Waterproof and Outdoor Wallpaper for Commercial and Hospitality Projects: Wall&decò AQUABOUT and OUT Systems
Specifying waterproof wallpaper for commercial projects used to sound like a contradiction. Showers, spa corridors, pool decks and facades defaulted to tile, paint or stone, and custom graphics stopped at the dry rooms. Wall&decò, the Italian maker of tailor-made contemporary wallcoverings, offers two technical systems that remove that limit: AQUABOUT Wet System™ for wet interiors and OUT System for exteriors. If you are an interior designer or architect specifying hospitality wallcoverings in Southern California or beyond, here is what each system does and where it fits.
What is AQUABOUT Wet System™ waterproof wallcovering?
AQUABOUT is a patented, fully waterproof wallcovering system for bathrooms, showers, kitchens, pool areas, spas and other wet environments. It is the current generation of the original waterproof wallpaper concept Wall&decò introduced more than a decade ago, and now installed in over 24,000 showers in more than 81 countries.
How the system is built
AQUABOUT is a layered system rather than a single sheet: primer, specific adhesive, fiberglass fabric and a protective finish. The total thickness is only 1.5 mm, which makes it well suited to renovation work. It can go over existing bathroom and kitchen tile with limited site debris and no demolition.
Installation and sustainability
The updated system uses water-based resins, which lowers its environmental impact. Installation takes 36 to 48 hours, installers can reuse their tools, and no special installation license is required. For phased hotel renovations or multi-unit refreshes, that timeline changes what is feasible.
Performance for commercial use
Wall&decò cites total watertightness, resistance to cracking, detergents, impacts and scratches, and compliance with current fire resistance regulations. It has also been tested for hospital and clinic settings, including resistance to common cleaning and sanitizing products.
Where to specify AQUABOUT
- Hotel bathrooms and showers: continuous graphics from inside the shower to the room beyond, without the visual break of grout lines and glass.
- Kitchens and backsplashes: high washability and fire resistance for front- and back-of-house.
- Spas, gyms and pool areas: a customizable decorative surface for wellness spaces.
- Healthcare: hospitals and clinics that need cleanable, low-maintenance walls with more warmth than standard finishes.
Compatible substrates
AQUABOUT can be applied to tile (using polystyrene panels or a leveling primer), plasterboard, plaster, PVC and glass.
What is the OUT System?
OUT System is Wall&decò's outdoor wallpaper, a weather-resistant wallcovering for patios, terraces and building facades. It is resistant to rain and yellowing, with anti-smog properties, and it brings custom graphics to exterior wallcoverings that would otherwise be paint or cladding.
How OUT System is built
OUT is a technical system with a maximum thickness of 1 mm, made of a fiberglass fabric, a sanitizing layer and transparent protective finishes. It can be applied to concrete walls, cement plaster, exterior-grade plasterboard and insulated (thermal) systems, in both residential and commercial applications.
Hospitality case study: Marquee Dayclub, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas
For the cabana restyling at Marquee Dayclub, Wall&decò developed bespoke outdoor graphics with OUT System. The patterns were created to fit the venue's architecture, furnishings and color palette, using soft gradients and rhythmic motifs. The wallcovering has high resistance to UV rays, humidity, thermal shock and mechanical stress, which are the conditions a sun-exposed, heavily used rooftop venue puts a finish through.
Where to specify OUT System
- Pool decks and rooftop cabanas
- Restaurant and hotel terraces
- Courtyards and patios in mixed-use projects
- Building facades that need a graphic identity
Custom wallpaper for hotels and commercial spaces
Both systems support full customization. Each graphic can be adjusted in size, color and pattern development, and Wall&decò can develop entirely new designs for a project. The two systems also work together: one graphic language can carry from a spa's wet rooms (AQUABOUT) to the pool terrace outside (OUT), so guests experience a single design idea across the property.
Specify Wall&decò in Southern California
Ergonomia works with interior designers and architects across Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and Ventura County on contract and hospitality projects. If a wet wall or an exterior surface has been a constraint on your next project, contact us for the current AQUABOUT and OUT System catalogs, technical documentation and custom graphic options.