I have noticed a trend over the past few years for ombré wallpapers, papers that have subtle color shifts or blends from one color to another. This creates quite a beautiful effect and can introduce multiple colors in a room without weighing down the design with a heavy pattern. Not that I have anything against pattern, mind you. A wonderful example of these papers can be seen in the Aurora line by Calico Wallpaper. Aurora Ray contains a subtle color change from a cool gray to orange and is a beautiful combination of traditional craft with new technology, being a digital print of a handmade original.
The studio designers studied the art of fabric dying to develop their own technique. Organic linen is painted or dipped in a liquid containing a suspension of organic mineral pigments and the colors are allowed to bleed. To produce the Aurora wallpaper from the handmade original the painted or dyed linen is divided into sections and then captured with hi-res digital photography. These sections are then rejoined in Photoshop and enlarged to create a continuous non-repeating color blend design. The digital printing allows the papers to be scaled to fit the desired wall, and also allows the design to be printed on paper stock that meets safety codes for both residential and commercial buildings.
Calico Wallpaper is a Brooklyn-based studio founded by Rachel Mosler and Nick Cope in 2013.
