Wallpaper manufacturer Neil Macdonald is on a roll

If you’d told Neil Macdonald four decades ago that one day he’d own the only wallpaper manufacturer in the Southern Hemisphere, he probably would have laughed at you. But two years ago the former electrician and his wife Tanya took over Aspiring Walls Ltd (formerly called Ashley Wallpapers, Vision Wallcoverings and Pacific Wallcoverings). Neil now oversees a staff of 26, including three of his four daughters, from the same Porirua factory where wallpapers have been made since 1960.

How did it start for you?

I was born in Blenheim but raised in Palmerston North and Kapiti. I wanted to be an electrician since I was 10. Six years later, I got an electrical apprenticeship in Waikanae.

How did you end up in the wallpaper industry?

My employer sub-contracted me to Ashley Wallpapers’ engineering department, which was my introduction to the industry. I went back to my employer for two years but Ashley Wallpapers called me back and I returned in 1981. I’ve been here ever since, working my way up from engineering manager to production manager. In 2020, the company was put into voluntary liquidation and Tanya and I decided to buy it.

What’s the attraction of wallpaper?

For me, it’s the technical side – the inks, how to overlay colours and how colours are mixed. But I also love how wallpaper can transform a home, turning a bland space into something colourful and textural.

Resene Willow Wallpaper Collection 1703-115-04

Resene Mata Hari Wallpaper Collection 37860-2

How many wallpapers do you produce?

We design and make around 300 wallpapers, with the capacity to print 10,000 rolls of wallpaper a day. For a number of years, we’ve also worked closely with Resene so their colours can be used in our wallpapers. That means customers can pick one of our designs and have it in their chosen Resene colour.

We also import around 4,700 patterns from across the globe, mainly from Europe. Together with our wallpapers, we’ve got around 5,000 wallpapers in our library.

What are some of the biggest changes you’ve seen to the wallpaper industry over the years?

If you go back to the 80s, every house had wallpaper. But that dropped off and now our main focus is wallpaper for feature walls.

Going from wood fibre-based wallpaper to synthetic fibre-based products has also been a big change. Previously, when wood fibre-based wallpaper got wet it would expand and cause all sorts of issues, but the newer synthetic wallpapers are much easier to hang and use a paste-the-wall product, which takes much less time to hang, doesn’t expand once it’s on the wall and provides a better finish. You can now wallpaper your whole house in a day!

What are the wallpaper trends you see coming up?

We’re seeing a move towards two feature walls in a room, such as a corner feature. More and more people want to see design on the wall, not just colour. Five years ago, estate agents were fond of telling people not to personalise their homes, that if you did so you wouldn’t be able to sell it, which I think is rubbish. Thankfully, people are ignoring that advice and bringing their personality into their homes.

Since Covid, that means big and bold wallpaper designs – big florals or animal prints and bright colours. Perhaps people got sick of looking at the same bland walls during lockdowns or they’ve just decided it’s time to go big and bold.

We’re also seeing the return of borders and friezes which inject colour into a room.

Resene Anaglypta Wallpaper Collection RD124

Resene Pavilion Wallpaper Collection 2109-155-01

What’s the most common mistake people make with wallpaper?

You have to have a good foundation underneath, you can’t just slap it up. So cleaning, sanding and sealing the wall is essential.

How did you get involved with the Master Painters Association and Resene?

Tanya used to work for Master Painters! But I’ve actually had a relationship with them for years and we were awarded honorary life membership in October last year, which was an honour. Since buying the company I’ve had so many paper hangers say to me, “If you hadn’t bought Aspiring Walls, I’d be out of a job now”.

I’ve always liked Resene as a business, in terms of their products, professionalism and great staff. They’ve always supported my business and I return the favour 100%.

View a huge range of wallpapers at your local Resene ColorShop, or get a taste of the latest wallpaper releases here.