I have been truly monomaniacal re wallpaper lately, as I search to find the perfect pattern for the main ceilings in my Mahalo Lounge. Yes: Thank you, dear readers, for alerting me: The open weave jute is indeed stinky, so ix-nay on that, pooh. During my obsessive searching for a new or vintage wallpaper alternative, I saw that Hannah’s Treasures had lots of rolls — turns out, 7,000 rolls of vintage wallpaper from the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s and 1950s added this year — just loaded on to their website. Owner Marilyn gave me the back story, along with permission to share some of the delicious patterns. I’m gonna make this “Wallpaper Week” on the blog. Let’s start with a look at some of the 1940s and 1950s kitchen wallpapers — which are amazing.
I asked Marilyn how she acquired her wallpapers. She wrote:
Hi Pam,
I have purchased three large loads of wallpaper this year. In February I went to California and brought back nearly 4000 rolls of 1920’s-1940’s wallpaper. We just finished adding the rest of it to the website today [late August].
A sublime 1940s design, 10 double rolls currently in stock.This year alone, our collection has grown by 7,000 rolls.
Streamline moderne design in this 1940s wallpaper, 22 double rolls availableAs with anything a person tries to collect, sometimes it requires patience to acquire it. We waited 20 years for the California load of wallpaper.
This one has a Salinas Valley, California vibe to me. 3 double rolls available.In contrast, this July we bought two loads of wallpaper in less than 10 days! One load was close to home here in Iowa and the other was a few hours away in Illinois.
Polka dots in the stripes, and flowers in a green and red flowerpot, and scallops too, in this delish 1950s vintage kitchen wallpaper. 13 rolls available.As far as the back stories on these loads, the information is sometimes funny and sometimes unbelievable and miraculous, but we like to keep those little details close.
Traditional and fruity and flowery — look, a birdhouse! — at the same time. 14 rolls available.We still have at least 100 new patterns to add to our website, hopefully we can get all of them up on the website before October.
Thank you,
Marilyn
Flowers and ivy on window shutters — so sweet! 18 double rolls available available.
This one is the same paper as the roll above, but in a different colorway. 24 double rolls available.
I love how these vintage wallpapers have grays that are WARM, not cold. This is a key difference between use of grays then vs. now. 15 available.Wallpaper heaven. Marilyn, can I make a request? Can you add a “new” category/tag so’s we can keep up better with what’s newly added? Thanks for letting me share all these photos!
Link love:
- 1940s and 1950s vintage kitchen wallpapers at Hannah’s Treasures.
- My key resources story: 7 places to buy vintage wallpaper, from 80 cents to $200+ a roll.
While I feel many wallpapers are “busy”, I always think they are so cheery. In looking at older magazines, catalogs, and books, I wonder why we’ve abandoned the “breakfast nook” for island/breakfast bar seating. Tuck them kids out of the way to have space to make lunches! Having these adorable papers covering the wall in the nook defines that space without being overwhelming.
And I think cabbage rose wallpaper is so serene in the bedroom.
I’m one of the lucky who has a breakfast nook. My home was built in 1935. There was also corner bench seating but it was removed before I bought my home 23 yrs ago. I try to keep as historic as possible.
OMG, so many great papers!
I know the uploader has been problematic but it would be fun to see readers’ use of wallpaper. I have some snapshots from the 70s that show wallpaper in my mom’s and grandma’s houses. A bold green and blue plaid in the former and a cheery orange and brown floral in the latter.
The uploader is dead and gone. Totally incompatible with web requirements now…. Alas, it was fun while it lasted.
Got photos? Send them to me initiating contact here: https://retrorenovation.com/contact-retro-renovation/
I just had a conversation about wallpaper with my brothers a few days ago, strangely enough. We were talking about the wallpaper in my grandparents’ bathroom when we grew up. It was some kind of maybe 19th century French or *maybe* art deco….basically a bunch of classic-art style nude women (I want to say there was French script on there too). Very artsy, but it’s really engrained in my memory since I saw it so much growing up.
I’m still trying to track it down as a novelty gift, but it’s *so* obscure that this link was really the first promising lead I’ve ever had.
Line drawing or painted?
My hands are trembling as I resist the urge to BUY WALLPAPER!!
So gorgeous and cheerful. These papers just exude “happy home”.
Wow there are some great geometric wallpapers in the 1960/70’s category! The pineapple kitchen wallpaper is also really awesome! I’ll have to find somewhere to use some wallpaper 🙂
oh! and the botanical wallpaper from the 40-70’s! and the plaids! I’ve died and gone to wallpaper heaven
I just got a roll of vintage kitchen wallpaper for my 1940s kitchen renovation. I figure one accent wall in wallpaper and the rest of the walls will be paint. Truly beautiful papers.
i’m flipping out at these prints. my tiny kitchen has very little wall space that’s not covered with cabinets. i want to use this for backsplash and anywhere i could fit it in.
If you can’t resist these gorgeous vintage wallpapers, be prepared to hand trim the edges and apply the paste manually. I began papering back in the days when that’s how it had to be done. Yes, I’m that old!
These beautiful, cheery wall papers just make me happy. I have been gathering rolls for years. I don’t have enough of any 1 thing to do a wall but someday I will do something with it. It’s much like hoarding of any potential craft material.
These vintage papers bring on such gladness of heart!
Neil
I love these wallpapers! Every March my Grandmother and I would go to a little paint and wallpaper shop and get the latest paper for her house. Then for some unknown reason, in the hottest part of the summer, she and my mother would steam off the old paper, with a Kirby vacuum cleaner, steamer attachment in use. Of course NO air conditioning, and they would work all day until the new paper was hung. I do miss those days of having my Grandmother around. She was one talented lady and someone I miss terribly.