Wallpaper 1x1 A Textbook for Craftsmen and Those who wish to Be by Wolfgang Raith By order of the A.S. Création Tapetenstiftung A.S. Création Tapetenstiftung Dear Readers, Dear Wallpaper Friends, Better education means more chances of the wider field of knowledge relating in life. A truism? No, this has always to the topic. Wallpaper, after all, also been the case, and is so today more means design, creativity, and in the than ever – as many young people can extended sense, living. attest. Together with the A.S. Création Tapetenstiftung, we rise to this social That living also means wallpaper challenge of delivering knowledge. I need scarcely mention. You can Our activities are ever more strongly see for yourself what a broad scope in demand – as was evident in the wallpaper design captures in the roughly 150 seminars that we conduct- public eye. Recently I had a sense of ed with the VDT (Verband Deutscher accomplishment: even in a southern Tapetenhersteller) in the past year. Or “non-wallpaper” country, decoration in the competition for young painters, with our products is increasing, as held with the federal association Farbe I was told by a dedicated wallpaper Gestaltung Bautenschutz. professional. There the trend toward premium wallpapers, toward excep- How can we, and how can the wall- tional walls, was pronounced. And: paper sector, contribute to better these must be perfectly applied. training? We are not bakers and don’t know how the best rolls should be So join us, take advantage of the op- baked. But we know wallpaper, and portunity to expand your knowledge, we can bring the experts – teachers, and let “Wallpaper 1x1” inspire you! authors and designers from the world of wallpaper – all to the table to create Sincerely, something useful. Franz Jürgen Schneider You have in your hands the new A.S. Création Tapetenstiftung “Wallpaper 1x1”. The established specialist and author Wolfgang Raith January 2012 shows once again how to work and design with wallpaper products. The initiative, started in 2006, has clearly lost none of its appeal. The success of this textbook, we have often been told, lies not only in its description of wallpapering itself, but in its coverage 2 Table of Contents Design and Trends ........................................................... 4 Wallpaper Patterns ............................................................ 6 Wallpaper Colours ............................................................. 8 Wallpaper Lends Atmosphere ........................................... 10 Colour Effect ...................................................................... 12 Designing with Wallpaper .................................................. 14 Wallpaper Changes Rooms ............................................... 18 Living Types and Style ....................................................... 20 Wallpaper Trends ............................................................... 22 The Science of Wallpaper ............................................... 34 The History of Wallpaper ................................................... 36 Wallpaper Production ........................................................ 41 Types of Wallpaper ............................................................ 44 Quality Characteristics ....................................................... 59 Wallpapering Symbols ....................................................... 60 Testing the Wall Surface .................................................... 62 Preparing the Wall Surface ................................................ 64 Assessing Requirements ................................................... 68 Wallpapering Tools ............................................................. 70 Applying Wallpaper ............................................................ 72 Detail Work ........................................................................ 78 Wallpapering Ceilings ........................................................ 82 Creative Borders ................................................................ 84 Wallpaper Ideas .................................................................. 86 Material Wallpapers ............................................................ 88 Digital Wallpapers ............................................................... 90 Functional Wallpapers ........................................................ 91 Imprint and Recommended Literature ............................... 92 3 4 Design and Trends Creating Beauty Three things are required to achieve a room with atmosphere: knowing the game of current living trends, skilful mastering of the design repertoire, and, last but not least, providing expert advice to customers. Meeting this challenge requires a certain design confidence. Only those who know what effect certain colours and patterns have and how to create a particular atmosphere with wallpaper can live up to expectations. Yet the most important point remains becoming familiar with the lifestyle and wishes of customers, so that the change in scenery will be more than just a renovation. 5 Wallpaper Patterns more than just a decoration or stylistic device systematic dynamic free – unsystematic ABSTRACT (formalistic) ABSTRACT MOTIF (figurative) MOTIF STRUCTURE (natural) Wallpaper is much more than just deco- Depending on how strictly, relaxed or ration. It is a design element with which rhythmical a pattern is arranged, the char- rooms can be altered and style created. acter and expression of the wallpaper is The nature of a wallpaper is its pattern. changed accordingly. Strongly geometrical Once we understand how patterns can patterns, for instance, have a stabilising change rooms and what powers of ex- effect. Motifs with motion are challenging pression they possess, our design options and lively in the room. In contrast, unsys- expand. tematic, randomly scattered structures If you more closely examine the type of create a natural atmosphere. wallpaper pattern, you will see that it is In the examination of patterns and orna- either objective, abstract or organic in ment, colour also plays an important role. structure. If the pattern expresses a message and In the case of objective motifs, the visual style, it is the colour which evokes emo- message stands in the foreground. Astract tion. An especially convincing solution can wallpaper patterns thrive on their geo- be had when the wallpaper pattern and metrical expression. Textured wallpaper, colour complement each other. on the other hand, possesses its own materiality and substance. 7 Wallpaper Colours Order in the Colour Chaos and olive. From orange, we get apricot and terracotta. Within the colour system, a colour is clearly defined by its hue, saturation and brightness. “Hue” refers to the colour spectrum, that is, red, yellow, blue, etc. The term “saturation” de- scribes the purity and luminosity of the colour. Pure hues are seldom found in interior decorating. Instead, pastel colours and subdued nuances of hues dominate Why do we need a colour system? practical design. As a result, the col- The untrained eye can differentiate lections of wallpaper manufacturers Pastel colour circle between 100,000 shades. It is hard show few strongly-coloured tones. In to describe them. Even the wealth contrast, pastels and subdued colours of colour names in our language is are always present. hardly enough to name each individual colour. In order to nevertheless be able to communicate, a colour system or col- our collection is required. Only then can planners, craftsmen and custom- ers speak about and plan colours, even at long distances. Today, several colour systems are in competition for users’ attention. Saturated colour circle Whether spatial models are used in the shape of double cones, spheres, cubes or cylinders, the goal is always to put colours in a logical order with equal intervals. The basis of all sys- tems are the pure hues as we know them from the rainbow: red – orange – yellow – green – blue – violet. Begin- ning with these intense hues, shades The ACC colour system, for in- are created that are lighter, darker, stance, places the colours in order and subdued. When red is lightened, of lightness, saturation and hue it becomes pink, when darkened, in the form of a cylinder. The pure hues are situated on the equator burgundy, and when greyed, becomes and the non-colours white, grey Achromatic colour circle auburn. Yellow becomes light yellow and black are on the central axis. 8 <------------------------------------------------------ Hue ------------------------------------------------------> <---------------------------------------------------- Darker Lighter ----------------------------------------------------> Lighter Darker <---------------------------------------------------- Wallpaper Lends Atmosphere Interpreting Colour Tones No matter what wallpaper we choose, The various shades of red can gener- it will only produce the desired atmos- ate very ambivalent moods. Pure red phere in a room if its tone is right. has a strong, masculine and passion- Colours influence our feelings and ate expression. Pink, however, is soft, establish mood. They are possibly airy, light and emotional. the most emotional element in room Pastel tones, that is, lightened shades design. Knowing what effects col- of a hue, always tend toward lightness ours have and how they determine and stillness. The combination of light our moods can assist us in the skilful green with yellow or pink, for instance, employment of wallpaper. creates