We can thank modern print technology for making vinyl wallcovering one of the most desirable finishes found in luxury homes and commercial spaces like five-star hotels and super-luxury retailers.

Everyone knows how great wallcovering is when they experience it first hand, but wallcovering has a lot of other benefits that not many people know about. So, let’s talk about some amazing advantages of wallcovering.

Vinyl Wallcovering Benefits

It Is Memorable

Installing wallcovering in a space can turn plain walls into a visual experience. There are literally thousand of patterns, designs and textures that can transform any space into a memorable experience. Something that even paint can not attempt to replicate.

Retail spaces need to be inviting and comfortable.  Customers will not only remember the brand for its great products and services, but they’ll also remember how they felt when they were in the branded space. Think Starbucks for example.

Designer Sasha Andersen developed a custom design showcasing Starbucks coffee in a “Modern Victorian” style (Below Left) developed on wallcoverings in Starbucks stores in the Chicago-Land area.

Sasha also created a sales cashwrap design in vinyl wallcovering (Below right) showcasing the coffee process; from coffee cherry branches, to coffee beans, to your Starbucks cup. The pattern was reproduced for stores in Texas and Seattle in varying color options of their choosing.

Sasha’s work is not only memorable…it tells a story. Clients like Starbucks, Adidas, and Marriot rely on her to create some of the most brilliantly designed branding concepts often displayed in their retail spaces.

Photo: Sasha Andersen

Photo Sasha Andersen

Customizable, Yet Inexpensive

Wallcovering can be 100% customizable.  From hand painted, to murals to LED…wallcovering is literally the new virtual reality except you can touch it, feel it, and experience it for real.  If you can think it, it can be created, printed and installed.

Reinforcing Brand Impression

With a custom wallpaper, you can reinforce the brand messaging with colors, logos, and even wordmarks. Brands that have multiple locations can keep the branded space uniform and consistent, which is the ultimate goal of commercial business…brand consistency.

Permanent or Temporary Solutions

Although there are multiple types of wallcovering, the latest adhesives make wallcovering so easy to remove that it makes interchangeability seamless. This allows for a varying degree of permanence, depending on what you need.

Some businesses want to style their walls in holiday designs like Christmas or Patriotic themed for the 4th of July, or use wallcovering for tradeshow booths, while others prefer permanent solutions that fit with the product or service being sold.

Cost Efficient

Wallcoverings can last much longer than paint, up to five times in normal conditions. Wallcovering installation may cost more upfront, but the return on investment keeps the space looking newer longer. Savings of up to 30% can be realized, over the wallcoverings lifetime as it needs virtually no maintenance.

Maintenance Free

In commercial spaces painted walls suffer from daily abrasions and wear much faster than wallcovering.  Not to mention walls need to be cleaned or touched up regularly in order to maintain a fresh appearance. Wallpaper, on the other hand, require a lot less maintenance because it is often thick enough to withstand abrasions and scuffs that can be easily wiped off regularly without wearing away the affected surface area.

Eco-Friendly

The technology used to print wallcoverings is Eco-friendly and doesn’t harm the environment around us. This is due to the fact that latex or water-based ink is used in the process of printing. Water based ink is non-toxic. Also, wallcovering comes in paper wrapping that can be easily be recycled.  Also, wallcovering waste is often minimal when ordered properly.

A good use for leftover wallcovering material is floor protection, wrapping for the protection of goods, and lining draws in kitchens.

Paint, on the other hand, come in buckets and metal cans that if not properly cleaned and disposed of can lead to contaminated water supplies of drinking water. A big problem among painters is their lack of proper disposal of half used paint buckets and cans that do not properly get recycled and eventually cause environmental damage to plants and animals.

The best way to recycle paint is to go on www.paintcare.org and find a recycling center near you.  If you do not live in a PaintCare state, please lobby your state and federal congressmen and congresswomen to get one started near you.