Take a peak at the 5 wonderful new Italian wallpaper collections we have just released. They are full of colour and texture - right on track with the hot trends for 2021. Gone are the days of flat one-dimensional wallpaper and we say 'hello' to a whole world of 3-D embossed magical wallpapers.

This is made possible by the ingenuity of vinyl wallpapers where pattern and colour are key, but the textured embossed substrate creates the magic.

Inspired by the exotic world, by grass-cloth, Japanese Tatami matting, cane and wicker furniture - which are all making a come-back - our latest wallpaper collections from Italy capture the spirit of these artisanal products. 

'Paired-back' may be good but often ones room is just plain 'stark' and under-dressed. Nothing can bring warmth to a room quite like a textured wallpaper. It's not only about the relief and tactile quality, but it's also about how light will play off a textural surface and create a magical ambiance.

We have loads of great natural wallcoverings made of grass, sisal, cork, silk or linen-look fabrics but these are luxury products which come with their own pro's and con's. They are wonderfully tactile and natural but are not great for areas where kids sticky fingers or moisture abounds, as they are 'allergic' to water and cleaning products. Instead our new vinyl grassy textural look-a-likes are robust and very easy to clean with their non-absorbent vinyl surface. 

Here's a quick overview of our 5 new Italian collections:

1. J&V Lemuria Collection

 

 

Nature in all its glory: inspired by the flora and fauna of Madagascar, brought to life with the use of vibrant colour, we see lemurs, parrots, banana and palm trees in abundance along with wonderfully richly embossed textures. A veritable anthology of colours and luxuriant nature that pays tribute to our planet and its breathtaking variety.

The striking designs are made even more vivid by the vibrant and contrasting colours – orange/turquoise, rust/blue, chartreuse/sage – with a lively effect achieved through the linen-weave embossed substrate, which delivers a soft, tactile finish to this vinyl wallpaper.

Alongside the patterns, bursting with the joys of nature, the collection presents two new textures: the multicolour, irregular straw effect, and an intricate paperweave pattern. Both come in a wide range of colours, from shades of nature – greens, browns, beiges and blues – to more intense and rich tones to accompany the feature designs.

Take a walk on the wild side with Lemuria! 

 

2. J&V Igusa Collection

 

 

 A new collection of entirely natural wallcoverings. Igusa is a type of rush, native to Japan, which is hand-woven on a loom and traditionally used to make tatami mats and screens.

Now transformed into wallcoverings, the woven effect is a feast for the senses: sight, not least because of the contrasting colours; smell, as it is a natural material and has the scent of cut grass; and touch, thanks to the warmth of the rushes and how they have been worked. The result is akin to 'forest bathing', the kind of immersion in nature that we strive to reproduce even in our homes. Our senses transport us to the forest, ensuring relaxation and benefits in terms of health and well-being.

Igusa is an entirely natural material and is harvested and processed with that in mind. An artisanal approach is taken to each stage of the 'production chain', from planting to harvesting, drying to dyeing, right through to the loom-weaving process performed by hand.

This ensures that the product perfectly exudes the 'beauty of imperfection' inherent in Japanese culture. The colour variations and irregular weave are to be embraced as intrinsic features of this wallcovering, part of its unique value.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS AND PROPERTIES

Igusa is a flexible yet durable product that, aside from its striking aesthetic qualities, also boasts numerous technical properties.

• Air purification: the inside of the Igusa plant has an overlapping honeycomb structure, which forms hundred of tiny cells. This gives it a large surface area, and the spongy structure absorbs nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde, purifying the air.
• Humidity regulation: the spongy structure of the plant enables it to absorb moisture and release stored moisture when dry, ensuring that humidity levels in the room remain constant.
• Extremely flame-resistant: the rush is subject to a specific treatment to make the material flame-retardant.
• Stain-resistant and washable: washing with water does not alter the colour imbued in the fibre during the dyeing process.

 

3. Sirpi Altagamma Home 3 Collection

  

 

Characterized by minimalist and contemporary design, by crisp geometrics some with a smart retro feel, by striking textures and wonderful colours.

This Altagamma Home 3 collection really stands out from the pack! For the colour palette, the designers have chosen to contrast colours such as rich marine blues with spice tones, and forest greens are combined with pastel shades of sage green, corn and dusty greys. There's a huge selection so something for every taste.

