L'Elegance Wallpaper

Recently, I have come across several nicely made US contract vinyl wallcoverings that are called Facelift, Statement, Revolution and Evolution. They are distributed exclusively by a company based in Hong Kong called L'Elegance Global. I think they have offices throughout the Asia-Pacific region from Hong Kong, Shanghai to Seoul and Singapore.

L'Elegance - Shanghai

I just came across this wonderful showroom/gallery on my vacation in Shanghai called L'Elegance. My friend brought me there and I think it's pretty great. If I remember correctly, they sell wallpapers, carpets and other interior finishes.

List of Wallpaper Companies

Akzo Nobel Decorative Coatings
Alta Gamma II
Ametex/Robert Allen Contract Fabrics
Andre Bon, Inc.
Aspects
Arc-Com Fabrics, Inc.
Architex/Liz Jordon Hill
Arspec Contract Wallcovering
Authentic Reproductions
Bailey & Griffin, Inc.
Bammental Wallcoverings, Inc.
Barnaby Prints, Inc.
Bassett McNab Co.
Alexander Beauchamp
Beacon Hill Showrooms
B. Berger Co.
Blumenthal, Inc.
BN International
Bolta
Boussac of France, Inc.
Brandt’s Wallcovering & Fabric
Brewster Wallcovering Company
Brunschwig & Fils

C & A Contract Wallcoverings
Manuel Canovas, Inc.
Carleton V, Ltd.
Carey Lind Designs
Chapters Wallcoverings
China Seas, Inc.
Clarence House Imports
Collins &n Aikman Wallcoverings, Inc.
Colour & Design
Columbus Coated Fabric/ div. of Borden, Inc.
Contract Wallcoverings
Country Life
Cowtan & Tout
Robert Crowder & Co.
Crown Corporation, NA, A Div of Mile Hi Crown, Inc.


Daedong Wallpaper Co., Ltd.
Decorators Walk
DeNovo
DesignTex
Donghia Furniture/Textiles
Domus Parati SRL
Dongseo International, Inc.

Eisenhart Wallcoverings Co.
Essex
F.S. Contract
Peter Fasano Ltd.
Fashon Wallcoverings
Fern I. Tchur
Fidelity Industries
Fonthill Ltd.
Franciscan Fabrics
Genon Contract Wallcovering
Gilford Wallcoverings, Inc.
David Goldberg Design Corporation
Philip Graf Wallpapers/Div. of Spring Street Designs, Inc.
Guard Contract Vinyl Wallcovering


HXVII-A Holly Hunt Gallery
Hines & Co.
Hinson & Company
House of Verde
Christopher Hyland, Inc

Ideco
Imperial Wallcovering, Inc.
IRM Italy
International
J.M. Lynne Wallcoverings
Katzenbach & Warren, Inc.
Kirk-Brummel Associates
Walter Knabe
Kneedler-Fauchere
Koroseal
Korogard
Kravet Fabrics, Inc.
Kyokko Co., Ltd.

Lanark

LarsenLaue, Inc.

Lee Jofa, Inc.

Leco-Werke

L.B.I. Boyd

Lin-tex



Maharam

Marburg Wallcoverings, Inc.

Marimekko

Maya Romanoff

MDC Wallcoverings

Gene McDonald, Inc.

Micio & Company Inc

Millennium Mill
Paul Montgomery Studio
Ben Morris
Motif Designs
Mulberry at Home
T. Murakami & Co.
Muresco
Murlin Company
New Age Wallcoverings
Newtex Industries, Inc.
Christopher Norman, Inc.
Novo/Wallco International, Inc.


Omexco N.V.
Opuzen
Original Impressions Ltd
Charles Otto Wallpapers

Pacific Wallcoverings Ltd.
Pageant Wallpaper Corp.
Palais/MGA
Palette Prints
Pallas Textiles
Parkview Designs
Patterson-Piazza, Inc.
Planox B.V.
Prestige Screen Prints, Ltd.
Priss Prints, Inc.

Rainbow Creations, Inc.
Randolph & Hein, Inc.
Carolyn Ray, Inc.
Rigo Wallcoverings, Inc.
The Maya Romanoff Corp.
Rosecore Handprints
Roysons Corp.

Scalamandre
Schumacher
J. Robert Scott, Inc.
Seabrook Wallcoverings, Inc.
Sellers & Josephson, Inc.
Silk Dynasty Inc.
Sincol of America, Inc.
Sonia’s Place
Stroheim & Romann, Inc
Summer Hill, Ltd.
Surface Print, Co. Ltd
Symphony

Tapetex
Telio & Cie
Textural Systems, Inc.
Thibaut Wallcoverings
Three Sisters Studios
Thybony
Tower
Turner Wallcoverings Ltd.

