PRESERVATION OF WALLPAPERS AS PARTS OF INTERIORS

Historic types of wallpaper and decorative schemes of interiors
1.3. WALLPAPER IN 19TH-CENTURY INTERIORS
With the growth of the middle class at the beginning of the
19th century, a large group of new customers emerged, who
yearned to express their social and economic status with fitting
decorations and furnishings. The first half of the 19th century
was characterized by a demand for new living spaces and
a larger number of products at cheaper prices. This meant that
new industrial methods needed to be developed to supply the
vast group of customers. Besides large public buildings, housing
complexes with small and practical flats were erected, forming
new districts around the town centres. Modest family houses
were built in suburban areas offering lower land values and
calmer living environments.
By the middle of the century, printing machines were starting
to be used in most of the industrial centres of Europe. General
trends that influenced the design of applied arts and architecture
were not so much related to the change in aristocratic taste as
to the economy and financial growth on a larger social scale.
At the beginning of the century, interior decoration in France
was dominated by the principles of the Empire style. Its most
characteristic feature was its festive appearance, which was
achieved through strict symmetry and the use of columns and
pilasters. Besides using architectural details, the Empire style
included the use of plain walls, wall paintings, stretched fabrics
and wallpaper. In contrast to the mild pastel tones used in
Rococo or Neo-Classicist interiors, Empire styles used intense
tones, such as Pompeian red, dark blue, dark yellow, white,
mahogany brown and gold. (Fig. 21)
In contrast to high-class interiors designed according to the
principles of the Empire style, rooms in middle-class homes were
rather delicately decorated. It was common to segment a wall
with elaborate panel arrangements or give the field above the
dado a simple finish. Plain walls were painted or decorated either
with wall paintings, stretched fabrics or wallpapers printed with
simple patterns. Since covering walls with textiles was rather
expensive, it was possible to use wallpapers which imitated various
textiles: shimmering silk, layers of lace and drapes. (Fig. 22)
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