Unique wallcoverings contribute to atmosphere
It’s not uncommon for a restaurant to have a themed mural painted on its walls to help create a special atmosphere.
A new Pewaukee company is offering a product that it says will help such restaurants, and any other business, take the process one step farther.
Imagine That! Wallcovering by Design creates one-of-a-kind wallcoverings for commercial and home use – wallcoverings which, although a paper stock, are fade-resistant for up to 10 years and which are resistant to knicks and scrapes due to a special coating.
The business initially focused its sales and marketing efforts in the residential arena but is now targeting the hospitality industry and other commercial areas, said Katie Schoeben, account executive for Imagine That! Wallcoverings by Design (www.866walcovr.com).
It’s still doing projects for homes. For example, a project under way for a Brookfield home involves creation wallcoverings for superhero themed rooms, with Spiderman, Batman and Superman rooms. In Madison, a Tuscan village scene, an antique map and a cherub scene were created for a home designed in an Italian theme.
Schoeben is also finding a receptive audience in the hospitality industry.
"One of the ways restaurants differentiate themselves is in their atmosphere," Schoeben notes. "These wallcoverings can really help create a unique atmosphere. We’re seeing the restaurant industry very receptive to the idea. And new technologies are making it affordable for these businesses."
Cafe Zarletti, at 1021 Milwaukee Ave. in South Milwaukee, had a wallcovering made for its Italian-themed restaurant.
Outside the restaurant world, HM Graphics in West Allis has an Imagine That! wallcovering in its foyer, displaying its logo over an old railroad map of the US.
The images are printed on real wallpaper, imported from Japan, rather than on vinyl or standard paper. Real wallpaper is made with natural fibers, giving it a texture and warmer, richer feel than other papers, Shoeben said. "This, along with the use of rich, oil-based pigmented inks and an almost photographic digital six-color printing process creates a high-quality, custom wallcovering that can be tailored to fit the width and height of any wall."
A final treatment of a proprietary UV-blocking sealant makes the wallpaper durable and easily cleaned, Schoeben added.
"There are no limits to the images we can print, or to the height and width we can achieve," said Randy Peters, founder and president of Imagine That! Peters also is president of La Crosse Litho Supply,a distributor of products to med- and large-size printers in Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota.
The wallcoverings come in linen, smooth and stucco textures. The paper width is 36 inches while the paper rolls are 66 feet long.
July 25, 2003 Small Business Times, Milwaukee
