Shop Here: NewWall
Editor’s note: This feature story was published in spring 2014. For up-to-date info, refer to our NewWall store listing.
No, your GPS hasn’t led you astray. A boutique wallpaper showroom really does exist in this Mississauga industrial park, and its clean, bright interior – from polished floors and elegant furnishings, to colourful displays – will make you forget the concrete jungle outside.
Instead of the predictable shelves and bins crammed with rolls of paper, the walls are enveloped in 2-D coverings with startling 3-D quality – too enticing not to run your hands along each surface. The textures range from metallic and silky, to raised fuzzy veneers and embossed leathery finishes. Owner Maria Raco wants her clients to first imagine the possibilities before sitting down to discuss project specifics – an approach she learned years ago in the fashion industry (the niche world of high‐end wallpaper is not unlike that of couture). She also holds the north american distribution rights to J&V Italian Design and Marimekko, along with the Canadian rights for Calico.
Raco’s stock reflects a refined spectrum: Marimekko’s playful, oversized graphics in a bold colour palette; J&V Italian Design’s textured substrates fused with photorealistic imagery; and Calico’s hypnotic gilded and marbled paper, printed on Mylar, that evokes a moonscape.
SHOP HERE FOR: Whimsical and innovative wallcoverings with timeless appeal, from brands you’ll be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
