FEATURE I John Biddell


LuxuryONAROLL


What does the word luxury mean to you? Comfort . . ? Elegance . . ? Opulence . . ? Well yes, all these things and more. In some ways it’s a rather nebulous concept. It certainly implies indulgence, and is something that is not within everyone’s grasp. But for me the almost overriding feeling it conveys is having something of worth. Something substantial. Something that makes you smile every time you look at it.


In this edition I’d like to focus on a product that


ticks all those boxes and then some. Luxury wallcoverings have always been around, but only as a small and very niche part of the interior design portfolio. The original luxury wallcovering was of course a beautiful fabric, often an opulent silk, stretched tightly over the entire wall. Evidence of this can still be seen in many a stately home. Fabric walling as it’s called has enjoyed somewhat of a resurgence in recent years, and is an extremely skilful process to be undertaken by a specialist. However, it’s not the traditional side of luxury


Arte: Alchemy 62 LUXURY


wallcoverings that I want to focus on but the contemporary. Over the last few years there have


been great advances in both the techniques used to create the most gorgeous of wallcoverings, and the sheer imagination of the product designers. You can now have any number of stunning wallcoverings, made of diverse materials ranging from banana leaves to sea shells, paper mache to glass beads and cork to quartz. Many manufacturers are dipping their collective


toes into this water, but for me the undisputed champions, who bring out the most fabulously mouth-watering collections time after time, are Omexco, Arte and Elitis. Pretty much all of their products tick the luxury box in terms of price, but if elegance, opulence and having something of worth


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