Student designers go wild for eco wallpaper

Home decoration has gone back to nature -- no, don't worry leopard-print curtains aren't in, but eco wallpapers definitely are. Designed by budding interior designers from the prestigious Central Saint Martins college and commissioned by exclusive wallpaper company Graham and Brown, they're made from sustainably-sourced Finnish wood and produced in a super-green factory.

It all started when Graham and Brown encouraged 22 students to submit a design brief for eco-friendly wallpaper. The company then chose five winning designs, which were manufactured and recently unveiled at the 100% Design exhibition in London.

So what about that sustainable material? Well, all the paper comes from wood sourced in FSC-certified forests in Finland, the gold standard in good wood. Even the tractors used in the forests run on vegetable oil. The plant in Blackburn where the wallpaper is manufactured is also on the ball, reusing heat produced by the furnaces. The wallpaper is biodegradable, compostable and only printed with non-solvent inks -- while the packaging is made from corn husk rather than plastic.

We're fans, but what do the experts say? Clara Vuletich, a wallpaper and textile designer with a special interest in eco design, told us: 'It's great to see a wallpaper company cleaning up their production processes, and also engaging students in these issues. And the actual designs are great, too.'

The eco wallpapers are available for £25 per roll at Graham and Brown or on 0800 328 8452.

The winning eco-designs

Bitten

Fossil

Rainforest

Urban Birdcage

 Eco Highway

Related Links

• SmartPlanet