Digital pictures punch up decor

I've always loved the wow factor in decorating; a special flourish in a room that makes me smile and draws me in. That's what I found at the Interior Design Show in Toronto last month.

Superb design everywhere, paired up with natural materials, lots of recycling and tantalizing textiles. I will be featuring some of the many highlights that this annual feast for the imagination offers in upcoming columns.

Today it's all about the marvels of digital print.

For Nicole Piach, every surface is seen as though it's a blank canvas waiting to be personalized. Her background in graphic, interior and environmental design gave Nicole the tools to create products inspired by what she saw being used in the couture fashion houses and textile companies in the U.K., Europe and Asia. Nicole's company, Digital Print Specialties, produces a unique line of printable products made exclusively for the field of design.

Fabrics, wallcoverings, wall murals, sound-absorption art panels, ceramic and porcelain tiles, privacy art panels for glass and lighting shades are all transformed with custom color, pattern or imagery.

Images can be drawn from anywhere: new or vintage personal photographs, stock photography, books, paintings, pictures, the

Internet. The custom fabrics are produced using a heat-transfer process that fuses the image "into" the fibers.

Eco-friendly aqueous-based paints provide high-color resolution, and the finished product is durable and washable. These printed textiles are employed anywhere you would use fabric: upholstery, draperies, padded and acoustic wall panels and privacy screens.

Wallcoverings continue to grow in popularity, in particular, large patterns applied to a focal wall. Texture is an important element; Digital Print Specialties has 14 different paper textures to enhance the mood of your chosen image.

Some options: A corduroy texture gives the paper a natural fabric feeling; a creased surface gives the appearance of fine leather, good for a den or office; a smooth, semigloss finish works well for landscapes; a cracked plaster effect is popular for adobe or Southwestern decor.

The proliferation of wall tiles has changed the look of today's kitchens and bathrooms.

Backsplashes and showers gain eye-catching appeal with accent tiles used on their own or in a pattern. Tiles are painted with a dye sublimation process; the image is heat-transferred and permeates into the tile surface.

Ceramic tiles offer the best reproduction, while porcelain Venetian stone has a tumbled, Old World look. For glass tiles, the image is printed on the back. Murals are created in one piece and then the tiles are cut according to the size you want.

Looking for some window privacy but still want natural light? Self-adhesive printable window films do just that. The translucent film diffuses light and objects while adding a decorative feature. Use it for glass shower doors, entry-door windows and side panels. Colors can mimic stained glass or watercolor painting, all digitally printed onto the film.

Visit the company's website for more photos and details at www.digitalprintspecialties.com. I can't decide what to do first, recover my favorite reading chair or think up a chic wallpaper design for the dining room.

Debbie Travis' House to Home column is produced by Debbie Travis and Barbara Dingle. Email questions to house2home@debbietravis.com. You can follow Travis on Twitter at @debbie_travis, and visit Travis' website, www.debbietravis.com.