Several weeks ago, we were seized with curiosity about what lay beneath the pink roses of the 1980s vinyl wallpaper in the little bay window room on the second floor of our 1863 rowhouse. A loose corner of wallpaper was within reach of my chair, so I did what any old house owner would do: I grabbed it and pulled.
The original wallpaper -- only four layers down, as the three families that owned our house rarely redecorated -- is a reminder that the Victorian idea of "restful" was somewhat different from our own. The colors, now faded, on the green background were probably once apple green, yellow, and soft pink -- a combination that was then recommended as appropriately reposeful for a bedroom. The pattern is another thing entirely. It has scrolls. It has laurel swags. It has wreaths of floral blossoms. It has stripes. It has lozenges filled with scenes of trees and windmills. It has scrolls connecting the lozenges to the swags, wreaths, and stripes. And it has a current replacement cost that starts at $70 a double roll for a not-terribly-similar style, and rises precipitously from there.
What's a Victorian buff to do?
Anyone Have a Trust Fund?
If money is no object, or if you hope to run a museum in your home, you can have your original paper (assuming you have an old house) reproduced in its original colors. The Farmer's Museum in Cooperstown, New York, replicates documented historic wallpapers for specific projects. Creating the wallpaper takes about 18 months, and prices start at $160 for a two-color roll that covers about 34.5 square feet. Another option is Mt. Diablo Handprints in Vallejo, California: this company also replicates original wallpaper, but they lower your costs by selling "your" same pattern to other customers.
It's also possible to obtain wallpaper that is appropriate to the age of the house or the era of your décor, even though it's not "your" wallpaper. Bradbury & Bradbury is the best known of the Victorian wallpaper manufacturers, but there are several others. One of my favorites for patterns that were widely popular is Victorian Collectibles. If you happen to be using a professional decorator or have a decorator's license yourself, you also have access to historic collections from Schumacher, Thibaut, and Sanderson.
Sticky, But Less Spendy
If money is an object, your first thought may be to head for your local giant hardware store and find a nice pattern in one of the books labeled "traditional." This is a decent strategy if your look is neo-Classical (and you don't mind the sheen of vinyl), but you'll leave disappointed if you're aiming for neo-Rococo.
The original wallpaper -- only four layers down, as the three families that owned our house rarely redecorated -- is a reminder that the Victorian idea of "restful" was somewhat different from our own. The colors, now faded, on the green background were probably once apple green, yellow, and soft pink -- a combination that was then recommended as appropriately reposeful for a bedroom. The pattern is another thing entirely. It has scrolls. It has laurel swags. It has wreaths of floral blossoms. It has stripes. It has lozenges filled with scenes of trees and windmills. It has scrolls connecting the lozenges to the swags, wreaths, and stripes. And it has a current replacement cost that starts at $70 a double roll for a not-terribly-similar style, and rises precipitously from there.
What's a Victorian buff to do?
Anyone Have a Trust Fund?
If money is no object, or if you hope to run a museum in your home, you can have your original paper (assuming you have an old house) reproduced in its original colors. The Farmer's Museum in Cooperstown, New York, replicates documented historic wallpapers for specific projects. Creating the wallpaper takes about 18 months, and prices start at $160 for a two-color roll that covers about 34.5 square feet. Another option is Mt. Diablo Handprints in Vallejo, California: this company also replicates original wallpaper, but they lower your costs by selling "your" same pattern to other customers.
It's also possible to obtain wallpaper that is appropriate to the age of the house or the era of your décor, even though it's not "your" wallpaper. Bradbury & Bradbury is the best known of the Victorian wallpaper manufacturers, but there are several others. One of my favorites for patterns that were widely popular is Victorian Collectibles. If you happen to be using a professional decorator or have a decorator's license yourself, you also have access to historic collections from Schumacher, Thibaut, and Sanderson.
Sticky, But Less Spendy
If money is an object, your first thought may be to head for your local giant hardware store and find a nice pattern in one of the books labeled "traditional." This is a decent strategy if your look is neo-Classical (and you don't mind the sheen of vinyl), but you'll leave disappointed if you're aiming for neo-Rococo.
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