Anna Rasche is a design historian and author based in New York City. She is a curatorial fellow in the Wallcoverings Department at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and co-founder of the Society for the Advancement of Social Studies.
Margot Tenenbaum’s childhood bedroom, the Fountain Coffee Room at the Beverly Hills Hotel, and every faux speakeasy you’ve ever sipped a sidecar in all have one thing in common: It’s the wallpaper that sets the scene. In fact, wallpapers have been transforming otherwise ordinary rooms into specific, evocative spaces for more than 500 years. And with a few rolls of the stuff — handcrafted by contemporary makers or scooped up from a vendor specializing in vintage stock — you can do that, too. Since many of today’s top wall decor trends have roots in the past, let’s take a quick trip through the archives of wallpaper history.
The earliest wallpapers in the Western world were conceived as alternatives to costlier textile hangings like woven tapestries or embroidered panels, with ornate patterns that riffed on those motifs. The eighteenth century saw a European obsession for hand-painted silk wallcoverings imported from China, and French and British wallpaper manufacturers became wealthy by printing their own interpretations of Eastern designs.
Prior to the industrial revolution, all wallpaper patterns had to be hand-stenciled, hand-painted, or (most commonly) block-printed on individual sheets of handmade paper, which were then joined together to create wall-sized panels. All this changed around 1840, when factory-produced, continuous sheets of paper and mechanized rollers put intricate and colorful patterns within the budgets of the masses. By the late nineteenth century, however, supporters of the Arts & Crafts movement were fed up with industrialized production and called for a return to traditional crafting methods — notably, British design reformer William Morris, whose beautiful block-printed patterns are still produced today.
Now, even as modern advances in digital printing have revolutionized wallpaper production once again, we’re also seeing a subset of craftspeople return to traditional printing methods, à la William Morris, and many of the most up-to-the-minute designs for 2016 are revivals and reinterpretations of historic styles.
Below, find six trends to show that when it comes to wallpaper, what’s old is new again.
DIY Decals
In mid-eighteenth-century England, “print rooms” were quite the thing: DIY decorators collected inexpensive prints of favorite artworks and pasted them directly to their walls in creative arrangements. The prints were often further embellished with wallpaper frames and decorations manufactured by paper-stainers specifically for this purpose. Today, removable vinyl decals alleviate the potential for mess, and give us even more freedom to cut, paste, and move stuff around our walls. Thanks vinyl!
Then:

The print room at Castletown, an 18th-century mansion in Ireland (photo via Heritage Island)
Now:
Lush Botanicals and Florals
Big, bright botanical patterns help us feel more connected to nature, even when we’re stuck indoors. Some beautiful examples were produced by early nineteenth-century French manufacturers; as horticulture was a fashionable hobby at the time, botanically accurate images of roses abounded. This year, look for tropical-inspired patterns featuring motifs like palm fronds, hibiscuses or twisting jungle vines, or classic florals updated with vibrant color palettes to bring a 21st-century feel to this timeless concept.
Then:

A circa-1800 French paper from the Cooper-Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Now:
Trompe L’oeil Texture
Another favored nineteenth-century trend making an appearance in 2016 collections is trompe l’oeil. French for “fool the eye,” trompe l’oeil wallpapers create the illusion of a textured surface on a flat wall. By choosing paper instead of the real deal, consumers were able to get the look of draped fabric, elaborate molding, gilt and leather — without the price and upkeep. Today’s designers tend to focus on patterns that imitate natural materials (and in a strong second place, faux bookshelf prints), but don’t overlook vintage papers for tufted, lattice, and even macramé-inspired styles.
Then:

An early 19th-century trompe-l’oeil paper frieze from the Cooper-Hewitt’s collection
Now:
Repeating Vignettes
During the mid-Victorian era’s Rococo revival, quirky, toile-like patterns with little repeating vignettes of exotic or idyllic locations were very popular for the parlor; scenes of bucolic life and architecture from far-off lands show up with frequency. In the 20th and 21st centuries, we’ve seen playful new riffs on this old style, which is good news for parlors (and living rooms and bedrooms) everywhere.
