From the category archives:
Flickr friend John4kc is a retro recon junkie, and has many wonderful photos on his photostream (click the photo to get there). This Nutone door bell is a classic – but be still my beating heart, how I adore that vintage wallpaper. The graphics, so sweet!… and chartreuse+pink+green+red on cream — a most wonderful color combination. Thanks, j4kc!
Folks, the foyer is a great place for vintage wallpaper — you only have one chance to make a good first impression!
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Little fishies searching for treasure in his time capsule pink bathroom. My new desktop wallpaper!
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Writing this blog gives me a good excuse to troll around the internet for hours on end. One day I found this. Wallpaper that you can color in with a crayon. Not something you’d have seen in the 50s, of course, although by the 60s you started seeing wacky design concepts like this. And of course, the subject matter definitely has that retro feel. What fun! Reader Abby helps by providing this exact link. Thanks, Abby!
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Hot off the presses… or off the wallpaper printers…: Bradbury & Bradbury’s “The Mod Generation” of wallpapers.
I just heard from Stephen Bauer overnight and wanted them to be on the web on Retro Renovation first!
Here’s the story:
We’re talking about that generation, that turbulent era, emerging from the conservative prosperity of the 1950s and soon ushering in civil rights demonstrations, flower children and man’s journey to the moon. This energetic collection of patterns mirrors some of the radical shifts in graphic design that also sprung out of those tumultuous times. So whether you’re “feeling groovy” or strictly modern, we’ve got you covered.
Stephen adds in his email:
Some of them are pretty electric, but with most of these we recommend hanging only one wall as a “feature” or “accent” wall, like a huge piece of art! Take a look when you have some time and let me know what you think!
Here’s what I think: Awesome! My favorite: Moody Blue — as I was always a Flower Power Child — although I love the orange best – click through on their site to see all the colorways. What about you, readers? … Click here, or on the Nifty Fifties ad to the right, to get the Bradbury & Bradbury site.
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An additional idea for your 1948 kitchen, Catherine: Steve Bauer of Bradbury & Bradbury points out that their new 40s papers include some maroon in them. This one in particular, might look great in your vintage Youngstown kitchen with its maroon-accented tile. Hey, how could your little ones not grow up glass-half-full in a “Sunnyside” kitchen? If you like this paper, get samples and see how it would match up with Armstrong Holly linoleum sheet on the floor, green Nevamar Marrakesh laminate on the countertops, yellow laminate dinette.
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Last Saturday I invited readers to help wallpaper the world by sending in images of their favorite vintage wallpapers. We had three contributors — all wonderful examples and stories.
From Sumac Sue:
Hi. I was looking for a kitchen wallpaper that featured coffee pots, and I stumbled onto this one. I can’t imagine using it in my kitchen, although it does have a big blue coffee pot warming by the campfire! This paper would be great in a child’s room, or maybe in the den of someone who lives in cattle country.
There are several reasons I love this wallpaper — the scenes really seem to tell a story, and not just serve as a design. There’s a lot to stir up the imagination — cowboys, cattle, horses, a campfire scene complete with a fellow playing a harmonica. And the colors are gorgeous — just look at those cacti!
Makes me want to dust off the Louis L’Amour novels!
I found some other more conventional papers with coffee pots, but none that really wowed me like this paper does. We call our place the Coffee Pot Ranch, because we drink a lot of coffee, but, I don’t know if I want to be quite so literal about it by using cowboy wallpaper!
From Jason, it’s flamingos after dark –
This is my favorite wallpaper from Rosie’s. It’s so kitschy! I love flamingos and tropical places. I love the colors, although I have a feeling it would really darken the room too much. But I may just have to find a reason to “need” some. It would look great in a bathroom with pink and black tile. – Jason
Thank you, Jason, and write more often!
And from Portland Amy:
I thought this would take hours but I quickly found the exact same wallpaper that covered my Grandmother’s master bathroom. I would spend hours in that huge bathroom perched on her red velvet vanity stool surrounded by this flocked goodness. Some days I was a movie star, others I was a princess. If only I had an extra 350 bucks lying around.
Yup, Amy Sue. That about sums it up for all of us. Thanks, everyone, for playing!
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I have decided that this is my favorite wallpaper of all time. Colors. Flowers. Geometrics. Gold sparkly. All in one!
Which leads to today’s special feature, a Retro Renovator community post. Wanna give it a try?
So which is your very favorite vintage wallpaper?
First, find it on one of our favorite sites:
Second – save the paper on your hard drive, including the name of the site in the title. For example, save the image as: SumacSuesfavefromRosies.jpeg. This will be really helpful as I pull these together.
Last, send the jpeg and why you love it so to me.
I’ll load them up into a post on…Wallpaper Wednesday!
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More wallpaper! Another site that Femme1 found, rosiesvintagewallpaper.com. Also very expensive — but so terrific. Truly – these graphics are the epitome of warm and wonderful 50s design. Today we surround ourself with a few more small novelty prints, some bathroom, and even more kitchen motifs. Including my favorite: COFFEE! Thanks, Femme1!
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At some point this year, there will be a quiz, so please pay attention. Now what was my sole New Year’s resolution? To rid all retro renovators of any latent fear of wallpaper, and embrace this most wonderful of decorative gifts, of course!
In the continuing hunt to help Sebastian, Femme1 also found this site, hannahstreasures.com. 500 different papers, endless fun. I personally have a super mushy soft spot for ‘novelty prints’, so let’s look at some of those today!
Considering that this vintage wallpaper is $100 a roll, best be on the lookout locally and snap up any finds. If you have the greenstuff, though, why not recycle it into right into this:
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In searching for more wallpaper choices for Sebastian and his yellow and black 1955 bathroom, Femme1 has found an incredible stash on a website in Sweden. In the 1950-1965 section, there are 180 different styles alone, including many in multiple roles!
Hi again, Pam!
I was looking around for wallpaper for the post about Sebastien’s bathroom (what a great floor, by the way). I came upon this site, which is Swedish, but they have an English button on the front page, so you can read the info. This is vintage wallpaper and is very pricey, but there is some amazing stuff there. I’m temped to buy some, even though I don’t have a wallpapering project!
There may be some here that would work for his yellow and black bathroom.
The site is: Interior1900.com
Thanks, Femme1. Even though you called me a girly-girl yesterday – presumably because of my cutesy poo wallpaper reco to Sebastian. In any case, since you followed up your slander with action leading to this great information, I will overlook it. This time. 
If you have a lot of Euro’s stashed away, here is your opportunity. As Femme1 mentions, these are expensive — $100 a roll. Even if you don’t have the cash, this site is oh-so-fun to look at…and a great lesson that, if you see vintage wallpaper at an estate sale or Re-Store, you should snap it up.
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