Archived entries for wallpaper*

Wallpaper… not just a magazine

Wall coverings and paper emerged during 16th century Renaissance Europe amongst the upper-classes as a way to bring colour into their homes. Traditionally, the gentry would use tapestry to achieve bright colours in an otherwise usually dark room, but not all could afford these tapestries and so they turned to wallpaper.

16th century
16th century ‘The Cambridge Fragment’ 1509, original block print by Hugo Goes on the reverse of a proclamation of Henry VII
Courtesy wallpaperhistorysociety.org.uk

19th century
19th century ‘The Moses Room’ c. 1845 by AWN Pugin, hand printed exclusively for the Palace of Westminster by Cole & Son (Wallpapers) Ltd
Courtesy wallpaperhistorysociety.org.uk

They were not always pasted onto the wall, and sometimes hung like a painting or tapestry but over time pasting became more popular and in England and France wallpaper became widely used. One of the earliest known wallpapers was found in England dating back to 1509. If anyone has an image of this, I would love to see it.

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Space Bends at B&B Italia

Acclaimed film director Johnny Hardstaff and Wallpaper* have teamed up to create a unique film and installation celebrating Patricia Urquiola’s new Bend-Sofa for B&B Italia – inspired by the design of the sofa itself.

I saw this film in the Chelsea store whilst on the London Design Festival trail and it caught my eye as a very innovative way to launch a sofa. The collaboration is beautifully crafted and made an impression on me as a great way to captivate an audience in a furniture store.

See the video here

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The W* House

I wanted to share with you The W* House from the marvelous magazine, Wallpaper* (don’t forget the asterisk).

This wonderful idea of showcasing products which the magazine would put inside a theoretical house is a simple, yet very effective way of telling a story of what Wallpaper* really is about.

I have long known the magazine and relied on it to introduce me to the best that the design world has to offer, and the W* House has given me faith again that not only do they showcase beautiful products for the very rich, but they also do, from time-to-time, showcase affordable pieces that everyone should know about.

Below is one of these pieces…

98_bbq_ls250609_a.jpg

Collapsible barbecue by Sagaform

€30

This little barbecue is so cute you just want to scoop it up and take it with you wherever you go. Which luckily, thanks to an ingenious folding trestle design and a neat canvas bag, you can. It conveniently folds up to the size of a laptop, so burgers, bangers and buns can be had on run.

www.sagaform.com

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Wallpaper* Chair Arch at V&A

My friends at Wallpaper* produced a chair arch with Ercol for the 2009 London Design Festival. Being a fan of both of these companies, I am pleased that they have worked together to produce this. Staged at another great place, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the chair arch was a highlight of the festival.

Wallpaper* write “we felt Britain deserved a pat on the back this year for services to design, which have surged of late, both in interest and success on a global scale, so we set about commissioning one of London’s most exciting resident designers (well versed in the art of chairs) to build an arch using chairs from one of Britain’s most historic manufacturers. Martino Gamper was the man, Ercol the manufacturer and together, with construction expertise from engineers Atelier One, the contemporary arch took shape.”

 

Watch the guardian.co.uk film about the Wallpaper* Chair Arch

Ercol chair arch.png

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