The history of wallpaper is, well, colorful.

It dates back to ancient China, when the interior designers of the 200 BC era pasted decorative rice paper on the walls to create a signature look.

By the 10th century, the Arabians started substituting linen fibers for wood and bamboo.

And eventually, the idea of covering boring, nasty old walls with beautiful papers caught on in Europe. In fact, King Louis XI of France ordered the creation of special “portable” wallpaper, because he frequently moved from castle to castle and couldn’t be without it.

In 1839, the English invented a four color surface printing machine with designs hand-cut on cylinders that could print 400 rolls a day. Often these were wooden rollers into which strips of metal were hammered into the wood to create a raised printing surface. The shapes created by the metal were filled with felt, which carried the desired colors. By 1850, eight-color printing was available and, in 1874, the twenty-color printing machine was invented.

Curious about the kinds of designs they created?

Look to the York Park Place Studio American Legacy collection. It celebrates exquisite craftsmanship and authentic design
That’s because they have access to surface presses dating back to the late 1800s. These artifacts are cherished for their rarity and unique style of printing.

Only a few of the historic presses remain in existence and the surface forms are used to create delicate, distinctive designs that cannot me duplicated by modern equipment. Our friends at York celebrate this unique form of craftsmanship with a collection of classic American archival designs that are printed as originally intended – with the rare, century-old surface presses.

Their archival damask and jacquards are like nothing else – they make one feel so aristocratic. They don’t just look authentic. They’re the real deal.

Serving design professionals,
KMD Showroom