Stretch ceilings have been around for a long time. They have gained well-deserved popularity, a reputation for modernity and elegance. Stretch walls - an innovation in interior design. In principle, these are the same materials (polyester fabric and polyvinyl chloride), installation methods, features and qualities.
Application features
This innovation in the creation of interior and room decor is not as popular today as a stretch ceiling. But such walls were known in ancient times. True, this was a luxury and was available only to a select few, since the walls were decorated with expensive fabrics, which were needed a lot. Today, stretch walls are available to everyone who has decided on changes in their home.
The priority among design options is given to stretch walls decorated with photo printing. This method of wall decoration is leading in popularity, advantages, and artistic modifications. Original photos with landscapes and various color schemes will give a stylish look to the interior. Lamps located behind the frame will transform the room. For example, the starry sky, moonlit path, night city will look great. Sound effect will help to revive the photo printing on the stretch wall. So, the trill of birds will be a great addition to your morning coffee, and the sound of a waterfall in the bathroom will add sensations in contact with the water.
Mounting photographic structures is no different from creating ordinary walls. Options with photographic images are made using a printer, ultraviolet or eco-printing. The clarity of the lines obtained in this way is striking: on light monochromatic panels, they add saturation and volume to the drawings. Thanks to the methods used, the picture does not fade over time and does not wash off with water.
The assortment of images is diverse, so they can be selected for rooms of different styles and purposes.
The technology of translucent stretch walls is an innovation in the field of interior decoration. It is impossible to create the entire area of the glowing stretch wall with other materials. In rooms where there is little natural light, such a lighting solution will truly be a godsend: the diffused uniform light across the entire canvas resembles daylight. The only inconvenience is that additional space is required to install the glowing wall.
The next design option for stretch walls is the transition of a similar ceiling to the wall itself. A smooth transition from one plane to another will make your apartment different from others.
Kinds
Stretch walls are of several types according to their texture.
- Glossy with some mirror effect. They will help to visually expand the room, fill it with light and spaciousness. Such a wall will look more interesting in the niche of the room. They reflect interior elements, especially if you apply dark shades, this gives the room some mystery. The photograph is amazingly obtained on glossy film - clarity, contrast, brightness will also play a role in the design of the room.
- Matte texture will not give so much shine and light. However, their pastel shades or white will create a neat iridescent effect.
- The fabric stretch wall is most often used in combination with photo printing.
- Art canvases with patterns are an innovation in the finishing field . This film, on which the design is applied at the factory, is ready immediately for use. The range of such films is quite wide: they can be applied with a classic pattern, texture of various materials, modern images.
Pros and cons
The number of advantages of stretch walls is enough to become one of the most demanded design elements in the interior of premises in the near future:
- the mounting process is simple;
- the ability to hide almost any defects on the wall;
- installation does not take much time;
- reasonable cost (it is possible to equip a wall in a room with this method);
- durable;
- protect from external noise;
- keep the room warm;
- do not allow moisture to pass through;
- quite resistant to temperature changes (the materials from which the canvases are made are frost-resistant);
- installation of walls allows you to create a variety of backlights, usually LED lighting;
- amazing assortment in shades and patterns;
- high strength (in case of any damage, they can be removed easily and quickly, if necessary, they can also be freely dismantled);
- do not lose their color under the rays of the sun;
- maintenance of the stretch wall is not difficult - it is easy to clean;
- stretch walls with photo printing are aesthetic and unique;
- have multifunctionality;
- high characteristics of materials and components (safety, durability, reliability);
- the walls do not collect dust as they have antistatic properties.
In addition, the indisputable advantage of stretch walls over all known photowall-paper is the ease of replacing the canvas . At the same time, the frame itself does not change and will last for more than a dozen years.
All the advantages speak for themselves. However, it is worth mentioning the drawback (he is alone!): It is impossible to hang a picture, mirror or any other accessory on a stretch wall. But there is a way out: you can add wallpaper to the design, on which there is a print with nature or a 3D effect. Such combinations have mostly positive reviews.
The subtleties of the installation process
The most difficult and rather laborious process during construction or renovation is the preparatory stage: cleaning the walls from the old coating and installing the frame.
To properly mount the base for the stretch wall, the service of specialists is required. We are talking about strict adherence to the rules to determine the desired level of fixation of the box.
The next point is the installation of the structure itself: you need thoroughness and care, otherwise the slightest bevel or slight curvature will reduce all work to zero. You can start working with tension material only when all processes on this plane are completed.
Technological installation is simple, provided the sequence of actions is followed. First of all, the perimeter of the selected wall is equipped with a special metal profile.
Mounting methods may vary slightly from each other:
- the connection can be ordinary with a plastic insert along the contour of no more than one and a half centimeters in size;
- fastening without gaps, forming an even joint with adjacent walls, floor, ceiling.
Then the mandatory wiring of all communications is carried out: the necessary devices and wires are installed. After these works, the canvas itself is stretched, which was chosen by the customer according to the texture, color, design. Finally, switches, sockets and other devices are reinforced.
Design guidelines
Interior decoration with stretch canvases will provide more than one opportunity to translate design ideas into reality:
- hidden lighting, creating an image of a luminous surface, will make it both a decorative element and additional lighting;
- resistance to dampness allows you to create such walls where previously only tiles were supposed to be;
- an interesting colorful and soft surface can appear in the bathroom, in the pool.
There are no restrictions on the variety of shapes in the design of planes. This finish contributes to the creation of a perfectly flat surface.
The more popular one-color stretch wall, which gives room for imagination to decorate the entire room. Calm pastel colors blend wonderfully with different styles. You should pay attention to the color scheme of the walls:
- warm colors (orange and yellow) cheer up, fill the room with comfort and coziness, cause appetite;
- green canvases relax, harmonize the inner state of a person, allowing you to relax and unwind;
- lilac color will surround with tenderness and calmness, it is amazingly combined with light wooden furniture;
- white gives room for modern and old ideas.
Interesting ideas in the interior
There are a lot of spheres of use of tension structures.
- In the bedroom, most often this wall is located behind the bed. So it will practically not be damaged, and the original drawing will add elegance to the headboard. In these cases, romantic and light plots are used: water spaces, flowers and trees, modern night cities. The selection of the image should be approached carefully: if the color spot is bright and saturated, decorate the rest of the room in restrained and calm colors.
- Tension structures in the living room also take place. Macro photography prevails here: snowflakes, splashes of water or one drop, stones are original. A close-up of the elements looks sophisticated with backlighting.
- Pools and baths are decorated in marine motives: the sea surface, sandy shores, blue sky. A photograph with the underwater world also looks original in these rooms.
- Stretch walls can be found in hallways. There are many solutions to the ideas of designers, and all of them will bring zest and originality to the home. A creative solution would be a drawing from a wet pavement or a photograph of a lamppost with a bench.
Conclusion
Stretch canvases will help create a bright accent in the room, expand it, draw attention to the highlighted area.
When choosing tension structures, remember: the canvas must match the interior in style and color.
The so-called false windows are able to dynamize a blank wall, and old frescoes will make a narrow corridor wider.
The main thing to consider: small rooms reject large, massive drawings, and spacious ones, on the contrary, will look extremely bad with a small drawing.
It is better to decorate a niche with a mirror tension surface, and not decorate the entire wall with it.
From the above, it is clear that the future belongs to a similar design. And this is due to its wide range of advantages. And if today few pay attention to this method of decoration, then tomorrow the number of those who wish will increase several times.
The installation of a stretch wall is shown in the following video.