|
Interiors & Designs
Adorning walls
Dull walls can take the best out of any interior. Though
painting and re-texturing can make a difference, sometimes the wall can be resistant
to these improvisations. By Ritu Bhatia Kler
 In
today's times several new treatments can bring life back to the most staid looking
wall. Some of the treatments include:
- Sand the wall smooth. This may only work on a wall
that is lightly textured. A heavier texture may be too difficult and may require
a great deal of preparation.
- Spackle (fill with plaster/drywall mud) until smooth.
This can be time consuming.
- Cover the entire wall with a thin layer of gypsum
board. This is a more expensive solution.
- Wrapping panels with fabric and applying them to
the wall. This is a method used in commercial work. Fabric wrapped panels
are typically used in conference/boardrooms. This type of installation can
leave an obvious vertical seam. Fabric panels make an excellent service to
hang presentation materials, and conceal the tack marks.
- Wallpapers can dramatically enhance the looks and
ambience of any interior. Not only can they hide flaws, they can turn a dull
space on its head and bring in exciting possibilities of design.
- Types of latest material: more variety
of wallpaper, new: fabric wallpaper - more durable than ordinary wallpaper:
by Goodrich (imported only)
- Leather as wallpanels gives a rich feel.
- Texture paint: OIKOS has more varitey
but new company called Armacot : more expensive but more durable. Dealers
now in India.
- Laminate Glass or sandwiched glass or
glass with film/pattern/logo works well but quality to be ensured and
installers have to be extra careful. Options for maintenance could be
use of stainless steel studs to remove glass if required.
- Mostly clients are afraid of glass but
it is a very good material.
- Veneer has always been around but veneer
shades are new. Wood and veneer has been a timeless and safe option.
- Lighting up a wall is very important.
For e.g. if you do gold leaf or accent texture paint and you don't shine
light on it properly or you use a tubelight instead of halogen/spot
lights, then there is no point doing the texture on the wall.
- More glass and visibility between spaces
is also the trend rather than enclosing with walls. Bathroom brick walls
in guest rooms are being done away with and more glass is being added
for openness and light.
- Sometimes simple accent colour paint can
do wonders.
- Corian from DuPont, has got endless possibilties
one of which is that it can be used as wall decoration and some of them
can be backlit also.
Virtually seamless, Corian creates a subtle, inviting
backdrop for any environment - a 'blank canvas' that can be decorated
using technologically-advanced techniques, allowing designers to add character,
customisation and communication to their vertical designs.
Its colour palette includes over 140 shades, which
include whites, neutrals, pastels, earthy hues, dark and black tones,
bright solids and of course the translucent ones.
|
Wallpapers
Wallpapers can dramatically enhance the looks and ambience of any interior.
Not only can they hide flaws, they can turn a dull space on its head and bring
in exciting possibilities of design.
Wallpaper is a great impersonator. It can change the visual appearance of a
room in many ways. It brightens a dark room and adds character to a dull room
with no architectural features to create a cosy atmosphere. It can frame a room's
best features. In addition, wallpapers featuring certain patterns such as stripes
and overall prints perform optical illusions that make rooms that ordinarily
look too long appear more proportionate.
It makes the greatest impact in a space in a single-application. No other decorating
product offers so much colour, design and coverage to suit any mood, taste and
need.
While many wall treatments may seem inexpensive, one has to consider the long-term
care. Many of today's wallpaper varieties have a life of seven to ten years.
In addition, wallpapers defined as scrubbable may be cleaned with soap, warm
water and a gentle sponging. It is easy to install.
Wallpapers set a theme and feature a host of co-ordinating patterns, borders
and colour schemes that create a unified design theme. Frame out a favourite
collection with wallpapers that helps accentuate important things.
Wallpapers create detail and are the economical way to add missing architectural
elements. Today's wallpaper designers have captured virtually every fashion
statement popular today from fresh country looks to upscale modern motifs.
It covers flaws in the wall surface that paint can't. It protects the wall surface
from marks and provides a certain air of quality and richness not found in uncovered
walls.
(As told to Praveen K Singh)
|
