2009 Momentum - Glashütte Original

London company Fromental produces wallpaper
exclusively for the luxury segment. The hand-painted or opulently
embroidered silk wall coverings of founding designers Lizzie
Deshayes and Tim Butcher incorporate motifs from traditional
Chinoiserie such as lotus flowers and ornamental carp (see left)
or feature simple, elegant striped patterns. The designs are all conceived
in England but produced exclusively in China, where the
silk-weaving tradition reaches back centuries. A single strip of wallpaper,
measuring 91 x 200 cm, takes up to 600 hours to make.
Fromental was founded in 2005 and achieved its breakthrough the
following year when the designer duo received a large commission
from casino mogul Steve Wynn. The wealthy businessman ordered
1,400 metres of paper for his Wynn Las Vegas and over 900 metres
for a hotel complex in Macao. www.fromental.co.uk
Lisa Bengtsson’s wallpapers tell stories. The 27-year-old
is part of Sweden’s young designer elite. As soon as she had graduated
from college, the young graphic artist founded her own
company designing tableware, fabrics and wallpapers. Her very
first wallpaper design, “Family”, proved to be a big hit. The range
features picture frames of various sizes which buyers can adorn with
photographs or decoration, or just leave blank. For Lisa, this is an
expression of the fact that all of us lead very different, individual
lives. Lisa’s second design, “Svärmor” – wallpaper covered with
black-and-white prints of shoes – sends us on a journey through
time: “Each type of shoe represents a different period of
life.” The wallpaper pictured here, on the other hand,
printed with intertwined flowers, birds and photos of
Edith Piaf, is open to interpretation. “Edith” is particularly
impressive when used on the ceiling, enabling day -
dreamers to look up and behold the images from the
comfort of the bed or sofa. www.lisabengtsson.se