How Do I Choose the Best Nouveau Wallpaper?

When choosing the best art nouveau wallpaper, you should consider whether you are having a professional installation or if it is a do-it-yourself project. It also is important to determine if you want an original wallpaper, a reproduction pattern, or a modern design based on an original art nouveau design. Generally, when retailers sell wallpaper, they list the style that inspired the design, such as the art nouveau style, but you should know the basic design elements of the art style to prevent you from inadvertently buying the wrong design.

Artists created the art nouveau style in the late 1800s, and it was popular until World War I. The style reflected the changes that were occurring in society — the advent of electricity, the automobile, and other life-altering changes. The art was fluid and dreamlike and romanticized common household objects. It decorated common objects and featured them in the art. The art style evolved into other art styles, such as art deco and the fluid art of the 1960s. Therefore, if you are a purist, you should research whether your chosen wallpaper is art nouveau or one of its successors.

Art nouveau is a style of design that developed in several different countries during the same period. The name "art nouveau" is derived from the French word nouveau, which means "new," but in France the movement was known as Guimard, because the French artist Hector Guimard was famous for the style. It was known as stile floreale in Italy, meaning a floral style, modernisme in Spain, and stile liberty in Britain after the British art nouveau master Arthur Lasenby Liberty. In Austria, people called the movement the Sezessionstil, and in Germany it was Jugendstil. Knowing what the different names are will help you during your search for wallpaper and especially if you use the Internet, which provides information from many different countries and cultures.

There are basic questions that a person must consider when using wallpaper. By researching which type of wallpaper and wallpaper installation is best for you, you will help to ensure success in the project. You should consider the type of wallpaper material, the type of glue, the surface texture, and other factors. Other important factors concern the environment where you will place the wallpaper, including the climate, the type of traffic the room will receive, and the room's function.

Another factor in choosing the best art nouveau wallpaper is whether you are restoring a building from the period and seeking authentic art nouveau design or whether you want paper that has certain elements of the art style. Some companies offer reproductions of the original art nouveau artists, such as Jennie B. Jones' wallpaper. Some modern artists use the original wallpapers and art nouveau artwork as inspiration. Often the price of the original wallpaper is prohibitive, and you can use reproduction work effectively.

Flowers are very common in art nouveau wallpaper design. Even in the non-botanical designs, there is often a suggestion of leaves, tendrils, or flower parts. Most art nouveau artwork features curves — flowing arcs, graceful serpentine bends, or dramatic whiplash lines. The designs mimic reality, but in a stylized way, with little shading to give the three dimensional effect. The flat, two-dimensional look is reminiscent of book and magazine illustrations.

Often interior designers of the art nouveau period used a frieze, or a wide border, at the top of the room. Some companies offer wallpaper borders that mimic these stenciled borders. Traditionally, muted or neutral room paint colors allowed the more colorful stenciled frieze to be the prominent room decoration. By pairing the art nouveau wallpaper border with simpler, quieter wallpaper designs, you can achieve the traditional look in a modern setting. Many art nouveau wallpaper designs feature tone-on-tone or monochromatic color schemes with coordinating borders.