Wallpaper worth taking with you

Designer Antony Clark demonstrates the removable, reusable wallpaper. Photo / Brett Phibbs

If you've ever experienced the frustration of removing wallpaper, a removable and reusable version might sound pretty handy - especially when it's a world first created by a New Zealander.

The idea came to Antony Clark after he proposed to his girlfriend in picturesque night-time Prague.

The couple were then based in Germany, where Mr Clark was the head of product development at one of the world's largest interior decoration companies and was responsible for bringing new and innovative home decoration products on to the international market.

It was not until the couple returned to New Zealand and launched Your Decal Shop that the idea of photo wallpaper inspired by that night in Prague started to come to life.

"I met this wonderful girl who decided to come back to Germany with me after we'd known each other only three weeks. To some, this might seem risky, but we chose to take the romantic perspective of the journey," he said.

"We travelled the world together, and have so many special memories and photographs, but the memory of looking out across the Prague skyline was particularly special. I wanted to recreate it in our home in a really bold and unique way."

Designed and handmade with vinyl imported from Europe by Mr Clark in his Bethells Beach studio in West Auckland, Photowalls allows a favourite image to be enlarged then printed on self-adhesive vinyl to cover an entire wall.

"Photo wallpaper creates an impression you are somewhere else.

"You can have a boring wall disappear into a sunny beach setting, or insert a beautiful view overlooking countryside or a city, you can even have your own personalised image likes wedding photos or a family portrait on your walls," Mr Clark said.

The creator said one of the "coolest attributes" of the product was that they were completely reusable - their long-lasting low-tack adhesive meant they could be removed and reapplied repeatedly.

"You can even scrunch it up in a ball and unravel it to use again and again."

Prices for the wallpaper start at $165 for a photo wall, but for those wanting something smaller there's a "mural dots" option from $120.

With just word-of-mouth and a Facebook post two weeks ago, Mr Clark has already had seven orders.

"We have done flying paper-plane decals for children's rooms, maps of Waiheke Island, huge kiwiana images for a hairdresser, flying tuis and monarch butterflies. Good quality decals are a really effective and stylish way to add flair to an interior," he said.