Wallpaper is back in the spotlight, with a wider variety than ever. Whether you want to create a focal wall or decorate an entire room, you’ll be spoiled for choice!
In the tropics This tropical wallpaper (opposite) from Groen Bespoke Wallpaper immediately caught the attention of Carla van der Merwe of Boschenmeer Estate in Paarl when she was looking for something to freshen up her bedroom. “I love the outdoors, so I wanted something that creates a sense of being in nature,” she explains. “Although the design is quite dramatic, it isn’t ‘heavy’ and it brightens up the space. It creates a lovely tranquil atmosphere in the bedroom.”
[ BOTANICALS REMAIN POPULAR ]
“Botanical and floral designs are like the ‘little black dress’ of wallpaper,” says Alana Groenewald, the designer behind Groen Bespoke Wallpaper’s creations. “They will always be relevant, even if the composition, colour and illustration medium (the manner in which it’s created) change from time to time.” Alana says these styles are currently in vogue: Tropical designs; not necessarily the highly colourful and exotic versions but rather the more colonial interpretations of tropical landscapes. Earthy inspiration is currently emerging strongly, with patterns in natural and woven materials such as rattan, basket weaves, grass, linen and cork. Geometric designs, Art Deco patterns and strong motifs are still on point. Historical inspiration from tapestries, chinoiserie and toile de Jouy is making a comeback. CONTACT groenjan.co.za
Timeless design
“My study is my sanctuary; this is where I spend most of my time. All my creativity happens here,” says Cillié van Rooyen of Johannesburg. “The wallpaper is, therefore, most appropriate as an ‘entry point’ – the pattern inspires me and the colour also stimulates creative thinking.” The Orla Kiely wallpaper comes from a box of remnants that a former business partner discovered at CP Decor in Parkwood. Matching the different strips was like building a puzzle, recalls Cillié. “I first saw this specific design, in the original bold pattern, on a scarf around a woman’s neck as she drove past me. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen, and never forgot it! I love the classic clean lines and simplicity of the design. I have an Orla Kiely teapot that flew home with me on my lap all the way from London!” >> February | March 2021
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