What a great weekend last weekend was!
I was overwhelmed by the lovely comments, phone calls and text messages congratulating me on the return of my column in Saturday's paper. Thank you so much for your support, it is most appreciated.
I have a passion for wallpaper. I love textured walls and pattern but not necessarily on the same paper. My earliest memory of wallpaper was in our home in Taihape. The farmhouse we lived in had embossed wallpaper up the passage to the bedrooms. I used to run my hands over the texture letting the little bobbles run beneath my fingertips. Mum and Dad painted the wallpaper to a light green to freshen it up and the texture changed slightly. The downside: Mum having to clean grubby finger prints.
In New Zealand we are spoilt for choice. We have our own wallpaper designers, a manufacturing company based in Porirua and a beautiful array of imported papers. I have a few imported papers that I love to use because of the colours used and patterns, not necessarily the texture. Used in the right way they can give a room that wow factor and add that finishing touch.
Wallpapers were first seen in the 13th century in wealthy homes were paper was painted with colourful iconic religious murals. A couple of centuries later; hand-blocking meant wallpaper became more widely available and more affordable. This was followed by the ink-printed paper as we use today. Flocked wallpapers have come and gone and come back in again; textured paint where the paint "puffs" on the paper; exquisite beaded papers; woven natural fibres, hessian, silks ... the list goes on.
Today there is a move from "paste the paper" to "paste the wall" papers. There is quite a difference to each in handling and properties.
We have all used paste the paper over the years. This type of wallpaper consists of a backing paper and a coating, in most cases vinyl. These wallpapers are submerged in a trough of water or pasted on the back of the paper. This allows the paper to expand and has to rest before hanging. It cannot be hung straight after pasting as the paper may not have expanded enough - meaning problems occur after the paper has been hung.
Paste-the-wall papers or non-woven wallpapers are made up of cellulose and synthetic fibres along with bonding agents. Paste-the-wall papers are just that, you put the adhesive on the wall. Non-woven papers don't expand or contract, they don't tear and there should be no visible butting of seams if you have hung them correctly because they won't shrink.
These papers do not contain any hazardous substances and are bio-degradable so fit comfortably into the green decorating image. Non-woven papers breathe, allow moisture to pass through and combat against the growth of mould. This makes non-woven or paste-the-wall papers are ideal for bathrooms, kitchens and laundries.
Have you wondered why a bathroom smells of mould only to find when you redecorate that the wallpaper has a thin layer of black dusty mould coating the backing paper? The smell can be putrid and you have unknowingly been living with it spreading in your walls.
You also need to use the correct paste. The wrong paste or preparing the walls incorrectly runs the risk of your beautiful wallpaper failing, which can be heart-breaking if you have spent a lot of time and money.
You want the end result of a beautifully wallpapered room to be stunning.
If you would like any hints or tips, I can be contacted at:- terry@terrylobb.com or www.terrylobb.com (website is under construction)