Surfaces which are nowhere near as old as they look, and other recyclable surfaces which if required, look perpetually young, caught my eye at February’s decoration and design show in Sydney.
Based in Byron Bay (appropriately), Antique Mirror Glass is the company of antique mirror dealer and restorer Peter Link. He uses silver salts and precious metal solution, stannous chloride, diluted to different mixes to re-create a realistic, aged patina, sepia-like and atmospheric.
The company does custom work, edge polishing, bevelling, and cut-outs for power points before toughening the glass. There are clear, grey, bronze and green tints for splashbacks, panelled walls, table tops, shelving, drinks cabinets and other commercial applications. They also re-silver existing mirrors. http://antiquemirrorglass.com.au/
The Wallpaper
Melbourne-based The Wallpaper Company, on the other hand, has a bright, breezy collection of washable and removable wallpaper made from a non-vinyl, non-PVC fabric with an adhesive backing. Director Jennifer Menz assured me you can still take the paper off the wall after several years.
There are polka dots, stripes, bricks, walls, triangles, city scapes, maps, famous buildings and many other patterns, plus custom designs, printed to order. It is popular with renters, pop-ups, inveterate do-it-yourselfers, refurbishment and property styling. There is a "How much wallpaper do I need" calculator above to find out how many of this item you need to order.
Click on the link and enter your wall's total width. If you are wallpapering multiple walls, add all the widths up, then enter the total amount. www.thewallpapercompany.com.au
Deborah Singerman is a Sydney-based journalist and editor, specialising in architecture and design, including city, community, society, economy, sustainability and culture.
