Vahallan Papers Brings Artistry to a Stagnant Industry
This isn't your grandma's wallpaper.
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In recent decades, wallpaper has steadily trended toward extinction in American homes. It simply isn't in. Some high-end companies like Scalamandre are holding on with ornate, quirky prints, but Nebraska-based company Vahallan Papers wants to bring modern design sensibilities to a staid market.
Started in 1997, Vahallan has expanded over the years to include showrooms in Hong Kong and Russia. What really sets its products apart is the fact that each piece is handmade, meaning every piece is unique. The small imperfections and random elements in the papers gives them an organic, natural feel that is more reminiscent of stone than traditional wallpaper.
In the fall of 2013, the company released the Elegance in Textures line of wall coverings. These prints offer a more asymmetrical approach than pattern-driven wallpapers, and the jewel of the collection is Broken Lines. The textured coverings are made of a non-woven substrate and rope encased in layers of latex laid on top. Finally, either metallic powder or glaze is added. This creates a raised, stark appearance. The paper can be finished in any color you like, including "Martha Stewart Blue."
Broken Lines will be sold in 29- by 29-inch blocks that can be arranged any which way, and they're expected to cost somewhere between $6 and $16 per square foot, which is definitely on the pricey side. The overall tone is somewhere between the full arts n'crafts flair of William Morris and the simple openness of Donald Judd's work.
If you know what any of that means then you'll appreciate the stylistic heritage. If not, it still looks really good.
Not since my childhood have I looked at wallpaper and felt something. In fact, that should be Vahallan Paper's tagline: "Feel Something... Like Textured Wallpaper." But in all seriousness, if you want your walls to be works of art, check out Vahallan Papers and the Broken Lines series.
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