Q&A: Wall&decò unveils waterproof wallpaper and new designer collaborations
Following the launch of Wall&decò’s 2025 Contemporary Wallpaper collection, CEO Gianluca Laganà discusses the launch of Aquabout, while designer Anthony Guerrée shares details of his first wallcovering collection.
How has business been lately?
Gianluca Lagana: In Q1 2025 we registered an organic growth vs Y-1, with an impact on sales from hospitality and contract, as the fastest growing market segments in alternative to retail, yet our most solid business. From a geography standpoint, Europe continues to lead our turnover, although a massive pipeline under development in the overseas markets. We opened new distributions in the Middle East, UAE and Saudi Arabia. Q2 looks quite promising. A great start at Milan design week with an unprecedented result, over 6K + contacts registered.
Have you worked on any exciting hotel projects recently?
GL: We worked on multiple hotel projects lately, two come up in my mind: Hotel Europa in Cortina d’Ampezzo (Italy), a legendary destination in the ’80, completely gutted and renovated, in the heart of Cortina, The Queen of the Dolomites that will host the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The second one, MGM in Las Vegas, where we contributed to the renovation of the Cabanas in the pool area, with our exclusive OUT system and be spoke graphics in collaboration with Rockwell Group.
How are your portfolio and services suited to hotels?
GL: Wall&deco’s value proposition provides unique products for luxury hospitality, indoor, outdoor and dampdoor. Our patented d.ecodura, the first byovinil wallpaper has been recognised with multiple awards. Aquabout wet system the sole waterproof wallpaper for bathrooms, pool and spa, gyms and changing rooms. OUT system, weather-resistant wallpaper, perfect for decorating patios, terraces, and building facades. This unique wallcovering is resistant to rain, yellowing with anti-smog properties, it brings the great decorative power of wallpaper outdoors.
Can you tell us about a recent launch?
GL: Aquabout Wet System, the wallpaper for shower. Developed on a fibreglass support, Aquabout is the evolution of the revolutionary Wet system introduced in the market 12 years ago, with over 25,000 showers/wet areas installed in 81 countries worldwide. The new Aquabout with its water-based components, reduces the quantity of chemicals and fasten the installation process. It can be installed on existing surfaces, such as tiles, without the need to dismantle the wall. This represents a unique opportunity for existing environments, such as hotel bathrooms, spa, fitness and pool areas. It reduces costs incurred to upgrade the premises, including modernisation/redesign refurbishments and offers unlimited customisations with five years warranty. Aquabout also won a Red Dot Design Award 2025.
In addition to that, we have just presented at Salone del Mobile in Milan the new 2025 Essential collection, where three dimensional volumes and textures transform surfaces into tactile and visual scenarios. Craftmanship meets experimentation, from the print to the hand engraving. Three brand new graphics designed by Studiopepe, Zanellato/Bortotto, Palomba Serafini.
At Salone del Mobile we introduced also a new substrate in Grasscloth, handmade from sustainable materials such as raffia, hemp, reed, sisal. Every step of the way is very labour intensive, from harvesting, to sorting, washing, drying, dyeing, knotting, weaving and laminating onto wallpaper substrate. The nature of grasscloth wallpaper contributes to a feeling of calm and comfort, turning any living space into a sanctuary. Grasscloth boosts physical health as well, due to its ability to regulate humidity, provide heat and sound insulation, and create a perfectly controlled interior climate.
How do you select designers to partner with?
GL: Christian Benini, founder and Creative Director of Wall&decò chooses the designers from the most diverse worlds: art, illustration, graphics, fashion – the conditio sine qua non is that they have never designed wallpaper before – all in order to have a virgin eye that can make a fresh contribution to the world of wall decoration.
What’s next for Wall&decò?
GL: We’re working to expand both new geographies and market segments. We registered a fast growing demand of luxury products from Asia Pacific. New potential distributors in Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan, Philippines and China, to increase our presence in the region. In the meantime the development of the US market remains one of the core pillars in our present and future strategy. From market segmentation stand point, Hospitality and Contract are growing , with new hotel projects, corporate offices, restaurants and retails shops more and more interested in bespoke wallpaper solution. Wall&decò is worldwide recognised as ‘the couturier’ of luxury wallpaper. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come!
How did your partnership with Wall&Decò come about?
Anthony Guerrée: I have always been fascinated by how surfaces influence our perception of space. Wall&decò’s strong identity and bold approach to wallpaper design naturally drew me in. The collaboration began through discussions about the potential of typography as a decorative language. From there, we explored how letterforms could be deconstructed into something abstract yet deeply rooted in meaning.
How would you describe your design philosophy? How does this align with Wall&decò?
AG: My design philosophy is about storytelling through form and materiality. Whether I design furniture or decorative surfaces, I aim to create pieces that engage both visually and conceptually. I believe in designing with intention, where every detail has a purpose. Wall&decò shares this spirit of pushing creative boundaries, yet they have a distinct approach rooted in large-scale visual impact. Our collaboration bridges my conceptual, detail-oriented approach with their expertise in expressive, immersive designs.
What does the process of working with Wall&Decò look like? Do you work closely with their in-house team?
AG: The process was highly collaborative. After presenting the initial concept, I worked closely with their team to refine the scale, rhythm, and colour balance of the pattern. Wall&Decò’s technical expertise was invaluable in translating the design into a high-quality wallpaper that maintains the delicacy of the typographic fragments while achieving a strong spatial presence.
Tell us about the designs you’ve brought to Wall&Decò’s product range.
AG: For this collection, I explored the theme of detail – both conceptually and visually. The design deconstructs the word dettaglio (Italian for “detail”) in the Bodoni typeface, fragmenting its letters into an abstract pattern. The result is a wallpaper that transforms typography into texture, inviting a new way of perceiving letterforms, not as readable text, but as an intricate, decorative motif between language and abstraction.
