If you want to add notes of novelty and exoticism to the interior of your home, you should take a closer look at finishing materials that imitate various natural textures. Stone and wood cladding looks traditional, which cannot be said about original leather-look wallpaper. All the secrets of stunning-looking wall coverings lie in the ability of decorators to create canvases with a believable imitation of the skin of any animal, be it the rarest leopard or python.
Leather-look wallpaper with a pattern
Thanks to innovations in the field of large-format printing and the production of finishing materials, all animal lovers have the opportunity to recreate images of unique colors of skins on the walls of the house without harm to mammals, reptiles and other representatives of the planet’s fauna. Leather-look wallpaper perfectly accurately conveys intricate patterns, multi-colored colors, the relief of shells, and the texture of the skin of any animal. By decorating the walls with wallpaper with leather prints, the interior will be transformed beyond recognition, symbolizing respect for the surrounding wild nature.
Wallpaper under the skin: all the secrets of the history of the appearance of leather finishing
Leather-like wallpaper in light shades
This noble type of home decoration has always been very popular. The ancient Arabs were fluent in the technique of dressing animal skins. It was used not only for sewing clothes, but also to create unique canvases for covering walls. Multicomponent ornaments and designs were applied to them using embossing techniques using gold and silver organic paints. The warmest cladding material in the world not only ennobled the ascetic appearance of the housing, but also perfectly neutralized the cold of the stone walls.
Wallpaper under the skin
Hand-made leather-look wallpaper for walls was the result of the fine filigree work of artisans. The style of decoration, color scheme, and decorative design of the original paintings had no analogues in the world. Unique products were highly valued and in high demand among the noble elite. In the Baroque era, palace apartments shimmered with iridescence on white leather-look wallpaper covered with mother-of-pearl wax.
Wallpaper under the skin
In the 18th century, paper sheets, decorated to match the natural color of the skin of a snake, crocodile, zebra and other easily recognizable mammals, became an excellent alternative to expensive animal skins. Thanks to the modernization of printing equipment and the development of embossing techniques, it was possible to fully imitate the texture and color of genuine skins on paper coverings.
Wallpaper under the skin
Today, leather colors and textures in the interior are again at the peak of popularity. Manufacturers not only identically copy the natural color of the skins, but also enhance their visual effect using 3D printing , LED lighting , and fluorescent coating. As a result, leather-look wallpaper in the interior dynamically glows in the dark, surprises with its three-dimensional texture, and demonstrates in all its glory the wall covering that shines in the light.
Leather wallpaper - interior respectability
The idea of producing leather wallpaper belongs to the Spaniards; they produce truly unusual panels that will definitely help transform any interior. By the way, using the example of this material, you can once again make sure that everything new is well forgotten old! After all, our distant ancestors, trying to decorate and insulate their homes, used animal skins and skins. In general, the peak of popularity for using leather occurred in the Baroque era; in those days, leather panels coated with silver, glazed, and simply painted in all sorts of colors were in great demand.
But in the 18th century, during the era of classicism, this type of wallpaper lost its relevance, and now, after hundreds of years, leather again became a favorite.
But let's start in order, what are leather wallpapers made of? Such wallpaper is made from ox and buffalo hides. To do this, the skin is immersed in special herbal compounds, then the resulting canvas is covered with natural dyes, and the resulting effect is secured with a composition based on ordinary beeswax. As a result of the manipulations described above, an environmentally friendly, beautiful, durable, unusual material with beautiful colors is obtained.
In the interior, leather wallpaper looks very stylish, luxurious and presentable, but they have a significant drawback - high cost (around 4000 per 1 km2).
But there are many more advantages:
— leather wallpaper is not flammable;
— the material copes well with the problem of excess noise, as it is endowed with soundproofing qualities;
— in addition, wallpaper retains heat in the room;
- easy to care for (more on this below);
- wallpaper will look equally good both in a room completely covered with it, and partially. This material can be used to highlight one wall or cover the inside of an improvised niche;
— the material goes well with wood, metal, fabrics;
— embossed leather wallpaper with silver or golden patterns will give the room a bohemian chic, adding elegance and the desired effect.
Now let's look at caring for leather wallpaper. In fact, everything is simple, the surface can be periodically wiped with a dry, soft cloth, or you can also use wet wipes. But you need to forget about products with abrasive particles once and for all, otherwise unnecessary scratches and abrasions will appear on the skin.
How to glue leather wallpaper.
The walls must be prepared, leveled, puttied, primed, and dried. The main thing is that there are no grease stains, dirt, dust particles, cobwebs, wax, or silicone on the surface.
To begin with, you need to know that this type of wallpaper must undergo a kind of acclimatization; for this, the rolls must lie in the room being wallpapered for 24 hours.
Immediately before pasting, it is necessary to carefully remove the film protecting the adhesive layer (the film is removed gradually as the canvas is glued). Apply the wallpaper to the surface of the wall, pressing it tightly to the surface, and to avoid the appearance of bubbles, you can use a special wallpaper spatula. If additional gluing is required in some places, the main thing is not to use adhesives containing solvents, otherwise the material may be damaged. Also, the wallpaper should not be pulled, tugged or pulled.
