Last Friday, I joined “Mr. Wallpaper” on location in Atlanta to learn more about wallpaper from his perspective as a master hanger. Tory was surprised when I reached out, wondering why I would want to see him work, but for me this was a unique and exciting opportunity.
Tory trimming a silk wallcovering on the ceiling
When I led a workshop on wallpaper design with Practice Makes Practice last year, I included a slide to talk about the shift in perspective that I’ve had over the years. Originally, I drew designs with my nose close to the paper - far from the printing and installation, but it is the real spaces and the lives of people living in them that inform every aspect of a design: scale, color, theme, etc.
That the other perspective and process that I’ve had to learn over the years: starting from the end, where we envision the wallpaper being installed and working backwards to bring the details of the design in to focus.
The work of installers is at the meeting of these perspectives, where my dreams meet the dreams of the clients. When their work goes well, it’s unseen, but that doesn’t happen by magic. For any project to go as well as possible, the wallpaper needs to be the best quality and the installation instructions need to be clear for hangers to use. For me to know the challenges they face helps me to be a better designer so that I can work with them to help transform rooms.
I got to see Tory’s talent before I even arrived on site when he told me he had to stop to buy a stain for the seams. The lustrous silk wallcovering he was installing had shrunk by a hair, so he had to find a matching acrylic to lightly cover the wall peaking through.
Tory started by working with his family during the ‘80s, and that experience was evident seeing him paint seams and answer the phone and my many question while moving around the room for hours on stilts. It was a great opportunity to connect with a real master. You can find Tory at Mr.WallpaperAtlanta.com.
By March, I’ll have more new designs added here to the site, and I’m working on several other exciting projects already this year. Stay tuned for more.