Shimmer by the roll

Ever since their release, the captivating colours that make up the Resene FX Metallic range have been popular favourites for adding shimmer and shine to a wide range of different surfaces and substrates. But now, there's a new option for adding these stunning special effects to walls, ceilings and other smooth surfaces in a flawless finish: the Resene FX Metallics Wallpaper Collection. Available by the roll and as cut lengths (from select Resene ColorShops), these newly released designs make it quicker and simpler to achieve a uniform sparkling finish no matter how expansive your project's broadwall surfaces may be.

While metallic wallpaper designs produced by European, American and Asian designers and manufacturers have been around for years, just like any product ordered from overseas, they can be hard to get your hands on. Popular designs and colours can sell out quickly, and what's left many have long lead times and it can be a nightmare trying to ensure all the rolls you order were produced in the same batch. To alleviate these headaches, Resene FX Metallics Wallpaper is designed and manufactured right here in Porirua, New Zealand by Resene's wallpaper partner, Aspiring Walls.

Aspiring Wall's Marketing and Design Manager Terry Isaako says his team is excited about what this new offering means for customers. "Resene has done all the hard yards formulating the metallic paint for this collection and we're lucky that we were able to work together collaboratively to put it directly onto wallpaper with an even distribution and finish. Manufacturing these designs locally using well-established colours from Resene enables us to offer shorter production lead times and faster delivery," he says.

"Our Operations Manager, Warren, and his team are experts at colour quality. At the beginning, when we started experimenting, the Resene FX Metallics paint was applied to our base paper and run through our machines, but it came out a completely different colour. What followed was rounds of careful testing of application and basecoat colours to achieve the right metallic colour to match exactly what you see on the swatches in the Resene FX Metallic and Special Effects colour chart. Whenever the team reproduces a new batch of a colourway, they reference A4 drawdown paint swatches to confirm the new wallpaper matches perfectly."

Since Aspiring Walls mechanically applies the correct undercoat and metallic topcoat colours, it eliminates the risk of brush or roller marks detracting from your finished effect. Terry believes the ease of application is a key thing that makes the new Resene FX Metallics Wallpaper Collection of such great benefit to designers, specifiers, builders, applicators and their clients. "The finish is consistent wall to wall and job to job and the wallpaper can be easily hung by anyone."

All 45 of the metallic colours from the Resene FX Metallic and Special Effects colour chart are available as part of the Resene FX Metallics Wallpaper Collection. Terry says he has had the chance to see the full collection during the production process, but it was Resene Pure Pewter metallic wallpaper that stood out as his favourite. "It's a refined fusion of grey and silver that exudes understated elegance and such versatile colour, opening it up to suit a range of styles. I can envisage seeing this in a restful master bedroom accented with neutral tones and natural textures."

The Resene FX Metallics Wallpaper Collection is manufactured with real Resene paint and perfectly matches what you see on the paint swatches in the Resene FX Metallic and Special Effect colour chart. That means that when you apply the same Resene FX Metallic paint colour to other décor objects in your design, it'll match your wallpaper perfectly for a flawless look. Try layering multiple Resene FX Metallic paint colours within your design for ultimate glamour.

Top tip: When applying Resene FX Metallic paint to smooth, flat surfaces, apply by spray for the most uniform results. While the paint can be applied by brush or roller, it's more likely for marks to show if the product isn't applied evenly by a skilled painter who is familiar with using the product. Or use a wide brush in a criss-cross pattern to achieve a visually textured brushed metallic finish.

Because the Resene FX Metallics Wallpaper Collection is produced with the same Resene FX Metallic paint that you get in the tin, you can be sure that any other surfaces or objects you paint in the same colour as your chosen Resene FX Metallics Wallpaper design will look uniform so long as you apply the correct coloured undercoat. To find the correct Resene paint colour to specify for the undercoats, simply look next to your chosen Resene FX Metallic paint colour name on the Resene FX Metallic and Special Effects colour chart for the colour name that appears in brackets. For example, it's recommended that Resene Apache be used as the undercoat for Resene FX Gold Dust if you want your final effect to match what you see on the paint swatch and the same coloured design from the Resene FX Metallics Wallpaper Collection.

Terry says that when specifying designs from the Resene FX Metallics Wallpaper Collection, there's nothing out of the ordinary to watch for compared with non-metallic wallpapers. Because the designs are uniform in colour and finish, there is no repeat to calculate. As with any other wallpaper design, when the product arrives, it's recommended to double-check that all of your rolls come from the batch number so that you can be confident the colour will be uniform. Resene FX Metallics Wallpaper Collection designs are 'paste the wall' – so wallpaper paste is put on to the wall rather than the paper itself. This type of wallpaper is generally the easiest to hang and is easy to remove if required, as it simply peels off in one piece. As always, the best way to ensure a high-quality finish that you and your client will love is to put in the proper prep work. The effort put in to ensure holes are patched and your substrate is clean, sanded smooth and free from dust or loose or flaking paint before hanging your wallpaper is always worth it.

Since photos can never truly do their decadent shimmer justice, the Resene FX Metallics Wallpaper Collection is best experienced in person. To see it for yourself, visit your local Resene ColorShop or order a A4 drawdown paint sample of your chosen Resene FX Metallic colour online at www.resene.com/drawdowns.

Do you have a finished project that features Resene FX Metallic paint or wallpaper? We would love to see it! Share it with us at editor@blackwhitemag.com.

Top tip: For tips on specifying and hanging wallpaper with confidence, design inspiration and a selection of more recent additions to the Resene Wallpaper Collection, visit www.resene.com/wallpaper.

Projects by Amber Armitage, images by Wendy Fenwick.