Leather wallpaper - examples:
Finally, I would like to note an important fact: leather wallpaper is very durable, moreover, over the years it does not deteriorate, but only gets prettier, looks more expressive and respectable.
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Wallpaper under the skin: distinctive features
Dark leather-look wallpaper
Elements of non-standard wall decoration with an original design are made from natural cowhide, vinyl, acrylic, with a non-woven base. They share many advantageous features:
- ease and speed of wall finishing;
- thin-layer coatings, which eliminates the effect of narrowing the space in contrast to brick or stone cladding;
- versatility of use for both background and fragmentary finishing of accent walls in any room;
- creating the effect of radiating warmth emanating from the natural color of animals, typical of softness and texture of skins.
Leather-look wallpaper in the bedroom
By using crocodile-skin wallpaper in the living room or bedroom, you can economically create a memorable interior design. It is worth focusing on the correct choice of walls in rooms for different purposes. In recreation areas, it is wise to use them to decorate the area of the room where the head of the bed is located. In the living room, the ideal place for gluing them would be near the fireplace or any other accent wall.
Crocodile skin wallpaper
The eccentric appearance of snakeskin wallpaper excites the imagination, delights in the proportional ornamentation of natural patterns, and excites with the impulsiveness of a dangerous reptile. Therefore, in bedrooms and other lounge areas, such wall decoration should be out of sight of those relaxing on a bed or sofa.
Wallpaper under the skin
When choosing wall coverings that imitate leather, it is advisable to choose options with a soft base and an expressive surface structure. In this design, they look most realistic to match expensive natural samples.
Interior design with leather wallpaper
As you already understand, modern technologies can imitate any color and texture of skin, from bovine to crocodile or snake. And they do it completely believably. This decor is not simple; it obliges the rest of the furnishings to match the chosen style. There is a fine line here, after crossing which the interior goes from the category of fashionable and modern to the category of tasteless and rough, the comfort of the hearth disappears, and in its place comes the brutality of a primitive hut.
- It’s rare that all the walls of a room are covered with leather wallpaper. This is a decor that is serious enough to cover the entire room with. As a rule, one wall is allocated for leather finishing: in the office or living room - in the relaxation area near the sofa or armchairs, in the bedroom - at the head of the bed, in the hallway it is a wall free from furniture.
- Fragments. They are also used in fragments, especially for wallpapers imitating the skin of reptiles, which emit quite strong energy. For example, wallpaper with imitation snake or crocodile skin looks strict and is used to place the main accents in the room.
Reptile skin wallpaper photo
- Style directions. Natural leather colors without obvious shine, especially the type of carriage screed, are well suited for finishing interiors in a classic style, bedrooms, and accent areas of the living room. Python skin will emphasize the business seriousness of the office. Textured, voluminous finish will fit perfectly into a palace or English style. Light leather will be an organic complement to modern styles (loft, modern), and wallpaper with zebra or leopard print will be useful for interior decoration in African style. Good lighting, large framed mirrors, wooden or leather furniture will complement the appropriate interior.
Decorators never tire of using leather-look wallpaper when decorating fashionable interiors. But they do it competently and wisely. Non-professionals can only experiment and apply a finish that is quite difficult from the point of view of perception in small areas of the room, where the annoying print will not be visible all the time.
Advantages of leather-look wallpaper with a natural base
Leather-look wallpaper with a pattern
Ultra-fashionable finishing materials with a “leather” design have similar visual features, but a completely different base and coating. The performance properties of wall coverings depend on them. Respectable-looking wallpaper made of genuine leather has impeccable characteristics:
- The heavy-duty base has a high degree of elasticity. Incredibly soft canvases cover the walls flawlessly and do not peel off in case of minor unevenness in the base.
- Natural leather-look wallpaper is made from carefully dressed hides. To eliminate the possibility of their damage and deformation, they are treated with specialized compounds.
- Among the many advantages of leather-look wallpaper with a natural base, it is worth highlighting the creation of an ideal microclimate in the house due to an environmentally friendly base, impeccable heat and sound insulation.
- No other type of finishing material is comparable to genuine leather in terms of moisture resistance. Regardless of the level of humidity in the room, wall coverings will never lose their original shape.
- Skin-like wallpapers are incredibly resistant to direct sunlight. Photos of interiors using these elite-looking coatings convince of the uniqueness of the finish and well-deserved primacy among other design delights.
Leather-look wallpaper
Depending on the degree of gloss and roughness, wallpaper is classified into smooth and matte. Single-layer smooth models are perfectly combined with premium aniline leather furniture, characterized by natural origin. Multilayer matte coatings perfectly hide minor flaws on the walls and add volume to an interior with minimal furniture.
Wallpaper under the skin
For many centuries, wallpaper made from genuine leather has created a shocking atmosphere in palaces and castles, preserving a centuries-old history and indicating their continued relevance in interior fashion. Luxurious finishing materials can be combined with leather upholstery, antlers, animal skins or other hunting trophies.
