Wallpaper Heroes: William Morris

William Morris is perhaps the single most important figure in the history of wallpaper.  A writer, artist, and political activist, Morris was truly a renaissance man, but his achievements in fabric and wallpaper design stand above the rest.  Championing the British arts and crafts movement, Morris merged his interest in patterning with his lifelong fascination with nature.  The results are timeless patterns, rich in color, elegant in design.

It's striking to me how relevant Morris' work and philosophies are to wallpaper today.  His fundamental belief that surface design depends upon intentional lines and silhouettes is undeniably true; Cavern's "Blackbird" pattern is a great example.  And his interest in hand-made art and abstracting the natural world all seem very modern, very "now."  I'll post more eye-candy from Morris in the upcoming weeks - his patterns are truly exquisite.

Respecting Our Elders: Dorothy Draper

The more I read about Dorothy Draper the more I am fascinated by her -- both as an interior designers and also as an astounding lady.

Stylistically, she championed the Neo-Baroque style.  She became known for using splashy colors and dramatic features such as lacquered doors, elaborate moldings, black and white tiled floors, strong stripes, large mirrors, vibrant chintz.  Her color combinations were revolutionary at the time and still hold up today: turquoise blues, pinks, eggplant purple, chartreuse.  Fabulous.

As a woman, she seems to have oozed both sass and sensibility.  She became the first widely famous female interior designer.  A lover of travel and the enjoyment of quality life, she urged her followers to avoid the "will to be dreary," the passive attitude of "being resigned to life and terribly serious about it."

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Her design mantra: "If something looks right, it is right."

Carleton Vanery, her protege, channels her aesthetic and has produced tremendous work of his own.

A few of my favorites in his fabrics/wall covering collection:

Learn more about Draper and Vanery, and check out products here.  Very inspiring!

Inspiration from '75

More inspiration from the 1975 Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book.  Love the graphic patterns!

Loving Old Wallpaper

Just got these photos from intern Karli Hendrickson of her grandmother's house in Cape Cod.  I love old wallpaper patterns and vintage design looks.  And I love seeing rooms with walls and ceiling covered in bold patterns.  Thanks Karli!

Better Homes & Gardens, 1975

My all time favorite design book is the 1961 Better Homes and Gardens Decorating Book.

So you can imagine how excited I was when intern Haveon Jung brought in the 1975 version, an inspired purchase.  Even at first glance, you can see from the covers how style and design changed in those fourteen years.

I love the rooms photographed in these books for their beautiful, bold style -- a style that defined a moment in design and living.


I also enjoy their wacky, misguided, or flat out hideous design elements that make me wonder "what were they thinking??"

As I post pictures from both books, I hope you get a kick out of all elements that make them undeniably cool.

Wallpapered Ceiling

I love seeing wallpaper on ceilings - especially when that wallpaper comes from Cavern!  Here is some serious installation inspiration that shows how a ceiling went from drab to fab with our "Cavalry" pattern.

Wallpaper at the Madonna Inn

Have you ever daydreamed about throwing caution to the wind and re-designing your bedroom with a wildly exuberant, over the top color palate? Spend a night or two at the Madonna Inn and you might satisfy your urge without re-decorating your room (and possibly ruining your design reputation). Located in San Luis Obisbo, California, this legendary "resort style retreat" offers 110 boutique rooms, each decorated with a unique theme. With a kitsch factor that only Graceland could outshine, these rooms boast meticulous attention to design detail and an extreme visual stimulation that I have to admire. The resort includes a spa, steakhouse, cafe, and more. Cavern "Intern at Large" Karli Hendrickson went to the bakery on her road trip- thanks for bringing this place to my attention!

To see images of all the rooms and to learn more about the inn's fascinating history, check out its website. This is a California institution that I definitely have to see in person some day. These rooms are like Wallpaper Heaven!

Cavern for Anthropologie

Last year, Cavern worked with Anthropologie and designed a wallpaper pattern sold exclusively by the retail megastore.  Like many Cavern patterns, this one is graphic and stylish, combining elements from nature with a modern sensibility.  Zebras poke out from an abstracted leafy pattern and almost look like plants themselves.

Antique Wallpaper at Second Hand Rose

If you're in the market for vintage wallpaper, check out Second Hand Rose.  Based in New York, the shop carries the world's largest collection of antique papers in original rolls.  The styles range from Victorian to 1970's modern and everything in between.  Below are some of my favorite patterns from mid-century through the 70's.  So graphic and fun.

Installation Inspiration

Just a few installation photos.  Thanks to all our customers who send these in.  Happy wallpapering!

Fabulous Wallpaper in HBO's Gray Gardens

Lead by production designer Kalina Ivanov, HBO's "Gray Gardens" features very catching, interesting wallpapers.  The famous Hamptons house was re-built on set in Canada, and the design team did not have much to work from, as there are very few records of Gray Gardens in its 1930's prime.  Grounding her research in historic wallpaper samples, Ivanov combined Art Deco and Chinoiserie revival styles to create the interior.  She brilliantly creates a unique, elegant, fanciful decor that matches the personalities of the women who lived at Gray Gardens.  For more information, read this terrific interview with Ivanov.