Then:

One vignette example from the Cooper-Hewitt
Now:
Room-Specific Papers
Jumping forward to the 1950s, we find an affinity for themed wallpapers specific to spaces like kitchens, kids’ rooms and laundry rooms. After decades of turmoil brought on by the Depression and then WWII, Americans were eager to settle into the good life. Wallpaper reflected this desire quite literally by depicting objects associated with a comfortable domestic existence. I’m personally a big fan of food-themed patterns as a fun and witty choice for cooking and dining areas.
Then:

Cooper-Hewitt’s chicken print
Now:
Geometric Feature Walls
Another great throwback to postwar America is the feature wall papered with a large-scale, geometric pattern. Many of the new homes mass-produced for suburban developments (like those built in the infamous Levittown) featured wide-open floor plans. People found that papering a bold pattern on just one wall helped to bring interest and intimacy to a living space without becoming overwhelming. For 2016, geometrics incorporating thinner lines and neutral tones are particularly on-trend.
Then:
Now:
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81 comments
Mary Moorkens from MaryMoorkens said 5 years ago
What an interesting posting ! Wonderfully documented tour of the ever changing influence wallpaper creates. . it can alter the atmosphere and your 'mood world'. Just like a partner . . . it has to be carefully chosen !!
Matejka Max from NattyMatty said 5 years ago
Very Charming ?
Christina from TheWildPlum said 5 years ago
I have had a longstanding love affair with wallpaper. Thank you for this quick trip through wallpaper history!
Sue from SuesAkornShop said 5 years ago
Such gorgeous choices!
Rima Neverland from LovetoKnotShop said 5 years ago
Stunning!!!!
Dorothy from JewelrybyDorothy said 5 years ago
Interesting!
R. Anne from LnRworks said 5 years ago
Amazing ideas!!
accentonvintage from accentonvintage said 5 years ago
Great designs!
Relly from RelsFindsNapaValley said 5 years ago
It's the wall that talks with modern design wallpaper. Thank you Anna Rasche for great, wonderful ideas.
primlark from primlark said 5 years ago
Beautiful designs! xo
Cristy Ramos from ArtisanBathandBody said 5 years ago
Oh my goodness! Love all the ideas shared here but my heart is for all gold and blue lately. Wonderful designs ♥
Square Squirrel Studio from SquareSquirrelStudio said 5 years ago
Fascinating article. Love the geometric papers and of course the book design.
DeUno from DeUno said 5 years ago
Amazing selection! Great ideas! Love it!
Meagan Steinberg from wristflairglass said 5 years ago
I absolutely love that the trend for wallpaper is making a comeback. The patterns are gorgeous, modern and well done. I believe so many of these designs can transform rooms that couldn't be achieved otherwise.
Francine from HomespunHeartofMine said 5 years ago
Great article!!! LOVE the coffee wallpaper and I'm not even a coffee drinker!!! :D
Nicole from KarmaCodeOne said 5 years ago
Then and Now captured beautifully !
LivingVintage from LivingVintage said 5 years ago
Awesome. What a wonderful contrast.
Kashuen Collectibles from Kashuen said 5 years ago
I want to thanks vinyl too. It makes everything so easy to clean up. I love the wallpaper by Best Wallpapers. Thanks for sharing.
Anastasia from LAccentNou said 5 years ago
Awesome research!
Proton ThreeD from Proton3D said 5 years ago
great post!
ACR from IntoTheBluePaintShop said 5 years ago
Great feature! This brings back memories of my home when I was a child. We had so many different wallpapers, from room to room. It was such a treat when my mom let my sister and I choose the wallpaper for our rooms.
Andrii from OakKitchenBoards said 5 years ago
Beautiful
Second Studio from secondstudio said 5 years ago
Gorgeous! Congrats!
