When wallpaper comes to mind, you imagine your grandmother's floral print wall in the living room or baby animals in a nursery. This stylish decorating taboo is making a comeback with new prints and colors that are nothing like the 70's look we put far behind us.
Wallpaper offers more drama than paint and is a fun and simple way to express one's personal style, but what made the use of it disappear in the first place?
Applying wallpaper became a challenge. Every time it wanted to be changed, paste needed to be applied on the back and one had to meticulously remove air bubbles before it dried. Tearing it down required more skill than putting it up, and depending on the space, it could become a full day project. The prints and patterns that were offered were quickly becoming outdated and required someone with a specific taste to enjoy them.
Why has wallpaper all of a sudden become the "it" way to style a home?
The rise in demand for wallpaper is thought to be linked to design bloggers, HGTV, and Instagram becoming more popular, especially with the millennial generation. Millennials are new to the housing industry and really, to the wallpaper industry as well. They are slightly rebelling away from the grey and beige colored walls of the 90's and early 2000's that they grew up with and now turning to the whimsical patterns wallpaper has to offer.
It has become an easier way to dress a space without "breaking the bank" and takes less time than painting a room or an accent wall. Today, they are applied with stick-and-peel fabrics that strip off walls without leaving residue. With the modern printing technology, creating a vast array of prints, colors, and finishes has made wallpaper more appealing. Renters have also been turning to this design element as a way to make the house feel more like their own.
For now, wallpaper is here to stay as the ultimate design element.