These striking wallpapers take SA artists' work beyond the frame

Feature walls are being dressed by Cara Saven Wall Design in a very fresh way.

In collaborating with South African artists, the Cape Town-based wallpaper company is turning paintings, illustrations, collages and design pieces into seamless wallpapers that pack a heavy artistic punch.

The brand's CS&Co collection, launched late last year, includes ranges by Michael Chandler, Lucie de Moyencourt, Nicole Sanderson and nine other popular local names.

"They're all artists I love," says founder Cara Saven, who created CS&Co to offer artists a new platform on which to have their work produced.

"The platform allows their work to impact a larger-than-life application beyond the canvas, retail space or gallery," says Saven. "It becomes another avenue to bring their aesthetic into the home, covering walls in their unique designs."

From De Moyencourt's black-and-white cityscapes and landscapes to Nirit Saban's colour-infused nature symbols, the wallpapers offer diverse options for statement-making interior walls.

Recent additions to CS&Co include designs by beading artists Monkeybiz, ceramicist Martine Jackson and collage artist Karen Stewart, highlighting Saven's novel approach to turning design objects and constructed abstract art info flat wall surfaces.

"Tapping into the talents of local artists in your wallpaper choice brings new meaning to the term 'wall art'," says Saven. "Through simple wallpaper application, the home environment is completely transformed."

FIVE WALLPAPER TIPS

1. When choosing an accent wall, go for one that already attracts the eye, such as the wall behind your headboard in your bedroom, or the wall around a fireplace.
2. To make a small room come alive, consider wallpapering the entire room with a bold pattern.
3. If you have a lot going on in a room, opt for a wallpaper with a calming pattern and fewer colours - to allow the area to breathe.
4. To fill a room with colour, paint the walls on either side of your wallpaper in a complementary colour that heightens the visual appeal of your striking surface.
5. If you're happy with the state of your walls, but feel your room could do with a touch of intrigue, decorate the ceiling. Wallpaper placed overhead adds ambience without being overt.