Period dramas are all the rage on television right now, and just as with any type of popular media they influence beyond the reach of the screen. Thanks to the likes of The Paradise and Downtown Abbey it’s damask wallpaper that has become particularly popular.
Bucking the contemporary trend designers are enjoying the return to the ornate and decorative patterns of an opulent bygone era. Maybe it’s these times of austerity that encourage looking back at the familiar and old fashioned rather than taking a risk with the uncertainty of the new.
Tivoli Damask combines rich reds and burgundy overlaid with an almost hand drawn damask design in gold and Byron wallpaper by Cole & Son is a perfect damask design in soft metallic colours overlaid with an amazing peacock design.
For those who want a totally different look, Bernard Thorp’s Preston Damask, is a hand printed wide width wallpaper, that can be printed in a colour of your choice, from vibrant orange to the softest aqua. Osborne and Little’s stylised damask Fernery is a beautiful example of a contemporary take on this traditional style.
Gaufraged velvets, sumptuous silks, and damask curtain fabrics have seen a huge increase in popularity. In the old days these would have been used for furniture, curtains and walling – where wallpaper was not available, the walls of the grand houses would be upholstered with fabric – and now are used in our homes to add glamour and sophistication, to formalise a more relaxed environment, or just to complement a beautiful inherited antique.
Most of the designs used in traditional damasks today are copies of those woven centuries ago in Italy, Spain and France. Though damask weaving was not an English art, the English decorators of the 18th century used large quantities of Italian damasks, both for furniture coverings and upholstered onto the walls. Damask wallpapers mimic the look (and sometimes the texture) of damask fabrics in which the pattern is intensified by the weave running opposite that of the background.
Fabrics and Papers are the leading online retailer for curtain fabrics, upholstery fabrics and designer wallpaper, customers can create their own schemes and request wallpaper samples from over 6,000 carefully selected wallpapers and fabrics. A dedicated design team is on hand at the end of a telephone line (01273 495500) to discuss customers’ individual requirements and offer help and advice.