In the United States, Nordstrom has eliminated the home decor department from its Manhattan flagship store, which in 2019 occupied two entire floors. In its place today are temporary pop-up spaces and a souvenir corner. This is not an isolated case: Saks has also drastically reduced the space dedicated to home decor in its own stores. The reason, industry analysts explain, is simple: the “home” category takes up too much space, has slow turnover, and often ends up on sale. Online, however, the home assortment of these same retailers continues to grow.
Why American news matters to us, too
It may seem like a distant, purely "stars and stripes" affair. In reality, the US retail market tends to anticipate dynamics by a few seasons that then reach Europe as well: it happened with e-commerce, with the crisis of large general department stores, and with the shift of advertising budgets toward digital. For this reason, even looking from Italy, it is worth noting when a giant like Nordstrom decides that "in-store" home decor no longer holds up against online home decor. It is an early indicator, not an isolated fact to be filed away.
Why scenic wallpaper was never suited to the physical store
There is also a more specific reason, which closely concerns those who, like us, do not produce repeating-pattern wallpaper, but actual scenic wall murals—compositions designed to tell a single, continuous story on the wall, not a design that repeats itself every few centimeters.
With a traditional pattern, a store can somehow "get by": it shows a sample, the customer imagines the repetition, and the standard roll adapts to almost any wall. With a scenic mural or a panoramic wallpaper, this simply does not work: the composition must be scaled to the exact dimensions of that wall—height, width, and any interruptions such as doors or windows—otherwise, the image ends up cut off in the wrong place, disproportionate, or misaligned. This is not a secondary technical detail: it is the difference between a wall that looks like it was custom-designed for that room and one that looks like any old roll of wallpaper, hung more or less at random.
This is why, when it comes to scenic murals, the need for custom sizing is not just an added value: it is the condition without which the product simply does not work as it should. And that is also why a physical shelf, however well-stocked, can never truly replace a purchasing journey designed for personalization.
Buying custom-made online: what really changes
At Ambientha, the journey is designed in the opposite way to a traditional store:
- Choose your mural from the available collections — discover all our wallpapers.
- Receive a free simulation of how your chosen mural will look on your actual wall — request your free simulation.
- Order a physical sample to see the colors and material in person before deciding — request your samples.
- The graphic is scaled and, where applicable, customized in colors or composition, then cut exactly to the dimensions of your specified wall — no waste, no awkward joints, no images cut off in the wrong place.
It is a process more akin to a tailored suit than a department store purchase—and perhaps that is exactly why, while physical stores are retreating from the home category, brands that sell custom products online are gaining ground.
A few examples to get an idea
If you are wondering what a scenic mural truly designed for your room might look like, here are a few starting points from our catalog:
- Sassi di Matera — a pictorial tribute to one of Italy's most iconic landscapes, perfect for living rooms and dining rooms.
- Metropolis Underground — urban contrasts and gray tones, for those seeking a more contemporary character.
- Tulip Silk — delicate transparencies and neutral colors, ideal for entryways and bright dining rooms.
In summary
American department stores are effectively saying that home decor is better purchased online—and given the speed at which certain US dynamics reach Europe, it is a signal to keep an eye on from here as well. For a custom scenic mural, this is even more true: online, you can see the composition in its entirety, touch the material with a sample, get a simulation on your actual wall, and receive a graphic scaled exactly to your measurements. Everything a physical store, no matter how well-stocked, can never truly offer you.
Ready to see how it would look on your wall? Request your free simulation now or discover the entire collection.
Source: Has Nordstrom given up on home? (Business of Home, September 17, 2026)
