Wallpaper remains bang on trend, but the pong it emits is bang out of order. Put up the conventional stuff and you'll be breathing in harmful VOCs for a long time to come. While stylish eco wall coverings are regrettably few, here are a few of my latest discoveries. Style gurus are gushing over bold prints, so look no further than this Jubilee Grand in Licorice stocked by Harlands Organic Furnishings. Owner Lisa Harland says "Mod Green Pod's non-toxic, vinyl-free wallpaper looks good and takes care of the planet. With such great designs who wouldn't want to be green."
To whet your decor appetite, their hand silk screened wallpapers come in a range of delicious colours: Raspberry, stilton, chocolate, cream and licorice.
Harlands Organic Furnishings also offer eco gorgeous fabrics and a bespoke upholstery service.
Another striking eco wallpaper range is from Graham & Brown. This bittern feather design communicates a real threat to the bittern: only 50 pairs remain and face ever increasing threats from global warming effects, including sea level rise.
Graham & Brown's eco range is made up of 10 designs, the result of an innovative collaboration with design students from Central St Martins. They boldly challenge the myth that eco wallpaper is dull and uninspiring.
Their eco range is printed on 100% FSC paper, use pure water based inks (no VOCs or solvents), and its packaging is compostable as its made from corn.
Oliver Heath, EcoCentric's owner remarked "This lovely nature inspired wallpaper has soft muted tones and a feeling that it has come straight from the pages of a Victorian botanist. These leaves were actually inspired by leaves found in a flower press belonging to the designer’s grandmother. This wallpaper could easily be used as a feature wall, complimented by a natural paint of the colour of the background of the wallpaper."
Talking of paint, EcoCentric also stock a fabulous range of 'eco chic' claypaints made by Earthborn, the only UK manufacturer to carry the EU Ecolabel.
The 'Eco Chic' Claypaints are high quality as they contain a high proportion of solids, and as such, cover walls remarkably well, and are amenable to special effects.
Best of all, you won't have to breathe in any toxic pongs. VOCs are absent and the paint is virtually drip-free.
Another great way to transform your walls is to adorn them with Mioculture's innovative 3d PaperForms. Their philosophy is 'Responsible Desire', a stance I love!Jaime Salm, Mioculture's designer reflected "The idea of the PaperForms came from the material and technology. I had been exploring recycled paper as a material for furnishings since my college days and realized that it was much more than a disposable packaging material. It was more durable, flexible and beautiful than most people give credit for, so I decided to really celebrate it, present it in a different context where no one expected it. The Flow pattern was the second one we developed, and it was very much a reaction to the first one: V2. Flow is more organic and free flowing, and it creates a more denser pattern that works quite well all round."
And last, but by no means least, an alternative eco approach
to wall coverings is hunting for vintage wallpaper. And hunting is the appropriate word. That's why I was thrilled to find 5qm, a German online supplier of vintage wallpapers. They have an impressive wide ranging collection.
You may of course wonder about wallpaper paste. Afterall, what's the point of having eco paper if you use a paste chock full of toxic substances?
I found a simple paste recipe on Care2.com. All you need is some flour, alum, water and a few drops of oil from cloves, which performs well as a natural preservative.
Once you've whipped up your natural alternative, it has a shelf life of 2 weeks, leaving you plenty of time to put up the wallpaper.
Happy wall covering!
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