Wall Covering - Then and Now

In the middle of the 16th century, people began to use the colorful and decorative papers they found lining the inside of books for wall coverings. No one is certain who started the craze, or exactly why, but it's believed the trend originated in Italy. This practice seemed to take its greatest hold in France, where tapestry had previously been used for wall covering. Some possible reasons for the popularity of this "painted paper" could be the inexpensive cost and speed in which sheets could be produced, as opposed to tapestry. These sheets were 12 by 16 inches, and were block printed and colored by hand with stencils. Although the patterns were simple, typically checks, dominoes, or marbled papers, the patterns seldom lined up or matched in color. These mismatched sheets were adhered to the wall with flat head nails, and as the mental image suggests, it was less than visually pleasing.

Paper manufacturers and a new breed of designers soon noticed that this inconsistency in color and match of pattern was unpleasing to the eye when a whole room was wallpapered. In some cases, such as unmatched check patterns, it could make one feel dizzy! To help solve the difference in coloration, by the 17th Century, continuous rolls were being produced. Pasting the sheets end to end, then rolling, greatly increased the pattern and coloration match. It wasn't until the mid 18th Century before rolls of paper similar to the ones we have today were in production. One reason being, England did not permit the production because of the lucrative revenue tax on sheet paper. Another revolution in the production of "painted paper" was that of printing the colors in successively applied blocks. This skill required great precision, yet was faster than hand stenciling.

"Flock Papers" were next introduced into the marketplace, and closely resembled the look of French tapestry. The paper was sized, and then covered in fine chopped wool by a blowing process. Export to England and France boomed in the late 18th Century. The French, following suit, began to use finely chopped silk in the same manner to imitate damask. The patterns and colors were closely matched to the tapestry and damask that they were trying to imitate so most were quite detailed and intricate. These were rarely attached directly to walls, perhaps due to moisture and moth concerns. Instead, they were placed upon sheets of linen and stretched across movable wooden frames that were placed against the walls. They could then be moved from room to room, or taken outside to air and be gently feather dusted.

Also arriving in the 18th century were "Panel Papers". These could be closely compared to today's mural scenes for walls. They were created and painted by fine artists and each had a significant amount of plain background material around the edges. This extended background area was included in case the "Panel Paper" needed to be cut down to fit the space of the intended wall. These were also bordered by a decorative molding, which could easily be made wider in case the "Panel Paper" was to small to adequately cover the intended wall space. Most often painted in oils, these scenes generally depicted reproductions of well-known paintings in full color and famous statues and works of art in black and white. These "Panel Paper" works of art were usually adhered directly to the wall surface, and some didn't withstand the test of time very well. Moisture, and insects feeding on the glue and paper usually led to rapid deterioration.

Wallpaper is now mass-produced and the colors and patterns are seamless. Wallpaper comes in a seemingly endless variety of colors and patterns, some with the glue already on the backing, and some requiring a primer and paste. Installation has also been simplified to the point that the "Do It Yourselfer" can create professional looking results. Trends have came and gone, for a while the trend was turning away from wallpapering and leaning toward paint and texture. But regardless of the method or materials used, one thing that hasn't changed is the love of decorative wall covering.

One of the newest developing trends in wall covering is actually taking a step back in time. Do It Yourselfers are starting to create their own custom and unique wall coverings by hand once again. Plain paper roll sales are at an all time high because creative crafters are making their own designs and patterns. The possibilities are limited only by the creator's imagination. Some create their wall coverings by using stencils, others have chosen sponge-painting techniques, and some have even used finger painting! One such design idea is to take the blank roll paper, some inexpensive water soluble latex paints, and allow your children to create the pattern with their hand and foot prints. As long as the children stay within the edges of the paper with their little prints, there won't be any seams to worry with matching. Latex paints are water soluble for easy clean up of the kids and any surface they may have gotten paint on, and it dries to a water resistant finish that you can easily wipe clean with a damp cloth. This makes for a guaranteed to please wall covering for a child's room!

Another more tedious and time-consuming wall covering idea is to create individual handmade paper squares. The process of making paper in its most simplistic form is to dissolve material by mixing it with water and glue into a "pulp" like consistency. Once dissolved, the pulp mixture is spread out evenly and thinly onto a screen. When pressure is applied to the pulp to flatten, the water is drained away through the screen. Once the pulp is flattened and most of the water is removed, the pulp is allowed to dry on the screen until it becomes a dry sheet of newly created paper. The handmade paper square can then be decorated in any manner the crafter desires. These finished masterpieces of paper can then be trimmed to square, and adhered to the wall surface with regular wallpapering paste. A decorative trim or molding can be used to join the squares at the seams so that seam matching isn't necessary.

Other trends involve the tearing of various paper sources and an "appliqué" type process of adhering the paper to the wall space. The paper is torn into random sizes and shapes, and then a thin clear drying paste is applied to both sides with a paintbrush. The coated paper is then layered to the wall surface and smoothed by the paintbrush. For example, you might try this technique with brown paper bags. Tear some of the bags and leave the pieces flat and smooth, crumple others. As you "appliqué" them to the wall surface, they will give the look of aged and new leather. This look can be particularly pleasing in a den or study area, or in a home with a western theme.

Textured wall coverings have also became very popular, and takes the artist's mind "outside the roll". Instead of a paper source, this technique involves adhering other flat materials directly onto a wall surface. An example of this would be to use square bamboo mats, trimmed to fit your wall surface, and adhered with a strong clear drying glue, or hot glue gun. This effect can be particularly pleasing in a sunroom, bathroom, or any room with a tropical theme. A good offset wall covering when using the bamboo covering is to create a sandy paper for accent areas. This can be done by using the blank roll paper, clear drying paste, spray adhesive, and ordinary sand. Apply paste liberally on the paper, and then toss handfuls of sand haphazardly across the paper, creating swatches of sand. Once dry, lift the sheets and shake off any excess sand. A quick coat of spray adhesive will "set" the remaining sand. A hot glue gun can be used to adhere larger accent pieces, such as small seashells.

Some even stranger wall covering ideas are fake fur cloth from the craft department adhered to the walls, camouflage gauze mesh, and "beaded silk". For the beaded silk effect, you'll need several yards of faux silk material, and decorative bead head push pins. You pin the silk cloth into the top 2 corners of your wall space, then begin to drape, and bunch, the fabric by pulling it up and pinning it in place with the pushpin. This requires several yards of fabric, and to form the seams you simply fold the ends of each section under and adhere to the wall with a straight line of pushpins. One advantage to this decorative and unique wall covering is the ability to remove and wash when needed. Other ideas might be to use burlap or grass cloth, adhered directly to the wall surface with clear drying glue, or an "appliqué" of your favorite packaging materials. For example, the cover art on seed packages can be cut away and appliquéd to the wall surface to create a unique wall covering for an avid gardener. The possibilities are absolutely limitless; almost any material that you can adhere to a wall can become excellent wall covering fodder! Be creative, be crafty, and see what the addition of unique wall coverings can bring to your home décor.