Cynthia G. from HammerToLace said 5 years ago
I never really got the correlation between today's decorative inspirations to yesterday's wall papers. Thanks. I think I have been inspired.
Asma from AsmaOriginal said 5 years ago
How lovely!
Leslie from TheLeafandLantern said 5 years ago
So glad to see this article, I just love Wallpaper and love that people are taking chances again with bold design.
Linda Hasking from IdentityPapers said 5 years ago
So delighted to see this fascinating article here. If your wallpaper tastes lean towards cloudy skies, ombre and typography check out my Etsy shop here: http://identitypapers.etsy.com Custom orders welcome :-)
Bev Shalts from TentacleStudio said 5 years ago
Very inspiring post. I'd like to see more 'history of' type articles on Etsy, cos this was great :)
Catherine Modschiedler from veryvintagecath said 5 years ago
I agree with Bev. More history please. This is an informative and entertaining article. The new designs are delightful too. I am in love with the book wallpaper.
Tina St. John from TinaStJohnJewelry said 5 years ago
Very cool...
T Sellers from QKSuperstore said 5 years ago
Amazing
Amy Gunderson from amysfunkyfibers said 5 years ago
So neat- I would love to see what the silk wall paper looked like. I have seen people use bolts of fabric as well on their walls- it was beautiful.
Naama Shprinz from Juli711 said 5 years ago
Really inspiring. Thank you.
NeatoKeen from NeatoKeen said 5 years ago
Then and Now posts are my favorites. Thanks so much for this informative, visually appealing article, Anna!
Bootlegger Candles from BootleggerCandle said 5 years ago
This is neat!
Georgia from JewelMeShop said 5 years ago
Great wallpapers! I love the avocando print!
Rosita from pillowlink said 5 years ago
I am not very much in wallpapers trends but these finds are great!
Megan from MegansMenagerie said 5 years ago
Great choices!
Jeneane from DunedinSt said 5 years ago
A lovely potted history of wall coverings. I'm a fan of rich and stunning papers and am lucky enough to have been able to use gorgeous papers in a recent refurbishment of my house. It was certainly hard choosing from the incredible range of historic and modern and funky papers available today.
April Armistead from AprilNicoleArt said 5 years ago
Love these wallpapers!
Vintage Gypsy Studios from BohemianGypsyCaravan said 5 years ago
Very interesting. I love old wallpaper. Special place in my heart for the flocked stuff.
Sujata from TreasuredMemoryLane said 5 years ago
Awesome and very interesgting designs!
Priscilla from Gardenmis said 5 years ago
Exciting to see the revival of wallpaper! Fantastic post :)
Tracy Mawdsley said 5 years ago
Some wonderful and unique designs to liven up the most boring of walls!
Julia K Walton from FireHorseVintageHQ said 5 years ago
Interesting article. I love wallpaper - as long as I don't have to hang it!
Katie Anne from MiddleCoast said 5 years ago
Pretty sure my kitchen is aching for that coffee wallpaper!!
renee and gerardo from GTDesigns said 5 years ago
wow---what an intriguing feature!! cool wall papers....amazing art work Then and Now ; )) Beautifully nostalgic
greenphilosophie from greenphilosophie said 5 years ago
?????
Blackberry Bungalow from BlackberryBungalow said 5 years ago
great historical overview.
wanida kunchiang from wanidacotton said 5 years ago
Great designs!!
Heather from PearlGlasses said 5 years ago
Pretty cool to see wallpaper making a comeback!
Carol from MasCollected said 5 years ago
As a fan of William Morris, I'm thrilled to see this art form and the highlighting of traditional methods warranting a piece on The Etsy Blog. Etsyians finding themselves in NYC should not miss the Cooper-Hewitt. Anna Rasche, thank you for this wonderful short history tour on wallpaper! Best wishes to all featured.
