“I used peel-and-stick wallpaper, Tempaper & Co. paintable wallpaper and a faux flexible chair rail to transform this space. The floors are black-and-white checkered peel-and-stick vinyl. I wanted it to feel over the top.”

He began integrating traditional techniques and patterns into his designs, and his work now includes a popular collection of cushions and throws, as well as a successful wallpaper collaboration.

The living room she sits in is filled with knick-knacks and family photos, amid a garish clash of of geometric beige wallpaper, turquoise walls and a patterned red carpet.

Ms Barham, who suffers heart issues, said she has had to throw away almost all of her furniture and cherished belongings, plus rip up the floor and wallpaper due to the infestation.

In a former wallpaper factory in Chiswick, west London, a start-up firm has been developing a long-term storage system that uses lasers to burn tiny holograms into a light-sensitive polymer.