Hooked On Walls: A Site As Beautiful As The Wallpaper They Make

Obviously I surf the net. A lot. And come across a plethora of wonderfully designed products. But every once in awhile (not often, mind you), the site is as beautiful to look at as the products it's selling and in this case, Hooked On Walls is one of those sites. A company launched in january of this year, Hooked OnWalls is part of the Arte International Collection of fabrics and textiles. The website was designed by the uber talented Group94.

Now, I'm not saying it's beautifully 'designed'. That would imply that the navigation is intuitive, that the menu is clear and that finding what, where and how to purchase is easy. This is not the case here, but rather the images and photography are so compelling that it's a nice a site to sell a photographer's work as it is to showcase these amazing wallpapers. Now, I have contacted them in an attempt to learn who the photographer is but to no avail. If any of my readers know, by all means tell me so I can credit them!

They have four collections, all with edgy names; Jealous Walls, Stolen Diamonds, Hysterical Glamour and Belgian Graffiti.









Each of the collections above has many matching solid colored wallpapers to accompany the patterns, too.

Now take a look at just some of the beautiful photography from the site:
(click on each image to enlarge)













Download some of their lovely wallpapers for your computer, such as the ones shown below, here.




Contact information:

HOOKEDONWALLS
Industriezone‘De Waerde’
Senator A. Jeurissenlaan 1210
B–3520 Zonhoven
Tel. B. +32 11 81 93 10
Fax B. +32 11 81 93 11
sales.export@hookedonwalls.com

Ferm Living Opens US online store!

Now, it's not that we needed yet another beautiful wallpaper and wall sticker manufacturer or designer, but we have one. Ferm Living makes some of the most beautiful wallpaper's imaginable and now you can purchase their beautiful products online in the US.





Click any of the images below to enlarge







They're also coming out with a bedding collection soon!

Buy Ferm wallpapers and wall stickers here.

100 WALLPAPER* COVERS: VOTE TO WIN!

All great magazines shift, shuffle, find space and re-shape to survive and prosper and Wallpaper* is no exception. Changing tastes, and our own success, are clearly mapped in this gallery of our first 100 covers. From the tentative first steps, back in 1996, through confident camp to the audacious experimental leaps that we have undertaken in the last year, Wallpaper* has always dared to bare, break boundaries and, occasionally, bemuse. We've still got it covered.

To see all 100 covers, click here.

I've long been a fan of Wallpaper magazine. Having had a subscription since they began, I've seen many of these fabulous covers. Now, you can see them all and vote as to which you think is the best.



You'll also get a chance to win the hot new Wallpaper City Guides (seen below):




To see all 100 covers, click here.

Vote for your favourite and be in with a chance to win a set of Wallpaper* City Guides.

below are a few of my favorites from the past decade:




Now you go tell them which one is your favorite!

To see all 100 covers, click here.

What's Wrong With A Bare Wall?

I've always liked a good wall.
That's right, one with nice surface area and light hitting it just right.
I love to see shadows undulate across them or, even better, if there's an outside pool nearby, the dancing reflection of light upon the wall.


And if the wall seems lonely, I can't think of a better way to celebrate it than with an original piece of art. A painting, mixed media, even a wall sculpture.

But, apparently a bare wall is a displeasing thing for many people. Just witness the explosion of companies and designers creating everything from large photographic wall murals like Surface View in the UK to Blik's incredible success with their vinyl wall decals. Not to mention the numerous wall hanging companies creating coverings with felt and metal.


Above: Some of Blik's available wall decals

There have been sooo many trends this past year to cover one's walls, it will be hard to address all of them. Below are a few of the most popular.

From Blik starting the enormous trend of vinyl stickers and Tord Boontje's self adhesive mirrored icons called "puddles" (see below) to Chalkboard slate wallpapers on which you can write. Even 3D wallpapers have entered the market. And now we see growing popularity of 'large sized' wallpapers or murals.


above: Mio's 3D wallpaper


Above: Tord Boontje's self adhesive mirrored "puddles"


Even "conceptual" wall decals have it the market like those from Domestic. as seen below:






I've watched the trend of wall 'coverings' come back in a big way over the past year. And I must confess, many of the additions to the market were unique, new, and beautiful.

Like the Paint By Numbers wallpaper by 2 Jane (seen below in my own laundry room in my Michigan Home).




Above: A close up of the Paint By Numbers wallpaper in my mudroom


Or Timorous Beasties stunning and extravagent wallpapers seen here:


Above: Timorous Beasties stunning iguana wallpaper


Or Erica Wakerly's unique artistic wallpaper seen in this previous post and below:




Above: Bradbury & Bradbury's 1930's silk screened Aviator wallpaper
available here.


above: Hybrid Wallpaper pattern by Nice in the UK

Hybrid Wallpapers By Nice available here

But are people already getting tired of all the beautiful hand printed and silkscreened wallpapers out there?

How about the interactive wallpapers? Like the scratch-off wallpaper or flocked and leather wallpapers by Linda Florence?


Above: Linda Florence's Scratch-off Wallpaper

Or these retro flocked wallpapers from Flocked Wallpaper and Retrowalls?




okay then...

So, if you're bored of the above...you need to go back to large photographic wall murals a la the Seventies? Well, I guess that explains the fast growing popularity of Surface View.

When I was growing up in the 70's, photographic murals on bedroom walls was very popular especially for the teenage male. Usually the wallpaper mural was a forest scene of tall redwoods with light peering through or of a Sunsets and palm trees.


Above: An example of the popular photographic wall murals in the 1970s

It wasn't considered the most 'vogue' thing to do, but these overblown photographic wall coverings were in many a frat house or basement. Surface View of the UK offers a similar idea but with a more contemporary twist. In addition to landscapes, you may choose from retro illustration or random interiors.

So what makes the popularity of "Surface View" and their products any different? Frankly, I'm not sure. But I have a feeling that many of my readers may not recall the popularity of the original, being that they are too new to this planet (you darn young things you!)





Above: Some examples of wall murals available from Surface View

Even books are sprouting up about popular wallcoverings, this recent one is available from Amazon.



The Cutting Edge of Wallpaper available here.

Another increasingly popular wall treatment are what is being referred to as Wall Flats or Wall Panels. Inhabit and B&N Iconic Wall Panels


Above: a few of Inhabit's available 'wall flats'


above: One of B&N's iconic wall panels


above: Tracy Kendall's 3D wall coverings



Now, even felt wall panels are gaining popularity.
Just see Anne Kyyro Quinn's work.
and wall hangings from Construct in felt or metal, available here.


above: One of Con/Struct's wall hangings

Customised wallpapers (also being called 'Bespoke' wallpapers, the hot buzz word as of late) are also available.

Like those from Designwall or from Naked And Angry


Above: custom designed wallpapers from Naked & Angry

So, if bare walls bug you, here are a few links that sell unique wallpapers and vinyl decal options:


Concept Coverings

Flavor League

Timorous Beasties

Cole & Son

Wall Candy

Blik

Vinyl decals from Ugly Home

Paint By Numbers Wallpapers

Paintable Wall Applications by Walter available here

Vinyl Surfaces by Domestic

Pop Cling

Interactive Wallpaper

Tracy Kendall

Osborne & Little

Sky Murals

Wall Murals by Surface View

It's impossible for me to list all the sites, so I suggest you visit This Next and type in wallpaper to see many other options.

Now a few options to those above would be the huge and wonderful limited edition museum banners available from Betterwall.

Or, god forbid, a piece of original art from up and coming artists at sites like Hang, or from one of the many galleries or artists listed in my links on the right.

So, although personally, I like a bare wall, clearly I'm in the minority.