Cavalry Bathroom

Just got in new installation pictures of this *beautiful* bathroom renovation.  Cavalry is one of my favorite patterns, and I'm a huge proponent of wallpaper in bathrooms, and Cavalry is one of my favorite Cavern Patterns.  A plus!!  Thanks for the photos Nadia!

Thomas Voorn

Dutch designer Thomas Voorn is simply incredible: his work is imaginative, boundary-blurring, bold, nuanced.  His interest in fashion extends beyond textile and pattern design, but he clearly understands both very, very well.  Enjoy these photos, and be sure to explore his website for more.  This guy is pure inspiration.

Historic Wallpapers :: Adelphi Paper Hangers

For anyone truly interested in wallpaper history, you should know about Adlephi Paper Hangers, the premiere wallpaper house dedicated to historically accurate patterns and production.  Emphasizing eighteenth and nineteenth century papers, their collection includes wallpapers from institutions such as the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Smithsonian Institute.  Adelphi also researches and designs custom jobs for any individuals who have anydocuments or wallpaper scraps of an old design.  Their wallpaper are made with the old fashioned wood block method.  In fact, Adelphi operates the only bloc printing facility dedicated to producing vintage patterns in the United States!  Very inspiring.

Kehinde Wiley

Kehinde Wiley is one of the most successful young artists on the scene today.  His work shows a distinct interest in patterns, and serve as yet another example of the intersection of wallpaper and fine art. Wiley is known for portraying modern African American men in heroic portraits, often overtly referencing masterpieces of the Western cannon.  I am struck by how he uses colorful, graphic patterns to balance the strongly portrayed figures.  It's almost as if he uses wallpapers as backgrounds for his subjects, removing them from ordinary space and instead placing them with abstracted, fantastic backdrops that express their strong, vibrant, youthful personalities.  Kehinde's color pallet is bold, his patterns engaging.  Amazing, amazing work.

Wallpaper State

One of our fantastic new design interns -- the incredibly talented Karen Dana -- sent me this screen shot from Garden State.  I'm surprised I haven't had a dream in which I become wallpaper; it seems bound to happen!

Objects on Wallpaper

Wallpapers can serve as a background or foreground design element in a room.  If it weren't obvious already, I am personally most excited about graphic patterns that stretch the limits of traditional wallpaper patterns.  But the decision to hang pictures or other items on top of wallpaper is still a relevant one.  What can you hang on a wallpapered wall?  When should wallpaper stand alone?  Inspired by my favorite design book, here is my simple overview.

It's all about balance.  First, think color.  If your wallpaper is extremely colorful (more than four colors), then anything you hang should be very very simple: a mirror, a simple photograph.  On the other hand, if the wallpaper is simply one or two colors, you have more liberty to hang intricate, colorful objects.  Whatever the objects, make sure their colors match not only the wallpaper but the rest of your room.

Next consider size.  If the pattern is full of small elements, your hanging objects should be of medium to large size.  You should not have too many hanging pieces either.  If the wallpaper repeat is large-scale, you have much more freedom to hang smaller objects- and more of them.

Finally, choose your wall composition-- where to hang your objects.  Each wall and room is different, but overall, you will need fewer objects than you normally would hang.  Wallpaper attracts attention on its own; you don't want to over-do it with hanging objects.

The idea of nailing holes into your beautiful wallpaper is somewhat frightening -- but that's not a good reason to dismiss hanging objects!  When successful, the combination of wallpaper and objects can make the most sophisticated, impressive design choice in a room.

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Better Homes and Gardens, helping home makers fifty years later.

The pattern is quite busy and there is lots of it.  This large scale picture (with only a few colors) works well.  Nicely balanced.

With the small pattern repeat, these medium/large sized objects look great.  Photo from Domino (RIP!)

With its large scale and dynamic composition, "Blackbird" is usually best on its own.

Wallpaper History :: Political Wall Coverings

Political themes emerge in wallpaper's recently history. First, Andy Warhol's most famous wallpaper depicted Chairman Mao with a purple face, simply repeated. Like his cow wallpaper, the pattern challenged traditional notions of wall coverings with strong color and bold composition.  It also created a strange discord between the poppy colors and the unlikeable political figure.

Then we have the Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, known for his bright colors and fanciful, absurd renderings. With mushroom, eyeballs, and happy flower characters, Murakami evokes political themes associated with the atomic bombs that dropped on his home country. Like Warhol, he creates an intriguing (even disturbing) effect by matching such serious political themes with such an optimistic, energetic color palate.

Nick Peters picks up where Murakami and Warhol left off. Several of his images mix World War II bomb imagery with innocent, even childish, fruit renderings. He also uses wallpaper to investigate the current political situation in Russia. After meeting Putin for the first time, George W. Bush said, "I looked the man in the eye. I was able to get a sense of his soul." Peters patterned those eyes, adding hammers and sickles.

olitical wallpapers certainly do not appeal to mainstream taste, but they do provide an interesting outlet for activism. They also serve as yet another example of the thin line between wallpaper and fine art.