Wallpaper under the skin
Features of vinyl and non-woven wallpaper imitations
Vinyl wallpaper imitating the skin of a snake or reptile is characterized by multi-layering, plasticity, and strong adhesion to the wall. In order for these coatings to fit perfectly evenly on the base, the walls must first be leveled, plastered and primed several times. They have a washable surface, which makes cleaning much easier.
Wallpaper under the skin
The structure of any type of natural leather is imitated by imparting a characteristic relief at the stage of applying foamed vinyl to a paper base, which hardens in any desired shape. Thanks to this decorative layer, the wallpaper amazingly accurately recreates the texture of any type of leather.
Wallpaper under the skin
The only drawback of vinyl roll wallpaper is the lack of air permeability. With regular ventilation of the room and humidification of the air, this negative property is completely eliminated.
leather-like wallpaper
Non-woven crocodile skin wallpaper easily conveys natural color, scaly or perfectly smooth texture. Spraying with paints and varnishes creates the appearance of a naturally shiny coating. Among the widest range of finishing coverings with a leather theme, you can find any desired color, embodying the manifestations of wildlife in the interior.
Wallpaper under the skin
Non-woven backed wall coverings are made from organic cellulose as opposed to artificial vinyl. Thanks to this, they promote air circulation and maintain an environmentally friendly microclimate in the house. It is reasonable to use non-woven wallpaper to decorate a children's room. A fun jungle atmosphere will be created by colors matching the skin color of a tiger, giraffe or zebra.
Red leather wallpaper
To imitate the natural colors of a crocodile, turtle, snake or any other wild animal, stencils, organic dyes, and various embossing methods are used. At the final stage of processing, the canvases are coated with beeswax and acrylic varnish.
Variety of decors
The most popular design options:
Crocodile skin wallpaper
They will be a good addition to interiors decorated in the English style, known for its brutality and severity.
The color can be either a natural swamp green shade or black, brown or burgundy. The design of the material in golden or silver shades will add special luxury to the coating.
Snake skin
The skin of a snake, in particular, a python, is not so strict, so it can be used in a larger dosage than crocodile skin.
It can be represented not only by natural milky green, but also by black and white, brown or other colors. The advantage is the unevenness and volume of the relief scales.
Under the zebra
Wallpaper that recreates the skin of a zebra is a unique find for lovers of unusual accents in the interior. They will become the main highlight of a room decorated in a loft style.
At the same time, black and white is an excellent addition to the colorful design. The satin texture, reminiscent of short-cropped fur, will help smooth out the contrast of colors and add a little softness and comfort.
Design techniques for introducing leather-look wallpaper into the interior
Leather-look wallpaper
Interior trends constantly amaze us with the creativity of design solutions. These can easily include stylishly designed spatial compositions that attract attention to different manifestations of skin themes. It is wise to save phone wallpapers with the color and texture you like in the gallery in order to select an identical option from the catalog with the color scheme and texture you like.
Wallpaper under the skin
Global manufacturers offer entire collections with leather designs. Each type of wall covering can be used worthy of use in an apartment, country house, office, hotel or restaurant interior:
- Non-trivial black wallpaper with a leather look is appropriate to use for cladding a home office or library. Original dark coatings do not distract attention from philosophical reflections, friendly conversations or important negotiations. The black finish looks especially impressive with bright rays of light flowing along the walls, emanating from candles in candelabra, built-in lighting or reproducible narrowly focused spots. To avoid the feeling of discomfort in a room with black decoration, it is advisable to create a monochrome color scheme: brighten up the dark decoration of the walls with a snow-white carpet, light curtains made of airy fabric, floor lamps with bright lampshades.
- Imitation crocodile skin with a greenish tint looks organically on accent walls in tandem with bamboo panels, prototypes of impenetrable jungle vegetation on wallpaper prints. This original type of wall decoration needs to be complemented by several interior items with a typical design. For example, install a coffee table with a glass top decorated with an image of a crocodile or a wooden base with carvings in the image of a predator. The exotic interior design most appeals to the concepts of colonial, African, and Moroccan styles.
- The snakeskin color on the wallpaper looks eccentric both in the kitchen where the wall apron is and in representative areas. Fine-grained texture in tandem with multi-colored patterns creates seamless graphic compositions that do not require additional decor. It is important for them to create a light background with a sinuous direction of barely noticeable textures on a snow-white or ocher paper canvas.
Leather-look wallpaper
Leather-look wallpaper is a godsend for those who want to add unusual touches to the interior picture and focus on the natural environment. The unpredictable color of the jungle, the illusion of dynamics and movement, powerful animal energy, the diversity and pristine nature of the animal world are symbolized by wall coverings with leather designs. Having once seen a masterpiece picture of an interior with imitation leather on wallpaper, it is impossible to choose a more impressive option for decoration.
Interior ideas
Even the simplest furniture will sparkle in a new way in the presence of a wall with a zebra pattern in an unusual color.
A room in dark colors can be decorated by supporting the leather-like wallpaper with a carpet and colors on textiles.
A romantic bedroom in a classic style has a highlight in the form of golden-colored wall decoration.
Cozy living room in warm colors with leopard wallpaper.
The following video is about what kinds of wallpapers with imitation leather on a fabric base with PVC coating are available.