Heather from PixiePlunders said 5 years ago
Love some of the wallpapers shown here. Beautiful designs :)
duobrandstudio from DuoBrandStudio said 5 years ago
Great article. It's very interesting to see how wallpaper trends return transformed. And so many inspiring examples. Thanks for sharing!
Paula Mucha from ilPiccoloGiardino said 5 years ago
Wallpaper is great. There was a time that I didn't want it anymore and removed it while renovating. I have old wallpaper in rolls that are not prepasted upstairs in the closet from the 70s to be used for a major project hopefully.
Sophia and Andreas from ArktosCollectibles said 5 years ago
Really hand picked and beautiful wallpapers!Very special article
Minty Sisodia from MintySisodia said 5 years ago
Very informative. Some trends never fade
Hajira Gibb from HajiraKG said 5 years ago
Great design :) Thanks for sharing
Madeleine Keller from ThoseGoodVibrations said 5 years ago
beautiful! I am enamored with the floral rose wallpaper from the 1800s :)
RockNPrint Ruano from RockNPrint said 5 years ago
Very inspirational and usefull, i love some of them!
Susan from susantique said 5 years ago
Wallpaper design, like fashion design, change so frequently that I am intimidated to choose a design to put on a wall for fear it will become outdated all too quickly. If there were an easier way to remove wallpaper from a wall, like removing outdated clothing from a closet, I would be much more inclined to try it. I do love the punch of personality it gives a room.
Jeanne S from EclecticSageVintage said 5 years ago
I love this post! The patterns, the history lesson, the room inspiration! Thanks so much. And that wallpaper with the chickens, martinis, and sea lions is outta sight!
Wall Star Graphics from WallStarGraphics said 5 years ago
Of course we LOVE vinyl ;) but are also huge fans of a lot of the wallpaper. Loving the Mid Century Modern inspired wall decor now. Thanks for the then/now blog.
Fishcouple from fishcouple said 5 years ago
Learned something new! Thanks for sharing!
Renee from RandMhandmade said 5 years ago
I have always loved wall paper glad it's coming back...you don't see much of it in Kentucky.
Sunita from VintageGatorShop said 5 years ago
Great designs! Love each one of those.
HydrangeaJewelry from HydrangeaJewelry said 5 years ago
gorgeous! I love that coffee wall and wood table! Thank you for sharing!
Kathleen from myvintagecrush said 5 years ago
So many pretty wallpapers! Looooove
Rasa Rabaciene from PRINTDECOstudio said 5 years ago
Really something different, you changed my point of view, thank you!
Sylvie from SoSylvie said 5 years ago
Wow Anna!♥ What a thoroughly comprehensive overview of wall decor through the ages! You've given me so many great leads for my interior design business. I thank you for gathering all of these beautiful choices together! ♥
Ryana Dykes from PeaceAndReflection said 5 years ago
What great ideas and beautiful prints. This makes me want to redo a room or two!
Katrina Dzerkale from Dominna said 5 years ago
amazing amazing ideas!
K L from KShopping said 5 years ago
Great post!
Shirley Freeman from simpleholidaydecor said 5 years ago
Thank you so much for the history. I love reading your posts.
Verica C from OddityCollective said 4 years ago
Who knew you could find wallpaper on Etsy! What a testament to our creative and resourceful shop owners. Some really lovely designs here too.
Anela from PriorityWindowOutlet said 4 years ago
Before reading this, I was afraid I would see geometric metallics which are so two-years ago. Whites, naturals, plums and purples are in now. Good job, you got this wholesalers' approval!
Maria from Motorchic said 4 years ago
Very helpful and informative, thank you!
Tamar Branitzky from TamarBranitzky said 4 years ago
thank you for this lovely and inspiring ideas!
Denise Elliott Jones from DeniseElliottJones said 4 years ago
nice!
Flair Nouri from FlairPaintings said 4 years ago
lovely designs!!I love all of them specially gold and blue is my favorite!!!
Jafeth Moiane from handicraftafrica said 4 years ago
Beautiful. Congrats!