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  • Home » Decorating Resources -- Also note those subcategories in the orange navigation, above! » wallpaper » Chic + whimsical 1950s design tweed wallpaper from Cole & Son — 6 color ways

    Chic + whimsical 1950s design tweed wallpaper from Cole & Son — 6 color ways

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    Posted by: Kate • November 6, 2014

    tweed wallpaper retroCole & Son’s line of tweed wallpaper comes from a 1950s document print — it’s an authentic vintage design — and we love it. It seems to read like a cartoonish grasscloth or linen — not a bad thing in our book, at all — because it makes for a delightful mix of sophisticated + whimsical all at the same time. There are 6 color ways ranging from soothing neutral to bold red, gold and blue. 

    tweed wallpaper retro

    From the description on the Cole & Son website:

    Foundation Tweed

    A stylish, vintage wallpaper design from the 1950’s. A colourful pattern that incorporates a tweed texture on a solid background, this design would suit a feature wall for maximum impact. Colour-ways include White, Brown, Black & White, Yellow & Orange, Blue and Red. Colours shown on-screen may vary from the original wallpaper, we therefore recommend ordering a sample to view the true colours. We recommend that you use Cole & Son Tub Paste.

    tweed wallpaper retroThis wallpaper pattern would be a great ‘starter wallpaper’ for those timid about putting too much pattern on their walls. From a distance, the tweed reads more like a texture — like grasscloth or matting — than a print. The fact that it’s not to literal a representation — it’s an illustration — a sort of chubby representation — makes it all the better. Wallpaper is its own medium — we like it best when it is not photographic. At the same time, this design is not so scream-y that you can’t layer it. Au contraire – what a fabulous backdrop for art and tchotchkes of all sorts. Pam says she LOVES this wallpaper!

    retro tweed wallpaperretro tweed wallpapertweed wallpaper retro
    tweed wallpaper retro

     

    tweed wallpaper retroThe color ways offered would work well in a retro home. I’m especially fond of the yellow/orange and the vibrant red/pink combo, but the white is a calming neutral if your are searching for a more understated look.

    tweed wallpaper retro tweed wallpaper retro tweed wallpaper retro tweed wallpaper retro tweed wallpaper retro tweed wallpaper retroWhat do you think readers? Would you use tweed on your walls?

    Links:

    • Cole & Son tweed wallpaper
    • See all our stories about wallpaper

     

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    Comments 17
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    Comments

    1. Linda Haas says

      November 9, 2014 at 8:53 pm

      Love this look! Making me think about changing SOMETHING!!! Lovin the grays, and the yellows, and…

    2. Joe Felice says

      November 9, 2014 at 11:56 pm

      The print actually looks like real woven texture, and gives a 3-D appearance. This, too, was more ’70s, wasn’t it? Along with grass cloth, bamboo, cork and leather (for our wealthy devotees).

      • pam kueber says

        November 10, 2014 at 8:41 am

        Nope, original 1950s design, Cole & Son says. Linen was a popular laminate pattern – so why not for wallpaper, too! Grasscloth = popular starting in the 1950s, I’d guestimate.

    3. Terri says

      November 12, 2014 at 1:31 pm

      I like it

    4. Marguerite says

      March 4, 2015 at 8:07 pm

      I love this paper. My parents had our living room (circa 1960) done in a pale green tweed and the adjoining hallway had one of those coordinating mural print types with pastoral scenes all over it. It really was cozy and striking at the same time!

      • Mary Elizabeth says

        March 5, 2015 at 2:07 pm

        Yes, Marguerite, we had that too in my house growing up! The color was more of a mint green than the green shown here, and I put it up with my dad–one of our first major joint projects. The mural that came with it was snow-peaked mountains and forest. We put that up in the family room over the fireplace and built in bookcases. I think I am leaning towards the tweed because of the nostalgia of working on the family home and my first house with my dad. 🙂

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