Wallcoverings: A Brief History
200 B.C. Chinese glued rice paper onto their walls
800 A.D. Papermaking spreads throughout the Middle East
1000 AD Substitution of linen fibers for wood and bamboo, create a finer quality of paper
1200 AD Papermaking has spread throughout Europe
1400 AD European pictorial block prints start to emerge.
1481 Jean Bourdichon painted 50 rolls of paper with angels on a blue background for Louis XI of France
1509 The earliest known fragment of European wallpaper that still exists today was found on the beams of the lodge of Christ’s College in Cambridge , England
1599 A guild of paperhangers was first established in France
1600 China begins producing scenes with painted birds, flowers, and landscapes on silk and rise paper. (chinoiserie)
European paper stainers start making designs of marble, stucco swags of fabric and cut velvet (flock).
1785 French invent first machine for making wallpaper
1800 Printing machines evolve, allowing for more color design and variety for the middle class.
French scenic murals come into vogue. Printed with hand-carved blocks, some scenics took as many as 5,000 blocks to produce. These were usually applied over muslin, tacked to the walls.
The Victorian era brought paper to every room, mostly in garnish colors, making the cabbage rose and arabesque patterns a mainstay of design.
Popular artisans of the time were Louis C. Tiffany and William Morris. Watch how block printing was done here
1920 "The golden age of wallpaper” Some 400 million rolls were sold in the 20’s.
1947 Vinyl paper appears on the market
1955 Pre-Pasted papers hit the market
1970 Non-woven backings begin to appear in European papers
2000 Digital technology opens new avenues
Wallcovering Fact Sheet
Wallcovering installation is by its very nature a subjective decorating process. Some of the contributing factors to this subjectivity are:
a) the existing wall surface and related structures
b) pattern and/or texture
c) physical properties of the wall covering
All of the above-listed factors and others will impact the finished wall covering installation to some degree. The wisest course of action is to take all three factors into consideration when selecting your wall covering. Joan Hobbs, Inc. can give you valuable advice in the area- please ask.
Time is money. The proposal you have received is for installing wall covering and related wall preparation. Some factors that result in a higher than normal price are: time consuming wind treatments, limited work space, furniture moving and fixture removal, limited parking, and high-rise or difficult locations involving elevator travel. In effect, anything that causes extra time spent on the site. Your contractor can give the best service at the lowest rate if the walls are bare, all furnishings are moved 3 feet away from any walls. and sinks, counter tops and medicine chests are clear/empty.
A professional installer has years worth of experience with myriad wall coverings and will amply that experience in installing your wallcovering. Every wall covering has certain inherent features that limit what can be accomplished with that particular material. Joan Hobbs, Inc. will make every effort to produce the best job possible within those limitations.