My top wallpaper picks

by Sara ParkerMar 02, 20160 comments

Spring is on the way, and I feel the urge to rearrange the house. I've been thinking a lot about wallpaper.

The last few years seem to have brought a wallpaper boom. There are so many companies producing wallpaper, it's hard to narrow down your choices.

So today I decided to put together a collection from six of my favorite designers. What I love most about these is that they all reference historical patterns and color palettes. Also, most of these companies are printing by hand and with that comes the wonderful look of little glitches from the artist's hand in the print, overprinting and placement variables.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I do. I'm ready to wallpaper my laundry room now. :)

First up are the Timorous Beasties from Glasgow. They are a two-man team creating wallpapers, fabrics, and home wares that are largely influenced by historical patterns with a bit of wit and intense color combinations. I love all of their designs, especially Summer Trellis.

*images via Timorous Beasties website

Abigail Borg is an illustrator and surface designer based in Birmingham, England. Remember this Aveeno packaging? That's how I first found out about Abigail. She's a fantastic illustrator, mostly focusing on plants and floral arrangements. I love her sense of color and pattern. I can't imagine having to pick just one of her patterns, I love them all! She started out designing wallpaper and now offers fabric and various home goods and accessories. Her wallpapers are hand-printed in England.

*All images via Abigail Borg's website Specializing in block-printed fabrics and wallpaper, Galbraith and Paul have been designing and printing since 1986 in Manayunk, PA. Their designs are reminiscent of historical textiles with influences from William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement. I'm such a big fan of their designs and color palettes. The top pattern, Lattice, is my absolute favorite. I love the slight variation in pattern alignment that comes with block prints.

*All images via Galbraith and Paul website

You can't think of wallpaper without considering Josef Frank (1885-1967). His iconic patterns are bold and bright and cheerful. I'm particularly fond of this print. I can see it installed in my laundry room or even a wall in the studio. You can purchase his papers and textiles here.

*All images via Svenskt Tenn website

How I would love to cover a wall with Angie Lewin's new design, Nature Table. Based on her original linocuts, this wallpaper is available through her company, St. Jude's, and if you haven't checked them out, do it now! I love their mindset, "We take an interest in fine art and commercial design, but we are particularly inspired by work produced in the middle ground between the two."

*All images via St Jude's website

Last but not least is the beautiful work by Marthe Armitage. In the last few years her name has been popping up in the NY Times and Uppercase Magazine. She's described as an "octogenarian wallpaper designer extraordinaire," designing and printing wallpapers in her London home for decades. She is truly an inspiration and I would love to have one of her papers on a wall in our house! Here's a fantastic little video of Marthe from Uppercase Magazine.