Wall hanging brands: how to compare them

There is no single ranking, because the words “wall hanging” cover four different markets: furnishing fabric houses, mainstream décor brands, independent designers who draw their own patterns, and imported printed-cotton hangings. The right criterion is not how well known a brand is, but how well what it makes matches what you are looking for: a one-off piece, a signature print, an affordable large format or fabric by the metre.

We sell wall hangings. So this article is not neutral, and we may as well say so straight away: it will not tell you that Vent de Bohème is the best brand. It will give you the criteria to judge for yourself, and the real place of each type of player—ours included.

The four types of players

Furnishing fabric houses

These are firms whose business is the fabric itself, sold by the metre to upholsterers, decorators and interior designers. You will find materials that nobody else offers, and professional advice.

Who it suits: a made-to-measure project, an upholsterer who handles the fitting, a budget counted by the metre. This is not a three-click online purchase, and there is no finished product: you have to have it made up.

Mainstream décor brands

Home décor chains and the in-house lines of large retailers regularly offer wall hangings, often in cotton, as part of seasonal collections.

Who it suits: a first purchase, a modest budget, wanting a piece that matches the rest of a collection. The trade-off is commercial lifespan: a collection pattern disappears, and you will not find it again two years later.

Designers and small print brands

This is the most active group in the wall hanging as we understand it today: a printed panel, ready to hang, where the pattern is the product. These are generally small French businesses that draw their own patterns, have them printed in Europe and sell directly and through a network of décor shops. Some focus on the standard size, others on large formats. Vent de Bohème belongs to this group.

Who it suits: someone who is buying a design first and foremost. The choice then becomes very simple—do you like this pattern, and is the fabric it is printed on up to the job?

Imported printed-cotton hangings

Mandalas, trees of life, large formats in lightweight cotton: this is the most visible segment online, on marketplaces and from specialist importers. Prices are low, and sizes go up to 3 metres.

Who it suits: covering a lot of surface for little money, a student room, a temporary backdrop. The limit is the fabric: lightweight cotton across a large width ripples, and the colours fade quickly.

The five criteria for judging

Rather than a ranking, here is what to look at—the same questions for every brand, ours included.

1. Is the fabric weight stated? This is the criterion that determines the drape. Below 250 g/m², a panel buckles. A product page that does not give this figure speaks volumes.

2. Is the pattern original? A design created for the brand is not a file bought from an image bank, and it shows at the scale of a wall. Ask yourself whether you would find this pattern on ten other websites.

3. Are the finishes described? Hems on all four sides, a rod sleeve sewn across the full width rather than eyelets, a pattern printed square to the weave.

4. Is the care specified? “Dry-clean only” is not a flaw, but it is a recurring cost that you are better off knowing about beforehand.

5. Is the place of manufacture named? Less as a selling point than as a clue: a brand that knows where its fabric is made generally knows what goes into it.

Where Vent de Bohème fits

Hand-drawn pattern, printed on a 340 g/m² polyester velvet-effect fabric made in Milan. Shown here: TAÏNA.

We are a small French textile décor brand. Our patterns are hand-drawn, for us, and cannot be found anywhere else. The wall hangings are printed on a 340 g/m² polyester velvet-effect fabric, made in Italy, in Milan, in a 90 × 135 cm format, and they are machine washable at 30 °C.

What we do not do, which is more useful to know before you buy:

No very large formats. To cover a 3-metre wall in one piece, we are not the right place. Our panels are combined in twos or threes, which is a different approach.
No fabric by the metre and no made-to-measure.
No outdoor wall hangings. Our fabric is an indoor fabric.
No cotton or silk velvet. Our designs include fine lines and gradients that a natural velvet does not reproduce sharply in print; it is a deliberate trade-off in favour of the design.

The collection is made up of six patterns: TAÏNA, JAVA, PAJARO, LOUISON, KIMIKO and BOA.

Frequently asked questions

Which brand should you choose for a wall hanging? It depends on the project: a fabric house for made-to-measure, a mainstream décor brand for a first purchase, a print designer if the pattern is what matters, imports for a very large, affordable format.

How can you recognise a quality wall hanging? A stated fabric weight above 250 g/m², an original pattern, hems on all four sides, a sewn rod sleeve, clear care instructions.

Are Indian cotton wall hangings good quality? They offer a lot of surface for a small price, which has its value. The fabric is generally lightweight: beyond two metres wide it ripples, and the colours fade faster.

Are there French wall hanging brands? Yes, several small French brands design and produce their own patterns, including Vent de Bohème.