Unique Wall Fashions, Inc.
United Wallcoverings
US Vinyl

Van Maele
Versa
Vescom
Victorian Collectibles, Ltd.
Vicrtex
Village Wallcoverings
Vymura
Vycon Contract 54

Walldesigns
Wallquest, Inc.
The Warner Co.,
Grey Watkins Ltd.
Waverly Designer Series
Westgate Fabrics, Inc.
Winfield Wallcoverings
Wolf Gordon, Inc.

Xquest Wallcoverings

Yangki
York Wallcovering

Zax,Inc.
Zina Studios, Inc.

Denovo Wallcovering

Project Development International Corporation (http://www.pdicusa.com) is the Exclusive Distributor for Denovo Wall (a premier vinyl wallcovering line) in the Asia-Pacific.

Colour & Design Wallcovering

Project Development International Corporation (http://www.pdicusa.com) is the Exclusive Distributor for Colour & Design (a premier vinyl wallcovering line) in the Asia-Pacific.

The Uses of Wallpaper

Like paint, wallpaper requires proper surface preparation before application. Additionally, wallpaper is not suitable for all areas. For example, bathroom wallpaper may deteriorate rapidly due to excessive steam. In fact, one of the ways to remove wallpaper is to apply steam, usually from a wallpaper steamer that consists of a reservoir of water, an electric heating element, and a hose to direct the steam at the wallpaper. The steam dissolves the wallpaper paste, allowing the wallpaper to be peeled off. However, care must be taken to prevent damage to the drywall underneath.

A newer method of wallpaper stripping is the Wallwik approach, which is to apply damp sheets of wallwik fabric to the wallpaper. It uses no caustic chemicals and no heavy steam equipment -- just water, and a small amount of solution and a scoring tool. The drywall remains undamaged, whereas often with steaming approach underlying plaster can end up crumbling leaving an uneven surface.

Old paper can also be scored with a tool that looks like a hand sander with sharp wheels/teeth, then sprayed with warm water or a mixture of warm water and vinegar. After about three applications, the paper (even multiple layers) can be removed easily with the aid of a putty knife.......

Source: Wikipedia.

All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.

The History of Wallpaper

Wallpaper gained popularity in Renaissance Europe amongst the emerging gentry. The elite of society were accustomed to hanging large tapestries on the walls of their homes, a tradition from the Middle Ages. These tapestries added colour to the room as well as providing an insulating layer between the stone walls and the room, thus retaining heat in the room. However, tapestries were extremely expensive and so only the very rich could afford them. Less well-off members of the elite, unable to buy tapestries due either to prices or wars preventing international trade, turned to wallpaper to brighten up their rooms.

Early wallpaper featured scenes similar to those depicted on tapestries, and large sheets of the paper were hung loose on the walls, in the style of tapestries. Wallpaper became very popular in England following Henry VIII's excommunication from the Catholic Church - English aristocrats had always imported tapestries from Flanders and Arras, but Henry VIII's split with the Catholic Church had resulted in a fall in trade with Europe and increased wars. Unable to import tapestries and without any tapestry manufacturers in England, English gentry and aristocracy alike turned to wallpaper.

During The Protectorate under Oliver Cromwell, England became an austere and dull country, and the manufacture of wallpaper, seen as a frivolous item by the Puritan government, was halted. Following the Restoration of Charles II, wealthy people across England began demanding wallpaper again - Cromwell's regime had imposed a boring culture on people, and following his death, wealthy people began purchasing comfortable domestic items which had been banned under the Puritan state. By the mid-eighteenth century, Britain was the leading wallpaper manufacturer in Europe, exporting vast quantities to Europe in addition to selling on the middle-class British market.

During the Napoleonic Wars, trade between Europe and Britain evaporated, resulting in the gradual decline of the wallpaper industry in Britain. However, the end of the war saw a massive demand in Europe for British goods which had been inaccessible during the wars, including cheap, colourful wallpaper. The development of steam-powered printing presses in Britain in 1813 allowed manufacturers to mass-produce wallpaper, reducing its price and so making it affordable to working-class people. Wallpaper enjoyed a huge boom in popularity in the nineteenth century, seen as a cheap and very effective way of brightening up cramped and dark rooms in working-class areas. By the early twentieth century, wallpaper had established itself as one of the most popular household items across the Western world.

Source: Wikipedia.

All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.