News and Features

A small exhibition dedicated to the Art Deco designer and interior decorator Jacques-Emile Ruhlmann (1879-1933) has recently opened at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Displayed in a new print room, part of the Drawing, Wallpaper and Photography Department, it runs until June 1st. Read more...

With the onset of Spring, there’s no better place to be than the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, home to over 130 showrooms, to explore new collections and discover fresh inspiration from the leading wallpaper brands. This article takes a look at what’s new and how the influence of the past remains significant. Read more...

After four years of research, the museum of the Rhode Island School of Design has opened up a fascinating wallpaper collection dating from 1770-1840 amassed by French artist Charles Huard and his wife, American-born writer, Frances Wilson Huard. Emily Banas, RISD curator of a new exhibition about the collection, enthralled an online audience with her talk for WHS on February 12th Read more...

The process of closing a museum is similar to that of emptying a parent’s house after their death. Certain once-cherished objects might be claimed by relatives or given to friends, while the remainder, which had status due to their relationship to the whole, become diminished in status once unmoored from the context which gave them meaning. Read more...

We’re lucky to have Emily Banas giving an online talk about the Huard Collection for WHS on February 12th at 6pm. Emily is Associate Curator of Decorative Arts and Design at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum where she cares for the collection, which comprises approximately 500 wallpaper panels, borders, fragments, and design drawings relating to wallpapers in France from the 1770s to the 1840s. This rich and diverse collection is considered to be one of the most significant in the world of its type.

Here she gives an introduction to French wallpaper.

https://risdmuseum.org/art-french-wallpaper-design

If your appetite has been whetted, you can find tickets for what promises to be a fascinating talk here

We're delighted to hear that one of our corporate members, Marthe Armitage Prints Ltd, has just been awarded 'Best Printed Fabric' in the Homes & Gardens Design Awards 2024 for their 'Lobby' design which started life as a hand-printed wallpaper. Read more...

Baemui, a company dedicated to restoring and recording traditional houses in Korea, has come across a great variety of wallpapers through its work. After peeling off layer after layer, sometimes over a dozen wallpapers have been discovered, revealing a certain chronology. Read more...

A new exhibition at The William Morris Society’s museum in Hammersmith highlights a collection of beautiful objects donated by a passionate Morris collector. Read more...

For wallpaper lovers who were not able to catch this exhibition in its original form at the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh, it was a treat to be able to view it at the Coach House of Kelmscott House on the banks of the Thames. William Morris (1834-1896) lived in Kelmscott House from 1878 until his death in 1896 Read more...

In an exciting modern-day collaboration, two master manufacturers of Victorian wallcovering have come together to create a new product – William Morris wallpaper in 3D. Lincrusta, renowned for its embossed papers, has worked with Morris & Co. to bring three iconic Morris patterns into a new dimension. Read more...

My ongoing research continues to reveal the role of wallpaper in the decorative history of Penllyn Castle. Little is known about the acquisition or appearance of the rooms when Emilia Gwinett, who inherited the castle in 1786 and rebuilt it in 1790, was a resident. John Homfray purchased Penllyn Castle in 1846. Read more...

We recently read Frank and Amanda Holmes’ Perfectly Frank blog post in which they were kind enough to highlight the work of WHS and talk about just how useful our website can be in dating wallpapers and finding useful resources. They also talk about some interesting restoration work they have recently been involved in. Thanks to them for allowing us to use an edited version of the post here.

This year's Merryl Huxtable bursary has been awarded to two recipients, Justyna Medon and Amy Junker Heslip. Find out about their individual research projects.

Read about Justyna Medon

Read about Amy Junker Heslip

In July 2020, I was contacted by a homeowner who had discovered some old wallpaper in her house and wanted to know if I could help redesign it based on what was left. As this was a dream project I did not hesitate to respond. Read more...

In the Sacred Art Museum in Funchal, Madeira sits a processional model of Our Lady of the Rosary with the Infant Jesus, (Nossa Senhora do Rosario). The figures have long been housed in a wallpaper-lined cabinet. Read more...

An island in Cork harbour would seem to be an unlikely destination for wallpaper enthusiasts, especially since Fota Island now houses a wildlife park. However, it’s not the wildlife park but Fota House which is the real treat. This Regency villa, once the hunting lodge of the Earls of Barrymore and until the 1970s the home of the Smith Barry family, has been painstakingly restored under the supervision of the Office for Public Works. Read more...

 Timorous Beasties is undoubtedly one of the UK’s most successful contemporary wallpaper designers and makers. WHS was thrilled to be invited by the company to visit their studio and HQ in Glasgow in September.

Read more...

Mills Mansion, otherwise known as the Staatsburgh Historic Site, sits grandly confident on the top of a hill overlooking the Hudson River. When first seen on a chilly afternoon in late spring, when the sky is grey and the wind bitter, the house is imposing, if rather bleak. In its glory days, at the turn of the 20th century, Ruth Livingston-Mills, her husband Ogden Mills and their many guests brought warmth to the house. Read more...

When James and Margaret Beale decided in 1890 that they would like to create a comfortable weekend retreat within easy reach of their London home in Holland Park, they chose renowned architect Philip Webb to build it for them. Read more...

I first met wallpaper maker Daniel Heath when a friend treated me a workshop at his studio in East London. We were introduced to the importance of pattern repeat and had a go with the screens to print our own wallpaper. I’ve been fascinated by his magical, other-worldly designs ever since so it was a real pleasure to interview him...Read more

On 26 July the Wallpaper History Society enjoyed an online talk presented by Rose Sinclair, discussing the extensive research she has undertaken to underpin the exhibition she has co-curated of McNish’s work at the William Morris Gallery, an exhibition supported by a grant from the Society of Antiquaries. Read more...

Dianne Lawrence discovers wallcoverings exposed after

demolition in a historic part of Gran Canaria...Read more

When artist Nicole Tilley realised that wallpapers
discovered in a farmhouse were being removed in favour of the original stone walls, she quickly set about retrieving as many examples as possible, discovering a range of papers dating over many years ... Read more 

An easy way to describe this book is as a veritable thing of beauty. Of course, this is to be expected of a publication which focuses on the themes of style and trends in wallpapers....Read more

Read about this fascinating project taking place at Jekyll Island, Georgia, USA 

Part One

Part Two