Wallpaper is seriously trending and if you have been watching The Block, nothing gets the judges hot under the collar like a great wallpaper job. Wallpaper is a simple and cost-effective way to create wow-factor in any room and Hannah and Clint from house number 2. are making the most of this creative design tool.
“Wallpaper is making a big come back! We're seeing a lot of it this season on The Block – and the judges are loving it all!” Hannah Amos says.
It was Hannah and Clint’s incredible master bedroom, featuring the show-stopping Grafico wallpaper by Australian artist Holly Graham, that really got the wallpaper frenzy started.
Grafico custom-made wallpaper featuring Holly Graham's artwork.
“I must admit the master suite was designed with the female buyer in mind. The wallpaper was definitely a huge focal point of the room,” Hannah explains. “I noticed a sample of the print when I was in the Grafico head office during a challenge. It immediately caught my eye and I knew I needed to see it on a large scale in our master ensuite."
There are many things to consider when choosing and installing wallpaper, for example, Grafico’s Holly Graham print is moody, feminine and luxurious and Hannah recognised it was the perfect fit for the room she was creating.
“The rich plum and blush pink tones are very on trend at the moment, and in my opinion, the floral print won’t be dating any time soon. The furniture choices in the room, including the custom-made velvet bedhead and blush pink occasional chairs, all work together to complement the wallpaper,” Hannah says. “This bedroom will have the female buyer telling her husband ‘I need this house’.”
Though reno rookies, Hannah and Clint are achieving incredible results each week, and there is no doubt Hannah’s interior styling is impressive. We chased Hannah down amidst her busy schedule to give us her top 5 wallpaper tips.
1. Wallpaper trends to look out for
In this season of The Block we have seen so many stunning wallpaper inclusions, in fact, all but one team have experimented with different colours and textures and I love it! Wallpaper really brings a space to life in my opinion.
Floral prints have been HUGE! I loved the use of Australian native flowers, enchanted forests, starry nights on ceilings, geometric white and grey patterns, and of course, my favourite romantic floral hues of blush pink and plum.
Sarah and Jason's stunning Australian native wallpaper in their guest bedroom.
The teams are continuing to reveal new colour variations and textures in future rooms – so stay tuned… The judges have been very impressed with the contestants embracing bold, graphic wallpapers and they certainly know a thing a or two about what is on trend.
2. Be bold, be confident and follow your instincts
I have always loved the idea of wallpaper, however, before The Block I was never quite game enough to use it at home. We introduced wallpaper into our kid’s bedroom and we received such positive response from the judges, we forged ahead and incorporated it into more rooms in the house.
Generally, I am seeing wallpaper make a big come back this year. I have been lusting over an artist based in the Netherlands for quite some time, now I'm planning on using her beautiful wallpaper in our next home project. Take a leap of faith it is worth it, and if you love something you will not tire of it.
Clint and Hannah's enchanted forest wallpaper for their children's room.
3. How to choose the right wallpaper for your room
When choosing your wallpaper's scale, think about the role you would like it to play in the room. Treat vibrant, large-impact wallpaper like ‘wall art’, it will add a focal point to the room without taking up any space. On the flipside, small-scale wallpapers are perfect for adding texture and depth to a small room. There is subtly to this approach, creating visual interest when viewed up close.
4. Make the wallpaper work for you, not the other way around
We have been lucky enough to partner with the talented team at Grafico, their designers can take almost any image and manipulate the design to suit the wall space, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't quite' fit' the space.
Grafico custom print, therefore there is no set 'catalogue'. We worked closely with artist Holly Graham and Damien Corney from Grafico to achieve the perfect look in our master suite. The photographic image I had originally chosen did not work when taking the furniture into account. So Grafico manipulated the image to suit the space and ensured it was custom designed for the bedroom.
Create your own wallpaper, choose something you love and have it digitally printed!
5. Don’t self install, use a professional!
Unless you install wallpaper for a living do yourself a favour and have it professionally installed! There's no second chances when applying wallpaper...
Grafico's custom-printed wallpaper is self-adhesive, so essentially a large sticker. No glue is required, the back is peeled back and the paper is stuck to the wall. The sheets are custom printed on wide 1.2m panels, this means there are fewer joins than when using traditional wallpaper. For more information, check out the Grafico website and I strongly recommend using their professional installers www.graficowallcoverings.com.au
Hannah and Clint with The Agency's Victorian GM Peter Kakos and CEO Matt Lahood.
