Over the past decade, one of the biggest trends in interior design has been the rise of the smart home, but whilst this has affected many parts of the home, how smart technology could affect the wallpaper specialist is still uncertain.

The idea behind smart homes is that thanks to wireless technology, all of the electronic objects in your home could theoretically talk to each other, creating an Internet of Things (IoT) that could, at least in theory, help improve many different aspects of our lives.

The most common examples of this would take the form of smart speakers that can be used to give voice commands, smart lights that can be linked to sensors or timers to turn on and off without the use of a switch, and smart fridges that can be used to help plan meals and manage expiration dates.

However, one of the technologies that has been attempted and seems far ahead of its time is smart wallpaper using flexible printed electronics.

Whilst this can seem like outright futurism, companies such as Meystyle have made wallpaper rolls with integrated LED lights, so the concept is theoretically already possible although in practice it is still fairly bulky and limited.

However, one technology that shows particular promise is printed electronics, which is the idea of creating ultra-thin, complex circuits that can be printed onto paper, film or clothing.

One concept proposed would be to print an array of microphones into wallpaper, allowing people to answer a mobile phone or call for help anywhere in the home and have the interconnected smart systems provide that assistance as quickly as possible.

A more passive but still very useful system is a paper-thin panel that helps boost wifi internet signals and reduces the need for signal boosters or wallpaper that can absorb light and heat and convert it into electricity to power or even heat homes.