8 Trendy Ideas for Wall Decoration

Designers have finally returned to us from the Maison & Objet and Paris Deco Off exhibitions. The intoxicating novelty of European design has reached Russia in waves of lectures and articles about trends and colors of the year. But we would like to focus only on one direction of interior trends – wall design. How will our perception of trendy walls in interiors change in 2017/18? Julia Morozova tells.

Julia Morozova, Expert
Art Director of SKOL – a supplier of elite finishing materials and handmade decor from leading French, Belgian and Japanese manufacturers.

1. Wallpapers with 'tropical' prints

The subject of 'tropical forest' is gaining popularity. Flashbacks in the work of modern designers are paintings by Henri Rousseau from the end of the XIX century. A calling card of trendy interiors today is a bedroom wall with bright 'tropical' collections or wall paintings in the living room depicting giant leaves and exotic flowers.

2. Bird Decor

Decorators are enchanted not only by whimsical flora, exotic birds collect thousands of 'likes' in interior groups. From single feathers to vibrant parrots and pink flamingos. But in this case, it is important to delicately sense the style and color harmony of the interior, as there is a risk of crossing the line into kitsch and tastelessness.

A winning option is to decorate walls with bird-themed wallpapers in a child's or teenager's room. The ideal solution for decorating art hotels, boutiques, cafes and creative spaces is vibrant feathers. Pastel tones and the lightness of bird feathers in the pattern on wallpapers subconsciously add comfort and gentleness to bedroom or bathroom interiors.

3. The Artist's Roller

Painting walls with designer interior paint? Yes, it's trendy. Today this trend speaks not about practicality but rather about creative intuition of the homeowner. Monochrome and uniform gammas are cancelled! On the edge is bold color combinations and artistic carelessness. In the foreground are painterly strokes and the courage of the creator. 2017 is your self-realization as an artist. Paint boldly, ignoring borders and standards.

4. Wall Art, Version 2017

Artistic poetry: feelings, movements and textures created by hands. Geometric and clear patterns on walls are transformed by designers to give them emotions... In prints – artistic strokes and watercolor washes. In textures – handmade production techniques, torn edges, soft wear and fading, spontaneous splashes of color. 'Wall art' is what manufacturers now call their new wallpaper and panel collections. The surface of such canvases is literally irreplaceable.

5. Luxury in Primitive Aesthetics

The main factor determining the evolution of luxury we observe today is the idealization of returning to earth. What is happening now in design is a natural reaction to urbanization, stress, crisis, information and ecological pollution. We feel a real desire to find value again in naturality and primitive aesthetics.

Decorators are returning luxurious interiors to original materials but in the manner of art de vivre. In the fashionable glance, we see apartments where walls are decorated with extraordinary and striking canvases made from banana bark, natural mother-of-pearl, foamed slate, jute, sisal, bamboo, leaves and stems of tropical plants... Behind the apparent simplicity of walls lie clever technologies and know-how.

6. Harmony of Combinations

Evidently, nobody now covers the entire room with identical wallpapers. As a fashionable trick in interiors, professionals recommend placing large accent panels on the walls; applying wallpapers with characteristic textures in niches; dividing walls into decorative fragments horizontally (for this variant, wallpapers sold by linear meter and invisible seams when applied horizontally are good).

In all cases, the main idea is harmony of combinations: smooth and textured surfaces, monochromatic surface and pattern, active color and neutral, wall paint and wallpapers... The main thing is that the interior should not be boring and look designer-like – that is, harmonious, trendy for at least the next 5 years and comfortable for those it is designed for.

7. 'Dramatic' Colors

Drama – a work with a serious plot and deep meaning. French colorists call the dramatique palette combinations of rich and dense tones. In wall decoration, the 'rich in content' blue-green color is trendy. We see a queue at the Parisian paint boutique Ressource for the unique shade Le Bleu Sarah from design star Sarah Lavuan. This color looks different depending on lighting. The author describes it as 'alive, fresh and calming at the same time'. Its variations are diverse and appear in many branded wallpaper and fabric collections of this season.

Other colorist hits – fuchsia color, saturated yellow (saffron, mustard), combination of terracotta and deep blue, rich grass-green.

8. 'Contemplative' Colors

In January 2017, the motto of the Paris Maison & Objet was Silence. The main idea of this trend is to restore tranquility in 'silence'. Center stage: beauty, unburdened by excessive ornamentation, transparency and airiness, ethereal shades and Spartan simplicity. Your mind is in a state of peace thanks to sensual and elegant interior decoration. Luxurious minimalism in colors and decor. Current colors: zephyr pink, powdered salmon, mint, blue, light gray, neutral gray-brown (taupe), champagne and vanilla, pearl, matte metallic.

SKOL has been representing elite finishing materials and handmade decor from leading French, Belgian and Japanese manufacturers in Russia for more than 20 years: exclusive wallpapers, designer paints, interior fabrics, lighting and plasterwork from Parisian gypsum. Leading global designers participate in creating these collections and actively use them in their interior projects. SKOL delivers products directly from factories on a weekly basis.

*The article used photos provided by SKOL