USA Today: Wallpaper is having a moment, home designers say new tech is behind wallpaper renaissance
“This is not your grandmother’s wallpaper.” — Danny Russo
Wallpaper has come a long way from the garish, floral-patterned vinyl wallpaper used to decorate homes across the country throughout the 1950s, '60s and '70s.
The styles, materials and uses for wallpaper have changed dramatically over the past several years, lifting it from the design waste bin to a trendy feature in many of today's most contemporary homes.
Wallpaper trend 'picking up a ton of steam'
"Wallpaper makes a statement," said Danny Russo, an award-winning interior designer and social media influencer who owns Daniel Russo Home in Columbus, Ohio.
"All of our clients are asking for wall coverings in some way shape or form," Russo said. "It’s a trend that’s picking up a ton of steam."
Demand for wallpaper “really never went away," he said, but it's experiencing a renaissance thanks to advances in technology that allow wallpaper to be made in different patterns and textures with a variety of features.
Today's wallpaper can be found with integrated LED lights – 3D wallpaper has raised patterns made up of layered wood, fabric and other textiles. A Brooklyn, New York-based company, Flavor Paper, even makes scratch-and-sniff wallpaper designed to stimulate the sense of sight, smell and touch.
Wallpaper is also more customizable than ever before with the advent of inkjet printing and other techniques that allow digital prints and custom designs to be applied directly to the paper or wallpaper panels used to create giant murals and other graphic wall art.
"It’s not your mother’s or grandmother’s wallpaper these days," Russo said. "The technology has completely changed. We don’t even call it wallpaper anymore. We call it wallcovering."
Global wallcoverings market expected to reach $38B by 2026
The demand for wallpaper is expected to drive the total global market for wallcoverings − including wall tiles, wall panels and other non-paint wall treatments − to $38 billion by 2026, up from about $31 billion in 2022, according to a market study from Global Industry Analysts Inc.
The U.S. is expected to account for about $7 billion of the global market in 2026, according to the study.
More homeowners embracing wallpaper
Consumers' newfound affinity for wallpaper has flipped the script for many interior designers whose customers have traditionally shunned the thought of wallpaper, said Marjorie Smyth of Adorn Interior Design in Cincinnati.
“We used to come onto a project and the first thing they (the client) would say in a new house is 'I want to strip this whole house of wallpaper,'" Smyth said. "We'd do that. Then they would say some spaces just don’t feel complete; what else can we do? That’s when we add wallpaper."
Smyth said she and her partner, Megan Berger, recently encountered a similar situation when their client decided to wallpaper several rooms in her more than 8,000-square-foot estate in a tony Cincinnati suburb after tearing out the interior walls and replacing them with drywall.
"I think wallpaper just gives a room that finishing touch and adds timeless beauty and elegance to a room that you can’t really capture with paint," said the homeowner, Annie Wittekind.
Wallpapers that are scrubbable, stain resistant and colorfast are also ideal for commercial use, according to Smyth, who recently installed wallpaper at the upscale Fueled Collective co-working space at the Rookwood Exchange in Cincinnati.
What about the cost?
Prices for wallpaper vary greatly depending on materials, design and sourcing.
Wallpaper imported from Europe or handcrafted by artisans, for example, will generally cost more than wallpaper mass-produced in the the U.S. In the same way, custom wallpaper panels or murals are generally more expensive than off-the-shelf rolls of wallpaper.
"When it comes to wallpaper, it can get pricey. But you can get wallpaper in all budgets," said Russo, noting wallpaper comes in different lengths and widths and is usually priced by the roll, sold as either a double or triple roll.
But buying the paper is only the beginning. Most homeowners will probably need to hire a professional installer for best results, Russo said.
"They make peel-and-stick wallpapers that you can install yourself, but I wouldn't advise it," he said. "You're always going to get better results with a professional installer."
Those results will cost you.
In fact, the material costs typically represent only about 20% of the cost of professionally hung wallpaper, according to an industry report conducted by IT Strategies.
The cost of the labor can be as much as 70% of the installation cost, while the cost of supplies, such as wall primer and paste, make up the remainder of the cost, according to the Columbus, Ohio-based Wallcovering Hangers Association.
Types of wallpaper
Vinyl Coated Paper − this wallpaper has a paper substrate on which the decorative surface has been sprayed or coated with an acrylic type vinyl or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). These wallpapers are classified as scrubbable and strippable, and are suitable in most any area.
Coated Fabric − this wallpaper has a fabric substrate coated with liquid vinyl or acrylic. The decorative layer is printed on this coating. This is generally considered more "breathable" wallpaper which makes it best for use in low-moisture rooms, like living areas.
Paper Backed Vinyl − this wallpaper has a paper (pulp) substrate laminated to a solid decorative surface. This type of wallpaper is very durable since the decorative surface is a solid sheet of vinyl. It is classified as scrubbable and peelable.
Solid Sheet Vinyl − this wallpaper can be used in most areas of the home since it resists moisture and is stain and grease resistant. However, solid sheet vinyl will not withstand hard physical abuse.
Fabric Backed Vinyl − this wallpaper has a substrate laminated to a solid vinyl decorative surface.
Solid Vinyl − this wallpaper consists of a vinyl film laminated to a fabric or paper substrate. It is generally considered more durable than fabric-backed or paper-backed vinyls (as listed above) because the vinyl is "solid" or not applied in a liquid form.
Paper − this type of wallpaper refers to wallpaper with a paper substrate/ground combination upon which the decorative layer is printed. True papers are not coated, but some may have a coating applied to seal in the inks. Because this type of wallpaper varies widely, check the label for attributes of the pattern/brand you want to purchase.
Originally published in USA Today/Cincinnati Enquirer in April 2024