The alliance between manufacturer Marimekko and distributor New Wall Inc. is working wonders for drab walls worldwide… so it would seem, at least if the display in booth # M101 at #IIDEX09 is any indication. The manufacturer of high-end wall-coverings for both commercial and residential projects has been quite busy of late revamping wallpaper’s somewhat-derided reputation as a vestige of a bygone-age of avocado countertops and faux-wood paneling.

Marimekko patterned wallcovering. Manufactured by New Wall Inc.

As Marimekko President and Ceo Mike Ihamuotila puts it, “the wall coverings collection brings Marimekko designs into a new, yet so natural product category which fits perfectly with our comprehensive lifestyle thinking… we can bring even more joy and beauty into people’s everyday lives.” If the prints on display at #IIDEX09 can be said to speak for Mr. Ihamuotila, “joy and beauty” comes in particularly vivid and energetic shades: first there’s the busy and bustling bunches of creamy white flowers—peonies, perhaps?—with a backdrop of night-time black, thus lending the whole ensemble a chic, modern, and versatile vibe; then there’s the sublime “Cityscape,” an ambitious print of an urban silhouette, whose slightly-shaky lines and silver tones recall both Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and the perplexing angularity of M.C. Escher.

But don’t let the limited space limit your imagination of what Marimekko has to offer. A quick thumbing through their sample book reveals a boundless palette of vibrant, clever, and artful designs, not the least of which is an enigmatic party/social scene that recalls French turn of the century artists like Toulouse Lautrec. And this show certainly won’t end when the lights are dimmed in Toronto. Look for future eye-popping imaginings from Marimekko and New Wall well into the New Year and beyond.