A Bit About Wallpaper: Where Did It Come From?
Wallpaper began as extravagant tapestry in richer homes, originally intended to keep the draft out. Much inspiration was taken from the wall paintings used by Egyptians and Romans.
As early as the 1400s, wallpaper had made appearances as a cheaper alternative. It began as small squares of hand painted paper used to decorate wood panels, but by the 1500s the wealthy had began to use brocades, velvets and even embossed leather.
Wallpaper became more and more fashionable (and affordable), from the appearance of coloured wallpaper in the 1700s to the relatively new trend in 2016 that is metallic wallpaper.
Why Choose Metallic Wallpaper?
Metallic wallpaper is composed of shiny plant fibres intertwined with metallic thread. It is far more durable than your average wallpaper, so it will look beautiful for longer.
The use of metallic wallpapers is a growing trend that can be used in many different ways to suit varied tastes.
Light
Metallic wallpaper is an effective tool for reflecting light evenly around your room, making it feel bigger and more open, so is perfect for smaller rooms.
You can base how much of your room you cover in the wallpaper based on how shiny it is.
If you fall in love with the shiniest of all the metallic wallpapers, you should avoid covering all of the walls in your room in it. This will end up being an assault on the senses, and can start to look a little tacky!
You should instead opt for an accent wall – this will add interest to the room, while maintaining a sophisticated look.
Matte metallic wallpapers are less overpowering, so can therefore be used on more than one wall. They look great when combined with shiny accessories of the same colour.
Colour
Gold and silver metallic wallpapers tend to be the most popular choice for metallic wallpapers. They have a very luxurious feel to them, being precious metals, and you will usually find gold and silver accents on more plain wallpaper.
You can also try warmer metallics such as bronze, copper or even rose gold for a more modern look. These will also make effective accents, as you want to keep it as subtle as possible.
Pattern
As metallic wallpaper tends to be quite eye-catching, you need to be careful with what patterns are included to prevent it being overpowering. Spots and stripes are very common, and many people opt for floral patterns.
If extravagant patterns are used, the rest of the room should be very simple with plain colours and clean lines.
Glitter metallic wallpaper is a good choice for a feature wall, giving a very glamorous feel to the room, but would likely not be suitable for the entire room.
Inspiration for every room
The Bedroom
The Bathroom
The Living Room
Sources
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