Reach for the skyline

Interior designers are finding ever more imaginative ways to incorporate urban scenes, iconic landmarks and views into everything from wallpapers and bathroom basins to room screens and accessories. he cityscape interior trend is set to capture the imagination of armchair travellers and more ambitious adventurers alike,” says Kirsten Bridge, founder of interiors company Lily & Lime.

“Glamorous fashionable meccas of the world – London, New York, Tokyo, Milan and Paris– and their iconic skylines are being translated onto murals, artwork and soft furnishings. These combine brilliantly with high-gloss monochrome furniture for an edgy urban look.”

Sam Wingate, 25, is just one young designer who has benefited from the look’s popularity and his “Mr Wingate” cushions, £40 each, featuring his architectural illustrations of London pubs and buildings, are a bestseller at Selfridges.

“People have a tremendous attachment to buildings,” says Wingate. “Using urban architecture as art in homes reflects a growing appreciation of design.”

While having a bird’s-eye view of the world’s renowned capitals used to be the preserve of the rich, photo wall cityscapes have changed all that. What were once dismissively termed “murals” – remember the palm-fringed beach scenes of yesteryear? – have been reborn thanks to digital technology. “Requests for graphic city skylines have never before been so popular,” says Debbie McKeegan, creative director of Digetexhome, a company specialising in reproducing famous city locations on wallpaper and artwork. Digetexhome’s Sexy City collection featuring New York, London and Paris skylines is available in wallpapers from £49, blinds £119, cushions £30, and wall canvases, £59 each. A fabric featuring Manhattan, from £25 per metre.

“We’ve seen the rise of cityscapes and urban buildings in wall coverings over the past few seasons,” says Paula Taylor, colour specialist at wallpaper company Graham & Brown.

“The trend’s moved from simple stark black and white photography to a much more abstract approach with accent colours, colour washes and pattern fill. This makes it much easier to incorporate a favourite scene into a home as these designs have a softer and much more relaxed look.” The team’s monochrome tile-effect NYC paper features New York landmarks and its Cityscape has an abstract graphic inspired by towering buildings. Both papers £15 a roll.

A similar abstract style is echoed in B&Q’s City Scape wall covering, £19.98 a roll. Conjure a seaside retreat with Harlequin’s Brighton wallpaper, £38 a roll, or be playful with Mini Moderns Do You Live In A Town? wallpaper, £40, which features outlines of houses that can be coloured in.