Swag Paper spells the end for plain walls. For too long the hassles of wallpaper have dissuaded homeowners and renters from flexing their decorative muscle. We had the chance to talk with Daniela Fields—half of the brother-and-sister team behind Swag Paper—before tonight’s Event:

For all of the people who have had a bad experience with wallpaper, what makes Swag Paper different?

When we first started our Swag Paper journey we knew we needed to be able to create a product that would set us apart from traditional wallpaper. We did research and field testing for about a year before we launched Swag Paper and I can honestly say I know more about adhesives than I ever thought humanly possible! There is a definite science behind it and it has been fascinating to discover what we think works best to be able to achieve the look of luxury wallpaper while being able to eliminate the negative experiences people associate with wallpaper.

First off, our material possesses a thin layer of pressure-sensitive adhesive that is exposed once the release liner is peeled back. You can think of it as a giant sticker! This type of adhesive allows you to be able to apply the product directly to your walls without having to add additional paste or glue. It is flexible enough to be able to reposition and remove the product easily without causing damage to your walls. That alone allows you to eliminate the commitment factor and hassle of spending money on labor, time on installation, and risk of ruining your walls. The beauty of it is that we chose a material that was also durable enough to last as little or long as you would like. The material is considered premium quality, which will achieve the look of designer wallpaper minus all the negatives!

When developing the concept for Swag Paper our goal was to come up with a good solution that would make installation a breeze. The solution was to sell Swag Paper as panels offered in varying heights to custom fit your wall. Unlike a traditional roll of wallpaper (usually sold as rolls between 30 and 50 feet long), Swag panels are printed to line up the patterns seamlessly for you. Panels arrive individually wrapped, and when unrolled, you simply peel the backing from each panel as you install them and the patterns line up side-by-side. Now you have just eliminated waste and a huge headache from attempting to do the math of pattern matching.

Lastly, we offer a unique paint-matching feature on our website that gives you suggested paint colors that match each of our patterns. This way you are not bound or committed to having to wallpaper an entire room. You can become your own designer and create a unique space while being able to harmonize your surrounding walls or furniture with matching paint colors!

Is Swag Paper more eco-friendly than traditional wallpaper?

Swag Paper is a poly-woven fabric which is vinyl free and we print using eco-friendly ink. We use kraft paper as packaging (no plastic at all) and are very green conscious.

You’ve given a china cabinet a makeover with Swag Paper for striking results. What other DIY projects have you tackled?

We have used Swag Paper on tabletops, over full dressers, underneath glass top tables and on picture/mirror frames. We have had people order our smaller panels and swatches to frame out creative collages and use on all types of furniture. We are a new business so we are always looking at new and creative ways to incorporate our product into projects.

What’s the most creative use of Swag Paper you’ve seen?

We had a customer do a collage of different pieces inside an existing panel frame she had on her wall. We have had a lot of people interested in framing Swag Paper to create artwork so we are actually introducing many of our patterns as gallery-style stretched canvas pieces. Our stretched canvas line will be launching at the beginning of February.

Where do you find inspiration for your patterns?

The inspiration for our designs comes from a combination of things we enjoy, places we have traveled, colors we love, textures we see, and of course, being able to use our graphic software to play around with shape elements. Both my brother and I grew up as artists at heart, so when it comes to inspiration, there is no set method to our madness. When we initially began the wallpaper process we did a lot of research on design trends and color theory, which we also take into consideration. The end result of many of our designs is all in the details, incorporating gradients and texture elements which make our prints more works of art as opposed to the traditional monochromatic wallpaper prints you find in a big-box retailer.

We have a baby line launching soon which was my personal favorite to create!

What trends, patterns, or collections are ahead for Swag Paper?

Our ultimate goal as artists is to expand our brand into a lifestyle of products. In the immediate future we are launching our baby line of Swag Paper (Swag Tots) along with our stretched canvas line. The stretched canvas line has been really fun to create and will include oversized pieces of some of our patterns, monogrammed triptych and quads for the baby line, and a collection of vintage map pieces.

Down the road we want to expand our work space to be able to craft other products that incorporate a variety of new materials like leathers, etc. We want to stay true to our artisan lifestyle and like to dream big!

// Shop Swag Paper until February 8, 2013 //