The very tactile collection is a feast for the senses - wonderfully textured and embossed with wallpapers looking like hand-woven fabrics, others resembling chunky Chanel-style weaves and many with a lick of metallic highlighting the woven effects. This creates a certain magic when light plays off the surface of the wallpaper, bringing a dull wall to life. 

The super vinyl wallpaper quality is a dream as it's easy to install and really easy to clean. It's not absorbent so is ideal for use in all applications and especially in wet bathrooms where vinyl is a must.

 

4. Sirpi Italian Velour Collection

  

 

Inspired by the sumptuous interiors of historical buildings and enriched with soft velvet, this collection stands out for its striking textural qualities. The flocking technique creates a soft luxury, combining the tactile experience with a particularly beautiful way of interacting with light on its lustrous surface.

Italian Velour is a rich collection inspired by the luxury world of the velvet in a balance of tradition and contemporary time. Its three dimensional texture is inspired by the world of textiles, with the soft flock sitting elegantly on a silky shimmering base. Italian Velour is a wallcovering that will enhance any interior with elegance.

Italian Velour combines past and future. For the designers it's the bridge between tradition, design trends and product innovation. The visual impact is precious and refined, thanks to the wonderful mix of colours and designs.

It is a tactile collection with 3D effects created by the contrasting flocking. Animalia, Damask and Mineral are the 3 words that describe the collection with it's references to the exotic, the luxurious and the classic.

 

5. JWall Tatami Collection

  

 

The Tatami collection combines the technical and material features of vinyl wallcoverings with the aesthetics of artisanal weaving.

This year, the JWall line shines a spotlight on Japan and the country's traditional décor style. The textures of the collection are directly inspired by tatami, a type of floor covering consisting of rectangular panels of woven rush, hand-crafted on a wooden loom. The designers embrace oriental aesthetics with an innovative, technologically advanced twist, to make the product suitable for use on walls. Drawing on its experience producing wallcoverings, the creators have replicated artisanal weaving techniques, using weft and warp, to create effects ranging from simple geometric shapes to highly complex designs reminiscent of jacquard fabrics.

The use of non-woven backings ensures a strong and substantial product, which replicates the weave of the fibres to create a wide range of monochromatic palettes and highly distinctive patterns: a complex two-tone landscape design, a traditional woven patchwork effect and the classic stylized fan (Japanese sensu). 

When it comes to colour, meanwhile, Japan offers plenty of inspiration. The collection features four colour families. The more natural palette is inspired by the cultivation of the rush used to make tatami, and the landscapes where this fibre is grown and harvested. It features greens, ochres, browns - warm and earthy colours. The light colours, almost white and chalky, are inspired by the make-up of the geisha and the delicate result of the associated ritual. The dark colours, meanwhile, which include ash blues and anthracite shades, are inspired by Sashiko embroidery techniques, with visible, contrasting stitching and flat and
intense shades.

Finally, the more vibrant colours such as the bright reds, purples, blues and greens are drawn from the kimono tradition and the painted or embroidered accessories that characterize this quintessentially Japanese garment.

The weight of this product, its technical characteristics and certifications, and the 100 cm wide rolls, make this collection ideal for the home and particularly well-suited to contract projects, with the option of offsetting highly decorative patterns with more neutral textures.

VIROBLOCK ANTIVIRAL TREATMENT

The JWall Tatami collection is treated using Viroblock, an antiviral and antimicrobial technology that has proven effective against the Coronavirus, reducing viral load on the wallcovering in just a few minutes (Antiviral efficacy test: ISO 18184).

Silver micro-crystals and alveolar particles are incorporated into the wallpaper, which work to sanitize surfaces, rapidly deactivating the virus and preventing it from replicating.

Developed by the Swiss company HeiQ, the HeiQ Viroblock NPJ03 (Viroblock) treatment was first applied to fabrics used to make masks, and has since been adopted in many other textile sectors, including wallcoverings, thanks to the dedicated production process developed by the manufacturers. The aim is to prevent the material surface from hosting and contributing to the spread of harmful viruses and bacteria, while helping reduce the risk and speed of contamination and transmission.

 

That's a wrap!

Keep an eye out for our next product releases which should be just in time for Summer. To keep up to date with what's hot and what's coming, sign up to receive our newsletter.