Bradbury & Bradbury and other Fine Wallpapers

From time to time, readers have commented on my blog background and wondered what it was. When I started this blog, I had ordered samples of fine historic wallpapers from companies like Bradbury & Bradbury and Aesthetic Interiors to see what I would like to put up in my house someday. That inspired me to piece together a blog background out of my favorite wallpapers!

Well, Stephen J. Bauer, owner of Bradbury & Bradbury Art Wallpapers, commented on my last post, noting that I was using one of their wallpapers in my blog background! Mind you, I would not use these two wallpapers together in real life, but in separate rooms.

The bottom half of my background is called the "Iris Frieze," part of Bradbury & Bradbury's Fenway Roomset. In taller rooms, I've seen it used as a frieze near the ceiling. But I've also seen it used as a dado, on the lower part of the wall. That is the way I want to use it in my library, in the Aesthetic Green colorway.

Fenway "Iris Frieze", Bradbury & Bradbury

The top half of my background is called "Nocturnal Owl" by Aesthetic Interiors. It is an Anglo Japanese style pattern in the Olive Ochre colorway. It is so typical of the Eastlake/Aesthetic patterns from the 1870's-1880's. My home was built in 1873, and I'm trying to stay within the 1873-1885 range in my choice of decor.

"Nocturnal Owl" wallpaper, Aesthetic Interiors

Bradbury describes their Iris Frieze as being adapted from the work of Walter Crane, one of my favorite Victorian illustrators, whose illustration My Lady's Chamber I discussed in an earlier post.

I do follow the Bradbury Blog, and Stephen pointed out that his company has a new roomset out called "Persian" that has a different kind of exotic feel than the Japanesque feel of the Eastlake/Aesthetic patterns I tend to lean toward.

"Persian" roomset, Bradbury & Bradbury

This wallpaper set would look great in a Moorish or Turkish room, with large tufted ottomans, tasseled draperies and Persian carpets. If you like rich jewel tones, lots of tassels, and decorating with multi-colored scarves and pillows, this wallpaper is for you! Turkish rooms were a craze in the United States after the Centennial Exposition of 1876, which exposed Americans to the "Oriental" decorating sensibilities.

from Life Magazine online

I am still in the wishful-thinking-stage. It will be the icing on the cake when I can finally do any wallpapering! Did I mention that I intend to add some built-ins and replace all the molding and doors in my house? This will not be cheap, as I am using oak. But it must be done. Somewhere along the way, this house was stripped of all original molding and doors. It was replaced with cheap stuff. And since I do not like painted molding, oak it must be. I am designing the built-ins and building them myself (yes, I'm the one that wields the power tools, NOT my husband!).

So, the wallpaper will have to wait. Until then, I can dream!

More about Victorian Wallpaper

from Adventures in Processing

One really interesting thing I remember reading about the Victorian era was that some of their wallpaper contained arsenic. In particular, a vivid shade of green called "Sheele's Green" was especially high in arsenic content. It is thought that many people living with these wallpapers became ill and some died from arsenic poisoning. Arsenic was also used as a dye for some fabrics.

I would love to see a Victorian house with its original wallpaper intact and in great shape, as this is a rare occurrence. Wallpaper was so ephemeral. But maybe that's a good thing. While we love to think of the Victorian era as a gentler time, there were a lot of things they did that were harmful, to the environment and to themselves. I like to recreate the Victorian feel in the safest, most modern way possible. The Victorians would approve, as they were all about the latest technology.

Some good references on arsenic in wallpaper:

Popular Science

Inside the Victorian Home

Adventures in Processing

The Providence Journal

Endangered Lives:Public Health in Victorian Britain

Wallpaper in America

Victorian Walls and Wallpaper

Fenway Iris Frieze from Bradbury & Bradbury

There are so many styles encompassing the Victorian era, and many overlap. My favorite styles would have to be Eastlake and Aesthetic for furniture and interior decoration, and Queen Anne and Stick Style for exterior. Although Italianate is nice, too!

I really just collect what I like, and when choosing furniture, woodwork and wallpaper, I gravitate toward Eastlake. I like the incised carvings, the dark woods, and the clean lines on the furniture and other household items.

from Aesthetic Interiors

When it comes to wallpaper, I've found Bradbury & Bradbury papers most suit my taste. I love their Fenway Iris Frieze, which I really want to use as the dado in the room that will someday become our library. I want my walls to follow the tripartate system, breaking them visually into three distinct sections. This way, my walls will consist of (from top to bottom) a cove molding, a frieze, a picture rail, a fill wallpaper, a chair rail, a dado (either wallpaper, beadboard, or Lincrusta, depending on the room), and a baseboard with cap and quarter round.

Unfortunately for me, wallpapering is the last thing on my long list of things to do when restoring my house. More than anything else, it will be what brings the rooms alive with that Victorian feel.

Here's my list of favorite sites that sell Victorian reproduction wallpapers:

Bradbury & Bradbury

Mason & Wolf

Aesthetic Interiors

Victorian Collectibles Ltd.

Wolff House Wallpapers LLC

Carter & Company

Charles Rupert Designs

House Vernacular

J. R. Burrows & Company