Looking at a wallcovering might not stir the same kind feeling within you that you would get as you take in a work by Leonardo da Vinci. In fact, there’s a good chance that if someone catches you staring at wallpaper, they’ll think you’re daydreaming…or drunk.
Having said that, you really should give wallcovering designers some credit. You probably see their work more often than you do anything by Da Vinci or Van Gogh, without even realizing or appreciating it. If you’re in the market for some new wallcoverings, you might think it unimportant to know that this is a Patty Madden design, and that one a Tsao & McKown, but having such artistic knowledge could have an impact on your business or relationships in the future.
It’s a little difficult, perhaps, to think of wallcoverings as works of art, but it’s worth the effort. You probably put as much time into considering what wallpaper or paint to use in a room as you do regarding the photos or paintings that will hang on those same walls. If you don’t put in that kind of consideration about your wallcoverings, you might be missing the point when it comes to interior design…and your business could suffer as a result.
What Is the Point?
Shouldn’t it matter if your treasured Claude Monet print is hanging on a Patty Madden wallcovering?
Wallcovering designers should be seen as contemporary artists, as they often put just as much care into their designs as the classical painters and sculptors of antiquity put into their masterworks. You likely know that when you choose the pictures or paintings that adorn your walls, your choices will ultimately convey a message to potential clients about your personality, and how they feel about you matters a great deal when they’re considering doing business with you.
A subtle watercolor will go better with a subtle, solid-color wallcovering, but might seem out of place with a garish, polka-dot wallcovering. Even if you don’t stop to consider how your wall ornaments might clash with the wall underneath it, your clients and friends might notice such things. On the other hand, a wise choice of wallcovering, coupled with a family photo or a framed award, could mean the difference between signing that new client or losing their business.
Worry, but Worry Intelligently
Making informed choices should be a goal in life, whether it’s the food you’re eating, the phone you’re buying, or the wallcovering you’re installing.
I’m not saying go out and stare at a Patty Madden wallcovering in an interior design showroom the way you would stare at a Pablo Picasso painting in a museum. You should, however, at least put a little thought into what that choice of wallcovering says about you and your business. Sometimes, it pays to remember that the art of the deal hinges as much on the art as on the deal itself.
