Eco friendly wallcoverings

100% paper wallpapers

100% paper wallpapers have a classic matt appearance that many people desire and are often surface printed, so they have a hand blocked appearance. They tend to be manufactured in the UK or Europe, which is another bonus.

Look for wallpaper made from 100% paper pulp. These are more likely to be ‘past-the-paper’, similar to the traditional papers your parents may have hung on their walls. I’m referring to the way they are manufactured, not the patterns your parents might have had!

With paper in the name, you’d naturally assume all wallpapers are made entirely from paper. But the fact is, the vast majority of wallpapers nowadays are non-woven, made using a combination of paper and manmade fibres. A bit like a teabag which cannot fully compost because of the plastic content in the bag. Developed in the mid-2000s, non-woven papers are aimed at DIYers who are not proficient at wallpapering. Non-woven papers should be avoided as they are not eco-friendly.

Some people will say paste-the-paper wallpapers are inferior in quality in comparison, but that’s down the the thickness of the paper. Cheaper brands can easily tear in the wrong hands, but better brands use a much thicker paper. Either way, a professional decorator will have no problem at all.

Natural glasscloth

This is a very eco friendly wallpaper made using natural fibres like grasses, hemp, jute, sisal or dried reeds. These are woven in a complex process using cotton yarn and other natural materials, before being applied to a paper backing. The components are renewable, non toxic, and low energy is used in the manufacturing process.

The resulting product often has a fine weave which gives it an almost silk effect look. The nature of this paper means that you will have visible joins, but this unique look is part of its charm and gives a stunning appearance.

Grasscloth wallpaper is one of the world’s oldest form of interior wall finish, dating back to 107 – 220 AD in China. The manufacturing process and materials are almost unchanged. Most grasscloth wallcovering manufacturers are based in Asia, so far from local to the UK, but their production provides local employment and maintains traditional crafts. Look for papers that are fully stocked in the UK, as they reached our shores in bulk, travelling by container ship not aircraft.

Natural fibre grasscloth wallpaper is a great material for feature walls and is available in a wide range of colours. It is also highly breathable and the textured weave lends itself to covering minor imperfections. To hang grasscloth wallpaper usually requires a medium to advanced level of expertise.

Cork

Popular in the 1970s, cork wallpaper has become popular once again with some incredible products now available. Some have metallic finishes, which create a very elegant room, some even have printed designs. 

Cork wallpapers have very good thermal insulation properties, so they help to reduce your home’s energy consumption. They are particularly good for sound insulation. Another positive feature is that cork is naturally anti-bacterial, hypoallergenic and anti-static – perfect for anyone with asthma or allergies.

Cork is a renewable resource. It is the bark of ‘Quercus suber’, the Cork Oak Tree which predominantly grows in Southern Europe. The bark is peeled from the tree every three years, in controlled amounts, allowing the bark to regrow again. The tree has a 2 metre long tap root so it can happily endure drought, and therefore doesn’t require lots of water to grow. Trees that are harvested for their cork can live for up to 200 years.

Cork wallpaper consists of a paper backing with a veneer using thin slices of cork oak bark. It’s a very labour intensive process of production. It’s starts with workers manually selecting and peeling the cork from the tree. It is left to dry outside for 6+ months, then steamed and smoothed before being rested (matured) for a further 6 to 9 months. A further stage involves cooking the bark to increase its flexibility before then drying it again. The individual slices of cork veneer are arranged and manually glued (“laminated”) on a paper carrier. This creates an individual pattern, so each roll of cork wallpaper is truly unique and unrepeatable.

Hand painted finishes

Rather than adhering something to the wall, consider a hand painted finish.

MURALS give you the opportunity to have something fun and personalised on your wall, whether in a child’s bedroom, your bedroom, or any room for that matter! Katy Rose is an illustrator based in Ventnor. I will work with Katy to come up with something unique to you which Katy will then paint on your wall. Having a mural is a wonderful solution for an awkwardly shaped wall. One of Katy’s murals is pictured below – she designed it for The Tea House in Ventnor.

BLOCK PRINTING using an Indian carved wooden block, is a repeat design that is hand printed onto a wall. Although a repeating design, one printed pattern is never the same as another due to the nature of hand blocking. It is the answer to patterned walls in a bathroom where a paper wallcovering would not be practical due to the damaging effects of steam.

STENCILS are a fantastic way to add drama to a space, and work with difficult shaped walls. Long gone are twee grape and floral designs of the 1990s, today there are some fabulous and bold designs from modern geometric repeating patterns to giant mandalas 1.3 meters diameter! Dizzy Duck Designs are my go-to company for fun stencil designs.

Paste

If you’ve decided to go for an eco-friendly wallcovering, you also need to buy an eco-friendly wallpaper paste. 

The typical brands sold in DIY stores contain unpleasant ingredients. But there are a few companies who sell eco-friendly paste.

Earthborn make a water soluble wallpaper paste that is both acrylic and solvent free. It is made from non toxic, non allergenic methyl cellulose and is also free from fungicides, preservatives and synthetic resins. Its excellent adhesive properties are not disadvantaged by its purity. Earthborn Wallpaper Paste makes a great job of any wallpaper, including heavily textured and fabric wall coverings.

Auro make Wallpaper Paste No 389. Aimed at DIYers and professionals, their biocide-free paste makes easy wallpapering of both thin and heavy material types. Just mix the powder made of pure methyl cellulose with water.

Little Greene also make a solvent-free wallpaper paste. It is an easy-to-use solution that contains no solvents.