Deriving inspiration from the environment, these wallcoverings from Wolf-Gordon, Innovations, Carnegie and others boast soothing palettes and organically influenced patterns.  

1

Mantra by Innovations

One of eight new introductions to Innovations Elemental collection – a nature-inspired series that introduces moments of calm through quiet colours and soft textures – Mantra’s irregular patterning evokes a sprawling lawn of bladed grass. Playing with light and shadow, the motif is achieved using a laser-cutting technique that gives the polyester satin weave a rich sheen and appealing texture. Offered in five colourways that range from deep burgundy and blue to shades of grey and off-white. 

2

Dawn Collection by Calico Wallpaper

Seeking to cultivate much-needed optimism during last year’s global lockdowns, Calico Wallpaper co-founders Nick and Rachel Cope reached out to a few of their favourite fellow designers and invited them to reinterpret the studio’s signature dawn-to-dusk influenced Aurora collection. Collaborating remotely, the four creatives — Switzerland-based Ini Archibong, Dimorestudio of Milan, Sabine Marcelis in Rotterdam and Shanghai’s Neri&Hu — conceived distinctive and atmospheric murals inspired by current events while also looking to the future.  

A convergence of two colours — the aquamarine blue of Lake Neuchatel and his daughter’s favourite colour, pink — Archibong named his pattern Yemoja (shown at top) after a water spirit (and patron protector of women and children) in the Yoruba tradition as a reminder to “leave a tenable future for the children whose earliest memories will be of this pandemic.” Meanwhile, Dimorestudio took cues from classic Asian lacquers and lanterns for its warm rusty-red Oblio, inspired by the promise of future travels to faraway lands. 

Neri&Hu, in turn, looked to two artworks by Dutch Baroque painter Johannes Vermeer for its offering: the lemony yellows and angelic blues of The Lacemaker and the lapis lazuli in Woman Reading a Letter to offer a moment of orderly pause from the turbulent times. Last but not least, Marcelis drew from sunset view from her studio for Silhouette, an ombré that subtly transitions from warm orange to rich black that “represents the closing of a day and first signs and hope of a new day arriving.”

3

Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter by Wolf-Gordon

For its four-part contribution to Wolf-Gordon’s expansion of the Curated Collection, Brooklyn-based Studioestudio looked to seasonal weather phenomena — sun, rain, wind and snow — often depicted in Japanese woodblock prints. From Spring’s spectrum of pastel purple, beige and green (suggesting a sun-fed field of lavender) to Winter’s pale grey and steely blue (forming a snowdrift-like canvas for a smattering of parallel lines and small snowy white dots), the digitally printed artwork have unique expressions that are unified by their delicate line work and gradated backgrounds.

Made from durable vinyl, each is available in one standard hue and can be customized in size and scale (as well, alterations can be made to the colour and substrate they are printed on, which include embossed vinyl textures, Mylar finishes, PVC-free and textile materials, acrylic panels and window films).

4

Satellite Embroider by Carnegie

Along with a wide array of vibrant new hues added to its Xorel Meteor woven pattern (the palette now includes 80 full-spectrum options), Carnegie has also recently released three new Xorel textiles, including the Satellite Embroider that uses Meteor as its base. Drawing on years of in-depth colour research and development, the Xorel yarns manage to transmit dimensional pigments and layered tones. More rigid than fluid, the embroidered geometric grid pattern – overlapping vertical and horizontal lines, open and closed squares and rectangles – is offered in three soothing and earthy colourways that give the wallcovering both texture and nuance. Acoustical and wrapped panel applications as well as upholstery versions are available. 

5

Gild by Trove

Exploring the relationships between the natural world and the human-made one, Gild puts an organic Art Nouveau spin on the classic Art Deco stylized fan motif. One of three patterns in the new floral-inspired Cultivate Collection (a series that reflects on the resiliency of both the natural world and human nature), Gild’s cascading graphic calls to mind a jungle of large-leafed plants — or perhaps translucent jellyfish — and offers a dynamic interplay of movement and depth.

Made from a propriety polyester/natural fibre blend (with minimum 36 per cent post-consumer recycled content), Gild is available in four colourways — two light and two dark.