Digital Hits the Wall

The digital technology craze has hit where you may least expect it -- in the wallpaper industry. Thanks to the Digital Wallternatives Group, led by wallpaper manufacturer Rexam Image Products of South Hadley, Mass., homeowners can take nearly any image, digitize it and print it out onto Rexam Magic wallpaper to hang in their home. The paper is specially coated for durability and wear-resistance, and presents a myriad of design opportunities.

The wall shown here, which is the back wall of a spiral staircase in a foyer, was created using Wallternatives paper. A digital photograph was taken of historical gardens near this Louisiana home, and printed in less than two hours. All that was left was the application and adulation. Lead times will vary, and the product can cost upwards of $10 per square foot, but discerning homebuyers love it.