Once a stalwart of British interior design, patterned wallpaper was whitewashed over in favour of minimalism in the late 20th century. But it has since experienced a revival, with many homeowners using it as a feature wall, or a way to introduce colour and texture.
Interior decorating became more individual and, bored of the clinical white walls, many home decorators decided to inject a little personality and colour into their London homes.
How has wallpaper design changed over time?
According to historians, the earliest known use of wallpaper was to decorate small rooms and cupboards in 16th-century merchants’ homes. This particular form of interior decoration was at its height by the early 20th century when it was used in almost every room and every home.
Early designs were often copied from embroidery or featured floral patterns, and they were printed in one colour (black) on small sheets. Coloured block printing and the technology to produce long rolls of paper had dramatically changed the style by the 17th century.
Among the famous designers was William Morris, whose patterns of foliage and flowers can still be found on home furnishings today. His late 19th-century designs were bold and colourful, but took a long time to produce, so were only used by the wealthy.
Later developments in printing made producing multi-coloured papers far cheaper and faster, leading to the mass-produced papers we see now.
Patterns, of course, have changed hugely in the last few centuries, although floral, foliage and baroque designs are still popular.
What type of wallpaper is in style now?
Nostalgia
A curated return to the design archives with the very designs that made William Morris et al famous. Also known as ‘midimalism’, it involves mixing highly patterned heritage colours and patterns on the walls, layered in with clean lines and single-colour upholstery and fittings.
Texture
Textured wallpapers began with the application of powdered wools to paper in the 17th century, creating flocked paper, and later to embossing techniques and anaglypta papers.
They are now back, although more luxurious than your grandparents’ woodchip walls. Think more linen, sisal and hemp or grasscloth textures, that add depth and natural lines without the repeating pattern.
Colour shifts and gradients
Papers that move smoothly from one shade into the next as they rise up the wall are also in style. The soft edges of the gradients provide a subtle shift in colour rather than harsh lines.
Florals
Romantic florals of a more modern kind with tiny repeated motifs are also experiencing a moment in interior design, where they can be less overwhelming than big block heritage prints.
Sea and earth colours
Browns are in and neutral earth colours are popular, as are cool blues and sea greens that are reminiscent of equatorial island paradises.
Papering every wall
While some prefer a single wall of wallpaper, others have gone for what is known as wallpaper drenching, which is covering all walls and sometimes the ceiling in the same bold pattern. It is not a choice for the faint of heart!
Whatever wallpaper style you decide upon, AJS Decorating can deliver a professional finish on every wall and in every room.