PRESERVATION OF WALLPAPERS AS PARTS OF INTERIORS

Task of conservation. Case studies
damage. This solution ensured the preservation of the historical
wallpaper in situ and enabled the conservators to give the
object a framed and visually unified appearance.
Although the final conception was chosen in co-operation
with other parties and seemed to be the most neutral solution, the
author does not see it as the best possible solution to exhibit the
given object. Instead of using a light-toned wallpaper, it would
have been better to emphasize the dark, cave-like appearance
typical to 19th century dining rooms. A wallpaper in a darker
green (such as olive or moss green) tone would have been more
suitable. Although the used beige wallpaper defined the height
of the preserved segments of the original, it did not simulate
an atmosphere of a dark and cosy historicist room. The impact
of the current solution is similar to a sterile modern interior,
which is exaggerated by halogen lighting and white plastic plugs
and switches. The solution could have been improved in closer
cooperation with an interior architect.
An inhibitory aspect of the conservation process was the
lack of discussion and cooperation between different responsible
parties. Several of the conservation decisions concerning
reconstruction and presentation were reached through discussions
with representatives of a building company, not with a
responsible interior architect and cooperating conservators.
According to the personal experience of the author, throughout
the course of the project, the conservator was seen merely
as the person conducting the work, but not as someone with
necessary knowledge and power to decide. This again shows
that the aim of a conservator is not only to conduct the work,
but also to inform the customer and other cooperating parties
about the properties of the object and various conservation
solutions.
Developing an interior decoration concept for a historic
monument is not a one-time undertaking, but rather a constant
process, which requires the active participation of all concerned
parties throughout the whole project. Since wall covers are one
part of a larger unity, which is comprised of various components,
lack of communication may lead not only to damaging
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