“This ain’t your grandma’s wallpaper.”
Though the Chinese are said to have invented wallpaper by pasting rice papers to walls as far back as the Qin dynasty, most of us are more likely to think of the little ducks or flowered patterns on our grandmothers’ bathroom and kitchen walls.
This isn’t that.
Veronica Schwab and her husband started their custom vinyl wrap company, Cool Touch Graphics, 15 years ago, creating vehicle graphics, banners and signs, as well as window tinting. A trivia night at their son’s school about a year ago got Veronica thinking about what she could donate. And that eventually led them to create their sister company, Wimzy Walls.
“I started thinking about wall wraps,” Veronica says. “Wallpaper has made such a comeback.”
Wimzy Walls now not only showcases their own designs, but collaborates with artists across the world. “With a growing popularity in peel-and-stick wallpaper and our experienced team of designers and printers, it was a perfect time to grow into the interior decorating space,” Veronica says.
In the past, installing wallpaper meant thoroughly preparing the walls, measuring and cutting the wallpaper to size, applying wallpaper paste to the back of the paper, carefully aligning and hanging each strip on the wall, smoothing out any bubbles with a roller or squeegee, and then trimming excess paper at the edges for a clean finish. “The traditional paste method was such a nightmare,” Veronica says. “People got sick of it. Now it’s trendier. People are now going with a little more design in their spaces, and this is a fast way to make a big statement. You can do an accent wall or put wallpaper on the ceiling. We are seeing people starting to wallpaper their appliances—refrigerators and dishwashers. And as far as style goes, art nouveau is making a big comeback.”
Wimzy Walls wallpaper is removable and repositionable. There is no residue left behind after removal. “With our peel-and-stick wallpapers, you can peel them right off and not worry about damaging your walls,” Veronica says.
The polyester fiber is wipeable: ideal for high traffic areas. It doesn’t shrink, peel or curl. It’s easy to install on any smooth, non-porous surface; and it’s safe and non-toxic: free of the synthetic plastic polyvinyl chloride or PVC, lead and phthalates, or the chemicals that make plastic soft and flexible.
“The fun thing is, we have so many styles available whether your style is stripes, geometric, floral or animal patterns, there are so many styles to choose from,” Veronica says. Customers can choose from patterns available on the company’s website or, at an added cost, customize their own with artists from Cool Touch Graphics.
Wimzy Walls does local installation, and is currently building a nationwide network for customers who don’t live in the area. But many people decide to install their own. The wallpapers come with directions and a smoothing tool or squeegee, and tutorials are provided on the company's website.
In fact, Veronica says she has never had anyone call and say they couldn’t do it. “It’s doable,” she said. “It takes some time and patience, but it’s doable like any DIY project.”
Wimzy Walls sells its papers in two-foot-wide panels. “Customers measure their walls, and we send panels that line up as opposed to rolls that you had to line up yourself,” Veronica says. “So, there is not a ton of excess waste.”
The website offers a calculator for pricing, and everything is $4 per square foot.
636.463.0541
WimzyWalls.com
“With our peel-and-stick wallpapers, you can peel them right off and not worry about damaging your walls.” ~Veronica Schwab