Retro Renovation » wallpaper

5 more wallpapers and fabrics from famous New Yorker cartoonist Saul Steinberg

pam kueber — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 11:01:30 +0000

Following yesterday’s post on Saul Steinberg’s wonderful “Views of Paris” wallpaper, which was designed in 1946 and still is available today, I started nosing around some more on Schumacher’s website. I found five more designs for wallpaper and/or fabrics all reproduced from the 1950s originals. Amazing! Gorgeous! Gonna cost you! I think the one above — “Trains” wallpaper by Saul Steinberg for Schumacher — also might have some appeal to our steampunk kin. Note, the Schumacher page for this print does not identify it as a Steinberg design. But, I found a reference to it in another listing. But now I want to know: What happened to “Horses”? Click thru to see 4 more beautiful designs.

“Opera” cotton table fabric, designed by Saul Steinberg, discovered in the archives as an original Greeff print.

“Aviary” wallpaper designed by Saul Steinberg and sold by Schumacher. This is also available in a black-on-white print.

“Opera” fabric, designed by Saul Steinberg, for Schumacher. Originally a Greeff print. Available in aqua (above) and natural colorways.

And this was hardest to find on the website — ironically. “New York New York” wallpaper and fabric, Saul Steinberg for Schumacher. It is not identified on the site as a Steinberg design, but I found a reference elsewhere on the web, and assume it to be true.

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Saul Steinberg 1946 design, Views of Paris wallpaper, still for sale today

pam kueber — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:00:38 +0000

Maureen gets major snaps for spotting this great find: “Views of Paris” wallpaper designed by Saul Steinberg — who is perhaps best well known for his New Yorker cartoons. Amazing but true: This Schumacher wallpaper has been in production and for sale by Schumacher since 1946.

Maureen wrote:

I have been searching for post-war/pre-fab ’50s stuff since we started our basement reno in April 2008. I came across an article (googled it) and found the Schumacher paper that I linked in my earlier comment. I understand that very few wallpapers were produced in the war era because they melted the printing presses as part of the war effort.

She goes on to explain that her house was built in 1949, so she is looking for design resources that harken to the 40s and very early 50s. And she adds that, with a big kitchen renovation in the works, and the wallpaper pricing out at CDN$360 per double roll, she hasn’t bit the bullet to purchase any yet — she’s still thinking through where to put it exactly, as there are a few possibilities.

I do agree: Oh my, this is truly fantastic. To be sure, a wallpaper to aspire to. Thank you, Maureen, for the great detective work. I see from some of your other comments, that you have a few more finds I need to spotlight on the main page. I can’t WAIT to see your kitchen!

Here are some links with more information:

Maureen first read this story about vintage wallpaper in the Old House Journal online.
The OHJ story pointed her to this New York Times story about the Cooper-Hewitt’s 1995 exhibit, “Kitsch to Corbusier: Wallpapers From the 1950’s.”
The Times story led her to chase the Saul Steinberg wallpaper, Views of Paris in Black and White for sale from Schumacher.
Read more about Saul Steinberg’s life and work via The Saul Steinberg Foundation.

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Ralph Lauren aging glaze for wallpaper and wood

pam kueber — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 11:00:42 +0000

Okay, so here is the bottom line: If you have an old house, why would you want things to look brand spanking *today* new? You’re not fooling anyone. The outside of your house is old, the trees are old, the neighborhood is old. Putting in sleek and shiny new new new is kind of like living in retirement community, getting a major facelift, but everything else… still sags. Don’t fight ‘em, join ‘em: Those aren’t wrinkles, they are patina. Now, this may be the craziest extreme to go to yet, but if you are putting up new vintage-style wallpaper, why not take the additional time to give it some immediate patina? You can do it with Ralph Lauren’s Faux Aging Glaze, which I believe is sold at Home Depot. I’m not saying you have to go so far as “smoke” or “tobacco” — I’m not sayin’ *dirty* — but “sun fade” and “tea stain” might be just right. I think I am going to try sun fade in my blue bathroom this year. The glaze also can be used on woodwork — and looks like a very cool way to age bright white cabinetry, in particular. That’s maybe more of a country look than we normally are after, but cool, nonetheless. Paneling? Could be very interesting, too.

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Danish modern interior with Bradbury’s Mod Generation wallpaper

pam kueber — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:59:25 +0000

Color is so funny. You never know how it will come together. After researching Rebecca examples of how to complement orange with blue and green for Rebecca and Keith’s 1961 mid-century split level house, I started poking around Bradbury’s Mod Generation wallpaper to see if they had any designs and color palette that might work for her rooms. I put this “Reverb” in “Purple Tangerine” up next to her living room and woah mama, I like it. A lot. I never would have thought of putting these colors together — proof that you gotta search and scope and throw samples up on the wall. This wallpaper works beautifully with Rachel’s mid-century sofa and chairs…the lavendar brings in an accent color…the print is sophisticated…and bonus: the round detail is echoed in the glass inset on the door of the teak china hutch. Rachel, I think that you could put this along one long wall (the back wall?) of the room, then pick up the lightest butterscotch-gold in the wallpaper for the rest of the walls, and it could look fantastic. All that said, (1) you gotta put the wallpaper sample up and see that it really looks good in real life, including that the scale is right; and (2) color is very very infinitely personal. Colors are vibrational waves. You are made of electrons that are also vibrational. How the two synch up — very personal.

