For most people a wall and the way it’s decorated is the ultimate bidimensional, visual experience. Sure, there can be objects attached to it, but the wall itself is, by definition, considered a flat, vertical space. However, all our senses are equally important in determining our well being and sense of location. Materials don’t just have a colour but a well-defined texture. The way something feels can be as defining as its visual appeal. While this concept seems obvious in clothes and textiles, when it comes to wallpaper it is often forgotten. For the longest time wallpapers have also been considered a bidimensional tool to create a canvas in a specific space. In a way reminiscent to the tapestry of yesteryear or to the frescoes that preceded them, their mission has normally been to provide a visual cue.
There is a reason for it, as their origins are almost exclusively paper based, a single layer of cellulose, printed over with a simple ornamental motif that defined a décor that is not too dissimilar to a painting. Nowadays modern manufacturing methods have added a range of innovative materials that have turned this traditional decorative tool into an excellent weapon for interior decorators looking to add identity to a space. The ability to define the mood of a room without breaking the bank have given rise to a new golden era for wallpapers.
A revolutionary manufacturing process with its origins in the past
Yet, even in the past there have been attempts to turn ornamental wall decorations into a tridimensional, tactile experience. Over two hundred year ago, in Britain an ingenious entrepreneur called Thomas Palmer started to work on a truly innovative wallpaper. He was, like many of his countrymen at the time, absolutely fascinated by the multi-dimensional beauty of plaster reliefs. These
Stuccos were incredibly popular during the era of Queen Victoria. This was an era that defined style and design for almost hundred years, leaving a very strong footprint on British society.
Amongst the ruling classes stuccoes were incredibly fashionable, and every house of some importance featured some form of plaster reliefs. There was one problem though: despite their popularity the high cost of stuccos made them out of reach for the emerging middle classes. Aware of these trends, Thomas Palmer saw an opportunity and patented a new manufacturing process for wallpapers to mimic the appearance of stucco by adding an embossing layer, thus creating relief structures.
Happy with the result Thomas founded a new factory at Storeys Mill, Lancaster in the same year as Queen Victoria celebrated its 50th year on the throne. To celebrate the occasion an exhibition was organised in Manchester and Thomas Palmer used the chance to launch its innovative wallpaper called Anaglypta. The public loved it and the product turned out to be an immediate success. The company took the name of its original wallpaper and it continues to produce it to this day, having turned into perhaps the most famous brand of wallpaper featuring relief or textured patterns.
A tactile relief wallpapers to cater for a multitude of styles
The collection of embossed wallpapers from this traditional and renown British company is frequently used to decorate traditional and high-end interiors, where a more subtle and refined approach is often required to match and highlight existing architectural and furniture elements. Anaglypta provides the decorator with a surface with multi-sensory elements that can be easily adjusted to the design requirements. Besides its haptic effect one of the distinctive features of this wallpaper is that it always comes in white and can be repainted, so that it can be matched appropriately with the furniture or any other decorative elements.
The pearl white look has its own beauty and its therefore also used in its original colour to add a touch of classic elegance. The various motives and designs of Anaglypta are conceived for a large variety of styles, from traditional to eccentric and sophisticate or vintage. The company still implements the original graphic motives created over two centuries ago as they are still as beautiful and contemporary today as they were back then.
The ability to be painted over multiple times is the result of a manufacturing process that has remained unchanged since Thomas Palmer designed it, using traditional paper and pulp substrates, with the relief added using the original heavy-duty presses. This wallpaper is embossed from the reverse side, creating hollow areas that give an incredible and palpable feeling of depth, whist adding sturdiness and robustness. Its durability and luxurious tactile effect, combined with the traditional Victorian motifs make Anaglypta wallpapers perfect for public spaces such as hotels, historic villas, modernist townhouses and Art Deco flats.
This sturdy wall décor is suitable for corridors, staircases and ceilings where it’s often left white to match the traditional look of the place.
