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Why should you care? - What many people do not know about wallpaper is that it is a great representation of the tastes and technology of each time period. It provides a good insight into the history of interior design.

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The beginning -

In the 17th century, people would use paper to line their books, walls, and cupboards.

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“Dominoes” - The paper was not a roll, but instead individual pieces. The designs were very simple and usually made by block printing. These “dominoes” became more popular, and so stationers started to produce rolls of patterns. This was the first real wallpaper.

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18th century - In the 18th century, wallpaper became very popular. Advances in technology meant that many colors and styles could be produced.

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Tax - Consequently, the British tax authorities got onto it. They put a tax on wallpaper and in doing so increased the prices. The French followed suit. This made it a luxury good.

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Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779) -

This, of course, didn't stop the rich. The famous furniture company started by Thomas Chippendale began making wallpaper for the royal family.

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Floral fad -

The 18th-century fashion was to be very exciting and bold. As a result, many homeowners opted for vibrant floral designs.

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Print room - It was also the fashion to have a room dedicated to prints that had been cut out and stuck directly on the wall.

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Print room - Wallpaper trends imitated this by incorporating frames and different images inside a single pattern.

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Flock -

You may have seen this style but did not know its name. Flock is a technique that looks like velvet and silk, but isn't.

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Flock - The effect is created by using powdered wool, a waste product from the wool mills. It is shaken over a fabric that has a design printed on it using a type of glue. It can be done on fabric and paper.

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Moths repellent - The production of flock was cheap compared to using actually fabrics, and so it was a great hit. It also warded off moths because of the turpentine in the glue.

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Chinese style -

In the 17th and 18th centuries, Britain and China were engaging in a lot of trade. Someone had the bright idea to bring over some hand-painted wallpaper.

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Chinese style - Ironically, it was not in Chinese culture to put up wallpaper. Nevertheless, they created it for export because it was so popular in Europe.

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Handmade - What made them so special is that none were alike because they were all hand-painted. Victorians were amazed at the scenes of Chinese people going about their everyday life, as well as the exotic natural landscapes.

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Copycats -

It was not long before manufacturers in Europe adopted the style and made close copies that were cheaper. Soon the hand-painted fashion was popular, but not authentic.

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Mass production - In 1839, production changed from hand-operated block prints to the printing machine. The first machine patterns were simple and dull compared to the block-printed ones, but it was a lot cheaper.

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Mass production -

As it was so much cheaper, everyone hopped on the interior design train. It was no longer a luxury good.

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19th century - Wallpapers now came in all fashions. From historical scenes to imitations of wood, there was a bit of everything. However, the most popular remained intricate floral patterns.

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Criticism - Victorians loved floral designs, but there was a backlash. Some argued that the detail of the design was not right for the solidity of a wall. Designers wanted a return to medieval motifs.

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Ignored - But the public happily ignored these criticisms and went on using beautiful nature scenes.

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William Morris (1834-1896) - Textile designer William Morris is the godfather of wallpapers. Morris created over 50 wallpaper styles that were widely demanded.

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Nature - Morris took inspiration from nearby nature, such as his back garden. People liked the simplicity and playfulness of his designs.

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Children - In the Victorian period, people thought children were very affected by their surroundings, thus they carefully considered the kinds of wallpaper they should have in their rooms.

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Walter Crane (1845-1915) - Artist Walter Crane created some wonderful wallpapers that were made just for children’s rooms. They were meant to be relaxing yet stimulating.

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Health concerns - Many Victorians thought that the glue and paints in wallpaper made children and old people sick. In response, firms created explicitly toxin-free wallpapers.

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‘20s and ‘30s - Wallpaper’s popularity grew even more during this period. Increased exposure to other cultures led people to want more extreme patterns on their walls.

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Tutankhamen - For example, the discovery of Tutankhamen’s tomb inspired people to put in Egyptian-themed wallpaper in their houses.

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‘60 and ‘70s -

As you can imagine, the Swinging Sixties saw some bold and colorful designs explode on the wallpaper scene. They also now had metallic and vinyl finishes to last longer.

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Decline - During the 1973 oil crisis, many printing presses went out of business. Only the massive manufacturers remained and, thus, only the cheap, often ugly, wallpaper was left behind.

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Wallpaper renaissance -

Nevertheless, major designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Ralph Lauren have decided to reinvigorate the wallpaper world. In fact, it's on its way to becoming a new interior design trend.

Sources: (Victoria and Albert Museum)(Design Insider)

See also: Celebs who double as interior designers

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