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Rose red wallpaper

pam kueber — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:59:58 +0000

Here is a link to a Retro Renovation classic post from the early days, Dec. 2007. I found numerous rose red wallpapers from Thibaut that are excellent proxies for the vintage wallpaper that you get a peek of in the photos above. Rose red is a classic 50s color that you don’t really think about much…I’ve even spotted it in kitchens (click on thumbnail) which is quite something. Even better, I think the color — especially in those wallpapers! — would be wonderful for dining rooms — very convivial. Good for dinnertime cheer, although maybe not for your waistline.

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Granny wallpaper: Bring it on

pam kueber — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:00:39 +0000

In case you have not figured this out, I derive immense joy at thumbing my nose at reigning mass-market stylistas. If it’s “out” — I ask, “says who?” — and declare it “in.” Today: I declare that these novelty wallpapers are the cat’s pajamas.

Detail of “Trailways.”

This one is absolutely classic. It gets an exclamation point!

These are all current day wallpapers. They are $40-$50 per double role at the discount online place. The ones that are black and white are from a collection called Designing in Black and White, here is the link to this collection on American Blinds and Wallpaper.

To see the names/collections, just scroll your mouse over them and the name will pop up in “alt text”. The papers here with color are from a collection called ‘Echo A Collectors Home’ – here is the link on American Blinds and Wallpaper.

I think these wallpapers would be perfect for a powder room, in particular…

…In your powder room, your guests would see them and really wonder whether you were insane. They would say to their significant other afterward, “Did you SEE that bathroom wallpaper?,” squinting confusedly.

This one would be good for the kitchen, of course — or for the basement if you have a retro soda shop going on.

P.S. While I was on my dreadmill today, watching that decorating network, I saw a stylista declare: “Oh, yes, white appliances are in again. It’s not just about stainless steel anymore.” Is that enough said, or do I need to do more to convince you to choose your own path. Which also means: Take every single thing I say with a honkin’ big grain of salt, too.

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Pink poodle Paris wallpapers

pam kueber — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 09:58:49 +0000

I found these poodle wallpapers at American Blinds Wallpaper & More and the Wallpaper Connection. I guess if you have a pink bathroom…and put up this wallpaper…then you might as well get a poodle…and name her Fifi.

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New vintage wallpaper repro’s from Bradbury

Pam Kueber — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:59:09 +0000

Bradbury & Bradbury has introduced four new vintage wallpaper reproductions — classic damasks that, as owner Steve Bauer says, “would be appropriate in almost any style of home, with the exception of perhaps the most sterilized of midcentury modern homes, where ‘ornament is crime.’”

The four papers — Berkshire, Hampshire, Warwickshire and Essex — are all taken from 1920-1940s documents in the Bradbury archives. Read on for more from Steve…

Steve writes,

Hi Pam,

Thanks, I’m glad you’re interested in our new papers. All four are from early 1920-1940s documents in our archives. These are always harder to date because many damask patterns originated from even earlier examples, some of which may go as far back as the 16th century. Because of that “timeless” quality and their visual elegance damasks have never really migrated away from popular taste. We wanted to make this new collection adaptable to a wide range of tastes and so chose to be less “period specific” in the colorings, using more neutrals and soft metallics which can blend with either historic or more contemporary styles of decorating.

As far as uses, they are more probably best suited to the main living areas, unless there is a desire to go a little more formal in a master suite, for example. As I mentioned earlier they would be appropriate in almost any style of home, with the exception of perhaps the most sterilized of MCM homes, where “ornament is crime”.

And yes, we will be developing more traditional patterns like these, as long as our customers ask for them!

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pam kueber — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:59:13 +0000

DOESN’T THIS MAKE YOU WANT TO BE 10 AGAIN — when no one questions why you would want a bedroom that is sweet sweet sweet?

The wallpaper is Lily of the Valley by Thibaut, and it’s available in 7 colorways – including yellow, light blue, even coral. I love the soft pastels the best, I think…. This is so perfectly vintage.

This post was originally published Dec. 28, 2007

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Pam Kueber — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 08:00:06 +0000

Lots of treasures awaited my return home yesterday… An ebay find which I’ll show soon… Barkcloth samples from Full Swing Textiles… and the best of all: Two rolls of vintage pink wallpaper from reader NYC Dorothy. She has contributed it to our community – so that it can savored for all. You see, these are the two wallpapers that hung in her mother’s kitchen and bathroom – and she wanted them to go to a good home. Dorothy, I promise you, they are in the right place – in front of many thousands of readers who treasure these memories of the homes our own families built in postwar America. Many thanks, indeed!

Oh, and readers… just to ensure you are triply amazed: Did I mention that both of these wallpapers are on a totally high-quality (not brittle) vinyl…. and that they have gold flecks and streaks throughout? Totally swoonable.

Click through for more delightful images of these two great vintage wallpapers….

Want to see more vintage wallpaper? Try these posts:

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