Despite its lack of popularity, flocked wallpaper has always been a favorite of mine. Ever since I first laid eyes on it-and, more importantly, handled it with my fingers-I have had a special fondness for it. Velvety and velutinous, flocked wallcoverings lend surfaces a sensuous  feeling. Thankfully, I am not the only person to have fallen for the material. In the mid-eighteenth century, the English Ambassador to Paris decorated one of his palatial rooms with blue flock. Taking a cue from history, designer Marcel Wanders is also a fan of the plush paper. His Whispers Collection for Graham & Brown includes four flocked wallcoverings: Forest Muses, Key Muses, Braille Chester, and Rose Beds.

Forest Muses Wallcovering. Designed by Marcel Wanders. Manufactured by Graham & Brown.

Flocked Wallcoverings Feature Fantastic Fairies

Forest Muses and Key Muses have one tiny thing in common-cleverly hidden goddesses. Forest Muses appears to be a traditional damask pattern; upon closer inspection, you will discover alluring little legs, elongated arms, and loopy wings: "Transient and daring, they are camouflaged to the naked eye." These same curvy creatures carry keys through the air in Key Muses. From afar, you might mistake the bodies for mere abstractions, but the fairies linger in the air, "speaking softly to avoid being overheard." Why are the muses so reticent? What do the keys unlock?

Rose Beds and Braille Chester continue the enigmatic Whispers Collection with embellished rosettes and dramatic diamonds. Rose Beds offers something beyond the circular ornaments: "What was once cloaked in darkness gently illuminates to reveal a secret rose garden. Smooth and soft as velvet the roses sparkle in the moonlight." And Braille Chester also plays coyly with the eyes: "Hidden messages escape from a black universe." Look closely and see if you can see past the inky geometry.

Via Interior Design.

About the Manufacturer: Graham & Brown stands as an artistic leader in the wall covering market for over 60 years. Their impressive collections boast every type of design, showcasing collaborations with high-profile designers such as Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Julien Macdonald, Hemingway Design and Linda Barker and developing an expressive line with their Young Designers initiative from the Royal College of Art. They now have companies in countries all around the world including: the US, Canada, Russia, Holland, France, Poland and China.