In an old factory near Accrington, Lancashire, an enormous cast-iron surface printing machine, dating back to the early 1900s, is in full flow. It is printing wallpaper for 1838 Wallcoverings collection, which is being produced in collaboration with the V&A (the brand's name references the year the first such wallpaper machine was invented, just a few miles away). Much of the sound of the machinery is drowned out by the constant din from ovens that sit above the printer, helping to dry the paper in less than a minute. All of the paints used in the design have been mixed by hand in buckets and colour-matched by an expert eye. During the printing process, the paper will travel around 70m and in just a couple of hours the machine will print around 200 rolls.
This process adds texture and tactility to the V&A collection, which saw nine of the museum's treasures - from a 1920s Asiatic-inspired chinoiserie design to a Walter Crane artwork featuring a macaw transformed into wallpaper. The unique character of surface-printed paper is largely down to 'treeing', a term that refers to sections of visible paint ridges, explains James Watson, managing director of 1838. His family wallpaper-printing experience goes back four generations. The effect imitates hand-painting and looks particularly striking in the case of Eden, an Arts and Crafts-era cactus design that was originally a woodblock-printed paper. 'Surface-printing is a continuation of block-printing,' he says. You get that same look.'
Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av Homes & Antiques.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Collecting Dioramas MINIATURE WORLDS
From elaborate taxidermy museum displays to humble folk art creations, a diorama can transport us to another time and place
Pride of place LEEDS CREAMWARE
In its heyday the pre-eminent rival to Wedgwood's Queens ware, Leeds creamware is still much revered by collectors for its understated elegance
Bohemian Rhapsody
An exuberant approach to decor, with rooms enveloped in colour and pattern, has brought this historic home merrily into the 21st century...
THE ANTIQUES THAT SHAPED ME Rory Hutton
The accessories designer on his love of silver spoons and Sévres porcelain
European HERITAGE B&Bs
Is there anything more inspiring than staying somewhere that's both beautifully stylish and imbued with history? Rhiannon Batten explores five gems across Europe, from Sweden to Spain...
STAR SALES
A Hitchens painting, a museum-quality teapot and a Parisian chocolate box are all top of the lots
Textile designs by artists
Influential 20th-century fine artists and sculptors, from Picasso to Barbara Hepworth, gained additional status as textile designers until decline set in during the 1970s
Period DRAMA
A painstaking renovation has brought this 1725 former Huguenot silk weaver's house in London's Spitalfields back to life
An artist's RESIDENCE
Rustic details and a restrained palette lend a sense of simplicity to this lovingly restored Friesian bakery
Carefully Curated LIVING
This lovingly restored Gustavian manor has become both home and showroom for its owners, Maria & Jan Åke, who deal in European antiques