From fresh flowers to reawakened sunshine, spring often beckons us to start anew. However, as the latest offerings from Innovations prove, the past can often inform what lies ahead. Since its founding in 1975, Innovations has been the premier destination for wallcoverings that blend uncompromising craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. With its most recent collection, Facade, Innovations pens a love letter to Greek and Roman architecture.
“We find endless inspiration in Greco architecture,” explains Anubha Sood, the company’s associate design director. “Its timeless language is defined by durability, purpose, and a sense of monumentality that still feels deeply connected to the natural world.”
The company consulted archives from various museums and design partners to bring these storied references to the 21st century. The secret: Texture—and lots of it.
“Achieving a realistic sense of depth is a highly considered, layered process, one that balances material authenticity with technical innovation,” Sood says. “With natural materials, we chose to preserve a raw, unrefined finish that stays true to their inherent character and creates a richly tactile experience.” Not only did Innovations use raw bast fibers, but the brand also employed handwoven techniques to bring “character and uniqueness” to each surface.
Much of the collection celebrates sumptuous, statement-making surfaces: An intrinsic tactility that can be spotted from across the room. Leading the pack is Celeste, a configuration of hand-placed wood veneer and Abalone shells akin to ancient Greek mosaics. The collection’s Marina mural (pictured above) prints a hand-painted watercolor onto grasscloth to mimic the breezy movement of billowing Roman drapery. Delicate etchings take center stage in Torino, a stylish salute to Demeter, the Greek goddess of grain.
Despite the collection’s overtly tactile options, Sood says Facade relishes in subtleties. “We’re deeply interested in how traditional craft techniques can merge with modern technology and materials,” she shares. “Subtle visual references like the grasses, columns, drapery, and damask motifs that quietly echo the architectural language of the past without feeling overly literal.”
Classico’s pared-back patina comes from a plaster-like texture that’s printed and embossed onto a PVC-free olefin composite, conjuring the grandeur of the Roman Forum. With Etoile, cellulose strings are woven together to evoke rugged raffia while a metallic backing offers an understated glimmer. Meanwhile, the advanced layering and lamination techniques used in Vertis and Fiore marry thoughtful texture with sublime sound absorption.
“Each material interacts with light in a unique way, enhancing depth and visual movement,” Sood explains. “This same philosophy extends to our vinyl and acoustical offerings, where we continue to push the boundaries of what high-performance surfaces can achieve.”
A blend of old and new might be a driving force of Facade, but Sood says the “quiet sense of history and time passed” is an integral part of Innovations’ design ethos.
“Walls hold so much visual presence within a space, and we wanted this collection to feel immersive, calming, tactile, and transportive, as if stepping into another environment or even another time,” she says. “There’s an element of escapism and sanctuary in that, which feels especially meaningful right now.”
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