5 Traditional Georgian Wallpapers Characteristics
Robert Adams Interior, Saltram House, Devon
The Georgian period covered the years from 1714 to 1830 when there were four consecutive King Georges on the throne. Georgian interiors are superb to decorate and restore. The attractive, harmonious proportions are known for their elegance and lightness of touch and are an interior decorators dream. Explore WOOLF historic projects.
Georgian & Regency Wallpapers - The Block Versus The Machine
During the 18th Century London was the focal point for wallpaper design in the United Kingdom. Up until 1840 all wallpapers were produced by hand using the block-printing process that was labour-intensive and slow. Not surprisingly, manufacturers were keen to find ways of speeding up production and in 1839 the first wallpaper printing machine was patented by Potters & Ross, a cotton printing firm based in Darwen, Lancashire. The first machine-printed papers appeared thin and colourless beside the richer and more complex effects of block-printing and most had simple floral and geometric designs with small repeats. But no-one could deny the speed and economy with which wallpaper could now be made. Production in Britain rose to around one million rolls in 1834 .
Modern Approaches To Wallpapering In A Georgian Building
1) In some of our historic interior projects, we have looked back at original wallpaper archives and we have studied the most likely and relevant designs, that would have been used at the time and in that setting. Many original archives from the Georgian and Regency era exist and we have in some instances, taken the original block designs and re-printed them in a colour blend that we know to be in keeping with the original colour palette. For example, Aeldred c.1780 originally a cut velvet found in Saltram House, Devon and one of Britain's best examples of early Georgian interiors. It was also the location for Ang Lee's 'Sense and Sensibility'. This bold floral design by Watts of Westminster is wonderfully extravagant, with a large repeat of nearly 3 metres. Woven intricately in ash-gold over iridescent midnight blue silk and lined with black wool, this is a truly opulent damask wallpaper and fabric. Explore WOOLF historic project
Aeldredc.1780 - French Blue Old Gold
Aeldredc.1780 - New Red Old Gold
2) In the majority of our decoration schemes, we will look at the space and consider which contemporary wallpapers based upon original Georgian designs, work with the scheme. A number of great suppliers carry collections which combine some of the most beautiful and timeless Georgian inspired wallpaper designs. Many of the designs we have worked with have a provenance tracing them back to the address of the original house, sometimes even a specific room, in which it was discovered. Explore the Harlington House project .
The Little Greene Company range contains some of the largest and best-preserved patterns in the English Heritage archive, each drop is substantially wider than the standard 20.5” (52cm) wallpaper roll. Found in the rear bedroom of a home built for ‘minor nobility’, the surviving examples have originally been papered on boards, with additional flowers added retrospectively by hand to mask the joins in the paper.
The Little Greene Company -Sackville Street - Chandelier
The Little Greene Company - Pomegranate Bazaar
3) At times we have completely redesigned a wallpaper from an original block print and created a completely bespoke pattern based upon the original. This is usually done so that we can use very high-tech printing techniques, produce large quantities of rolls or manufacture double width wallpapers. A double width wallpaper works really well when we have wanted to reduce the number of joins on the wall. We have a few suppliers that we work with who are experts at producing this type of wide width wallpaper for us and it is a really satisfying process. For example, we looked at the archives to find a Georgian damask print so that we could redesign it as oversized repeat pattern which we printed in three muted tones. Explore the Harlington House project .
The Question of Colour In Georgian Wallpapers
Although grey has become ubiquitous in modern day period interiors, don't be afraid of strong and vibrant colours - the cool and serene proportions of a Georgian building can take them. The wealthiest Georgians tried to be positively shocking with their palettes. One only has to enter the Ante Room at Syon, with its thrilling gaudiness, to feel transported into another realm. Later Georgian interiors, otherwise known as Regency, can be daring and colourful or simple and light. The architects from this period experimented with a wide range of styles, including Egyptian (as seen in the dining room at Goodwood House), Indo-Chinese (the Royal Pavilion in Brighton) and heavy Greek. This approach works well today with Art Deco pieces and well-proportioned furniture.Explore WOOLF historic projects.
Flocked Wall Paper
Unfortunately flocking is seen today as rather a ‘period pastiche’, often associated with the 1970s and grubby pub décor. During the Georgian period, paper and print making methods were still a hand made process, however a divergence of creative print effects began to emerge. 'Flocking' was used to create textured wall coverings, often reproductions of damask fabrics woven by French Huguenot weavers who emigrated to London during this time, and a cheaper alternative called 'mock flock' also arose. This was used to achieve the look of a flock paper, without the texture, by using a carefully considered print colour on the same design. Flock papers were an English speciality, wall coverings that imitated the expensive Spitalfield Silks of the day, however they were expensive to produce and a bold statement of luxury and social status. Striped papers became more popular in the Regency Era (1795-1837), as the use of trough printing became more widespread. Explore WOOLF historic projects.
Taxing Times
Technical improvements in the block-printing process meant that by the middle of the 18th century patterns could be printed in many colours and styles and the wallpaper industry in Britain flourished. As a result, it attracted the attention of the Excise Office who saw in wallpaper a potentially rich new source of revenue. These taxes inevitably led to increased prices and encouraged manufacturers to focus on more expensive wallpapers. Despite this, demand remained high and elegantly coloured patterns were sold by fashionable upholsterers like Thomas Chippendale.
Floral Papers
The Georgian and Regency period was also particularly rich and inventive in terms of floral patterns. Finely-coloured roses and carnations were most popular but architectural and landscape scenes were also admired. A paper from Doddington Hall contains framed figures and landscapes interspersed with flowers and insects, and the bright blues and pinks remind us that 18th-century interiors were often decorated in vivid colours. The idea of a wallpaper incorporating pictures within frames was inspired by the fashion for rooms decorated with prints cut out and pasted directly on to the wall, known as Print Rooms, that were pioneered by collectors such as Horace Walpole.
Chinese Wallpapers of The Regency Era
An even more expensive decoration were the wallpapers made in China that first appeared in London in the late 17th century as part of a larger trade in Chinese lacquer, porcelain and silks.
They rapidly came to dominate the market for luxury wall coverings for the next hundred years. Unlike European wallpapers, Chinese papers were painted, not printed, and featured large-scale, non-repeating pictorial scenes.
Every set of papers was individually composed but the designs tended to fall into two groups. The first depicted the occupations and activities of Chinese life, while the second represented an assortment of exotic plants and birds, elegantly balanced in a landscape of shrubs and trees, that covered the walls of an entire room.
Ironically, the Chinese did not use wallpapers themselves and their products were made exclusively for export. The accuracy and sophistication of their colours, and the naturalism and detail of their designs set new standards of excellence in wallpaper manufacture and established it as a luxury decoration much sought after.
However, such was their reputation that before long European manufacturers were producing printed and hand-coloured imitations which were more readily available.
