaper.”

Swirly, Golden Floral in a Farm House Powder Room

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The homeowner’s selection was spot-on when she chose this soft floral pattern with an upward movement. The color perfectly coordinates with the tile and countertop in the powder room, as well as with the paint colors in the adjoining entry hall and bedroom.

The wallpaper was carefully chosen, not just because of the color, but because this powder room-with-a-shower serves both the elderly father whose bedroom is next door, as well as guests, so the design couldn’t be too girly or frilly, while tying in with the country feel of this new home on the family farm.

This wallpaper was bought at a discounted price from Dorota Hartwig at Southwestern Paint on Bissonnet near Kirby. (713) 520-6262 or dorotasouthwestern@hotmail.com. Discuss your project and make an appointment before heading over to see her.