National Trust Papers

Originally just a small border design, a fragment of which is kept at Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk, 'Achillea' has been completely transformed in scale. Depicting silhouetted stems and flowerheads of yarrow, or perhaps the locally abundant marsh sow-thistle, the style is distinctly Art Nouveau and the flat colours are typical of a screen-printed design

The original, much-admired version of this wallpaper can be seen in the Chinese bedroom at Belton House in Lincolnshire. Whilst the paper – a garden party scene, depicted in a combination of printed and hand-painted elements – dates from 1785, it is known to have been hung over 50 years later, in 1840. The original layout, including human figures, exotic birds, awkward scale, quirky perspective and odd details, has been simplified to give space to the spreading bamboo and charming interaction of birds, butterflies and flowers.

Built for a courtier of Henry VIII, Newark Park is a Tudor hunting lodge in the Cotswolds, where just a fragment of this small leaf design survives. The design derives its name from James Clutterbuck, who acquired Newark Park in the mid 18th Century, though this paper is early 19th Century in origin. Five contemporary colourways include softer contrasts and bolder primary shades on off-white, replicating the visual strength of the original design.

The prolific output of William Morris and the Arts & Crafts movement is widely evident within the National Trust portfolio, not least at Morris’ own London home ‘Red House’. This design, from 1890 - a stitched, repeating pattern of stylised cowslips – was found at Wardle’s school of embroidery in Leek, and has been effortlessly translated into a wallpaper design in eight stunning colourways.

This flamboyant, vibrant peacock design is a beautiful example of late-19th century wallpaper printing. Found on a lobby wall at Erddig in Wales, it was hung in the 1870s, and has the painterly finish of a traditional Chinese silk. Showing peacocks perched on branches, accessorised by flowers, leaves and birds, the subject is typical of wallpapers and fabrics produced to satisfy the western elite’s interest in Chinese design.

A rare and very early find, this Baroque design was uncovered by the National Trust, hiding beneath wall-hung tapestries at Erddig in Wales. Block-printed onto handmade paper panels, which would have been nailed directly to the wall (rather than glued), their removal revealed the earliest verified tax-stamp on the reverse. The colourful yellow original has been pared down for one of four tonal colourways. A further three colourways bring versatility to the modern use of this lively paisley design.

This classic Georgian design can be seen at Greyfriars, a medieval timber house in Worcester. The property’s 20th Century owner, Elsie Moore, acquired some unused rolls from a rectory attic in nearby Pershore. Suspecting that the turquoise pigment in the ground could have been arsenic, she covered the panels in plain brown paper to prevent the unwitting poisoning of either herself or her guests. The scale of the original pattern has been reduced for usability, whilst the four colourways include a nod to the original, a traditional interpretation and more contemporary options.