Luxury Interior Design // The Wall Street Journal

7 Big Trends in Luxury Interior Design, According to the Pros

Assemblage Lamina Indigo Wallpaper, $2,475 a 9-foot-by-29-inch roll, HollyHunt.com Credit: F. MARTIN RAMIN/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

7. Give the Wall a Feel 

Of late, designers have been adding dramatic texture to vertical surfaces with traditional applications such as lime wash, Venetian plaster and tadelakt—to the point of overuse, says New York designer Rodney Lawrence. Conventional plaster treatments, he said, are making way for bold, shimmering surfaces conjured from unusual materials. Case in point: wall treatments that incorporate crushed minerals and gemstones.

In a repurposed seed mill in Witter, Ark., wallpaper manufacturer Assemblage blends marble dust, resin, metal leaf and micaceous powder to create one-of-a-kind papers that shine up retail spaces for brands such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton. “It’s where old materials and new technology meet,” said Heidi Batteau of the method she and husband Christian developed at their studio. “People respond because there’s an aspect of the hand that’s in it,” added Christian of the 26-layer process that yields the Lamina style shown above. “All these textures add a tactility that walls don’t always have.” You’d need about eight rolls, Heidi estimates, to cover the average bedroom.

By Maria Neuman // Wall Street Journal