6 Identify a place for your wallpaper design

Now that you know how to technically create an algorithmic pattern, it's time to design a unique algorithmic wallpaper for your own home! I suggest you start by picking a specific place in your home where you will place your wallpaper. Identifying this site will help to inspire your design by giving it some context.

Go around your home and take a slow and deliberate look at all the spaces where a small piece of wallpaper might fit. You are not going to be able to fill a large area with your design, maybe just 50 cm × 50 cm. So, large walls are out of the question. But there might be some interesting nooks and crannies you can use.

Initially, when searching for a location for my wallpaper, I looked at a shelf which is right next to my work desk, where I reach over to grab things like batteries and cables (Figure 30). Once I clear it up a bit, it should be easier to see the back wall a bit more. I am the only person who sees this corner of my studio every day and it feels like a cosy little place to add my own wallpaper. Maybe the design could be something colourful and energetic with sharp, angular edges to help me work faster. This was one possible location I found for my wallpaper design, along with my family’s kitchen cabinet, and my son’s bedroom.

Figure 30  A potential place for this author’s wallpaper

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The image shows a messy shelf that is cluttered with cardboard boxes and cables. Only a small part of the white back wall is visible.

Figure 30  A potential place for this author’s wallpaper

Consider unusual places, such as drawers and cupboards. Small spaces will be easier to cover with wallpaper and your design might have more impact there. If you choose a self-contained space, then you might be able to visually ‘take it over’ with just a small piece of wallpaper. Ask yourself these questions:

• How does this space make me and others feel?
• What kind of an atmosphere would wallpaper create in this space?
• What colours, shapes and patterns does this space make me think of?

To turn algorithmic pattern into wallpaper you will have to print it out onto at least two A4 sheets so that you can attach it temporarily to a surface in your home with masking tape or removable adhesive.