You may be among the many Paper Illusions enthusiasts that are wondering just what in the world is going on lately.
This article is written to bring you up to speed on the latest developments in the Paper Illusions Wallpaper product line.
First, a brief bit of history on Paper Illusions Wallpaper. The first license holder for the product was FSC, the former home decor
industry giant based in the US. This company was perhaps best known for Waverly Home Fashions and exclusive lines such as Schumacher
and Greeff. This company also owned the Village license. Paper Illusions Wallpaper was originally sold under this name. The Village
Paper Illusions Wallpaper patterns are now virtually extinct. Gone forever are the 85 square foot boxes sold at Lowes and Home Depot.
QVC sold these patterns as well a little earlier in history. These rolls often were 100 square feet and had unique pattern numbers.
These earliest versions of the Village Paper Illusions Wallpaper are by far the most extinct. A few years ago, FSC folded up the
majority of its operations. It quietly sold its Village license to another industry giant, Blue Mountain Wallcoverings. BMW may be
familiar through its numerous wallpaper lines, such as Sanitas, Imperial and Sunworthy.
BMW gained the license to sell the Paper Illusions Wallpaper when it purchased Village. All existing inventory was moved to the Nashville
warehouse. Shortly after, BMW decided to move all warehousing to Canada along with all production facilities for the Paper Illusions
Wallpaper. Up to this point, the product had been made in USA. These original versions are by far superior. The substrate is heavier, the
adhesive thicker and the printing richer. These beautiful papers were packaged in both 85 square foot and 100 square foot bolts. If you
ever worked with the USA versions of Paper Illusions patterns, you are familiar with the fantastic results. These patterns are what made
Paper Illusions Wallpaper by Village such a hit.
The Canadian versions started being produced with varying degrees of success. Many of the pattern names and numbers were carried over.
The 85 square foot bolts continued. There were some manufacturing glitches such as trouble with adhesives, printing on the wrong side
and mislabeled product. Manufacturing backorders, which began with the warehouse move, continued as manufacturing came on line. As viable
products became available it was observed that the substrate was lighter. The printing was reasonably comparable to the earlier USA versions
for most of the patterns. The Script Illusions, however, never regained the former glory of the earlier versions. The Roman Illusions
versions also did not quite measure up to the originals. Most notably, was a version of the Champagne 5807070. It was a short run and was
definitely a flop with very little resemblance to its parent product. This run is non-existent at this point. If you have a pattern that you
simply cannot find a match for, you may have this paper. Up until a couple of years ago, Paper Illusions Wallpaper remained under the
Village name.
In winter 2009, Paper Illusions Wallpaper moved under the Imperial brand of wallcoverings. The product continues to be produced by Blue
Mountain Wallcoverings in Canada. It has changed yet again. The bolt size has been reduced to the industry standard double roll of 56 square
feet. The old pattern names and numbers have been dropped. The current offerings include 10 new patterns and 14 remade versions of original
top performing patterns. The Hearthstone, Travertine Marble and Florentine Marble patterns are reasonably comparable to the older 85 square
foot Canadian versions. The Script and Roman patterns are completely different and a bit of a disappointment even in comparison to the older
Canadian versions. Retooling of the names was definitely in order.
The new Imperial Paper Illusions Wallpaper has a few plusses and minuses. The substrate has regained some of its weight. The adhesive feels
different but seems to work well. The printing is a completely different sort. The printing now has a glossy sheen and leaves the product
with a vinyl wallpaper smell. Those familiar with wallpaper will understand this reference. A definite minus is the now increased cost. The
retail pricing has remained mostly constant but the rolls have shrunk by a third. A double roll now costs what a triple roll cost earlier in
2009. The paper definitely feels different in the hand but offers a finished product that is a reasonable approximation of the earlier
versions. The new versions are not likely to match up with older versions. Samples should always be ordered for pattern and color comparison.
Paper Illusions Wallpaper by Imperial offers some enticing new choices for decorators of all stripes. The quality issues seem to be a thing of the past.
Paper Illusions is still a unique, simple and fun product. I have never met a person that could not install it when they have put their mind to it.
If you are new to the product, you will most certainly love it. You will have no idea what you missed in the past. For those of you that have been
with the product for more than 5 years, you may share in the loss of a truly beautiful American product. Paper Illusions Wallpaper is good but not
as good as it once was.
Ty Wigal
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