DECORATING TREND: ARE TROPICAL BIRDS THE NEW PALM PRINT?

Move over palms. Tropical birds are swooping onto our walls. From hand-painted chinoiserie wallpapers to bold jungle murals, there's been a flurry of avian activity.

JAPANESE POETRY

Caselio has introduced this ultra-feminine and delicate wall panel created in collaboration with Flouk, a French graphic design brand.

Each creation by Flouk’s artist is produced as a limited edition. The idea is to have fun with the graphics and experiment with new colour combos, shapes and materials.

In the creation of the Panoramic, above and below, she was inspired by “Kyoto’s Flowering Gardens“ where pastel colours combine with the flamboyant red of a geisha’s lips.

EASTERN ELEGANCE

We’re rather taken with this Tori Teal wallpaper at Graham and Brown – and it seems it’s not just us either – it’s been selected by their design team as their wallpaper of the year for 2019 – based on current trend themes. One of which is Kabuki, which refers to the elaborate form of Japanese dance drama.

Against a rich teal background, sits a trail of beautiful birds in shades of pink and purple, hand-painted in Graham & Brown‘s studio and given a soft sheen to resemble the silk texture of original chinoiseries. The Kabuki trend strikes a balance between the serene and the theatrical, and this wallpaper ticks both boxes in our book.

DELICIOUSLY DELICATE

Internationally renowned for their beautiful hand-painted chinoiserie wallpapers and fabrics, we’re swooning over de Gournay‘s Amazonia design, created in collaboration with Florentine shoe company, Aquazurra (the artwork has also been applied to a footwear collection).

A dazzling array of flora and fauna are depicted amidst verdant palms and banana leaf plants. Toucan’s, Lovebirds, Parrots and Macaws fill the branches alongside jewel-toned serpents, decorative butterflies and swinging monkeys in a scene of intricate splendour rendered entirely by hand, now part of de Gournay’s permanent collection.

PARADISE FOUND

The new Sumi-e collection at Galerie Wallcoverings encompasses a flurry of floral and feathered action. Influenced by the Sumi-e philosophy, for black ink painting, introduced to Japan by the Zen monks, the designs represents nature and harmony – and spans panoramic portrayals and quieter repeat prints and softer tones.

This wall mural is a riot of colour. Pretty fab, huh?

For a more serene setting, choose the sketched style of this subtle Crane print. Against the inky green backdrop it immediately evokes a sense of calm.

JUNGLE FEVER

Toucans and lush, tropical foliage in contrasting shades make an appearance in an exotic line drawn design, on this Ipanema wallpaper from John Lewis.