Hero pieces
The latest wallpaper and fabric motifs are ripe for interpretation – and these five designers have bright ideas for how to use them in schemes that feel so 2024
FEATURE RORY ROBERTSON
Scaled up
BIG MURAL-STYLE PATTERNS MAKE A STATEM ENT – DESIGNER CLARE GASKIN EXPLAINS HOW TO CURATE THE LOOK CORRECTLY
‘I always try to find an excuse to bring colour and pattern into the design of a home, so the fact that large-scale mural-esque wallpapers are becoming popular is great news! These oversized designs have the feeling that you might have commissioned an artist to create something original for your home. Ican imagine such adesign within an otherwise pared-back interior space, paired with neutral contemporar y furniture to allow the wall to tell a story .
‘The most obvious way to use an oversized wallcovering is as a feature wall, but Ithink there is something really exciting about taking over a room with a strong design, depending on the space. Iwould rarely suggest this for abedroom that’s in regular use, but it poses a fun design for a guest bedroom.
‘Because this wallcovering delivers so much impact, it means that simpler and more basic furniture can sit happily next to it. It ’s also a great design trick for interior spaces that lack windows, such as basement play areas or cinema rooms. Top of my personal decorating list, though, would be to paper all the walls of a dining room in a large-scale design – a talking point, and a chance to create a fantastic atmosphere.’
Embossed finishes
INTERIOR DESIGNERS JO LE GLEUD AND SCOTT MADDUX OF MADDUX CREATIVE DECODE THIS DECORATING STYLE FULL OF TEXTURE AND CHARACTER
‘The beauty of textured wallcoverings lies in their ability to impart softness and cosiness. They bring an interplay of depth and shadows, adding intrigue without over whelming or being too direct. The technique of gauffraging, once relegated to old pubs and seen as a mere structural band-aid for crumbling walls, now feels ripe fo
