Cannon/Bullock is the innovative architect-designer duo that imports handmade papers from China and Nepal and hand colors and decorates them in their Washington studio on Whidbey Island (near Seattle). The work is so extraordinary, it's now carried by McRae & Company, one of San Francisco's most upscale wholesale showrooms.

The collections (China Wall, Linea, Venetian Summers & Nights, Folio, Conservatory, Stardust, Caravan, and Moondust) offer a mesa of colors and textures to select from before adding your custom design. Co-founder Richard Cannon, an architect, tells me: "Ordering our products is like picking out of a menu at a great restaurant because you can combine patterns, textures and papers as you go."

The papers - with motifs ranging from Tibetan gates to imperial scrolls and modern lines - all have deckled edges, true to the technique of centuries-old paper making. Pulp with natural fibers is boiled and sifted through handmade screens, then rinsed by purified water. Cannon says the paper is next saturated with a water-based sealant, which allows the tint to emerge.

"We came up with the idea of doing handmade paper in blocks (or sheets) to prevent the waste that occurs with paper sold on rolls," Cannon says. "Designers can get the exact amount needed based on square footage whereas with rolls measured to fit a variety of heights, the portions get cut off."

What's most impressive is the hand-etched art work. Nothing is stenciled, but rather hand drawn with moss, slate and sienna colored permanent inks. And hand leafing on the paper's surface is another option in some of the patterns. Botanical enthusiasts will adore the Conservatory patterns of vines, falling flowers, grasses and herbs. I'm drawn to the more exotic China Wall patterns resembling ancient grills and windows.

In its newest line to be introduced this season, the company has experimented with "couture" effects of sewing papers together to crate a 3D wallpaper (similar to Vivavi's innovative V2 tiles).

The sheets, sold in two sizes, are easy to install with standard clear stirpable paste. "It's intended to have the edges lapped," says Cannon, "so you just roll paste on the back and stick it on the wall. It's much faster than normal paper and [means] far less waste."

For me, a big bonus is no smell! The odor of conventional wallpaper is not for the faint of nostril.

The collections are available at upscale design centers in major cities like Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, and several other locations nationwide - there's even a retailer in Canada. On the West Coast, try the Blake House in Laguna Niguel or McRae in San Francisco. For further information, visit Cannon/Bullock.

Images: Cannon/Bullock