Gwen Black and White
Gwen Black and White is a botanical wallpaper drawn in black, gray and white. The design takes plant and landscape motifs and reduces them to line and tone, so the pattern reads more like a drawing than a print. With no color beyond the grayscale range, the contrast between the dark motifs and the white ground does the work, and the gray mid-tones keep the transitions from looking harsh.
Pattern and surface
The finish is matte, so the wall holds an even tone instead of picking up reflections from windows or lamps. The surface is smooth, with no relief under the hand, which suits the fine linework of the design and keeps the outlines crisp at close range. Because the palette is limited to three shades, the pattern stays legible from across a room while staying quiet up close. These are premium quality wallpapers. If the graphic side appeals to you, the wider black and white selection is worth comparing, and there is more in the same vein among the botanical designs.
Styles and rooms
The restrained palette places it in Scandinavian and contemporary interiors, alongside pale wood, white paint, black metal fittings and plain textiles. It also gives colored furniture a neutral backdrop, since nothing in the pattern competes for a color match.
- Living rooms, including a single accent wall
- Bedrooms, hallways and entrance areas
- Kitchens, dining rooms and home offices
- Bathrooms, kids' rooms and nurseries
In a living room it works behind shelving or a sofa, where the white ground keeps the wall from feeling heavy. In a bedroom the same restraint lets the pattern sit behind the bed without dictating the rest of the scheme.
French design meets German engineering, made entirely in Europe.
