Historic home decor fashions: silver, star pattern wallpaper

Hello.

Dating silver, star patterned wallpaper

I'm afraid I don't have a photo, but I'm hoping someone might know something about historic home decor fashions for wallpaper. My mum says she remembers the former master bedroom in her great-aunts' house (the room would have belonged to their own mother, who died in 1927). She says:

"Many of the walls, and some of the ceilings, were papered, but they had all been done many, many decades ago. To be honest, The only one I can remember clearly is the ceiling in the bedroom that my father and step-mother stayed in. It was covered in a very faded pattern of silver stars. I remember it partly because star was Eric's first word - produced as he gazed up at the ceiling."

To me this is a lovely memory/window into the past. The house, in Devon, England, had been in the family since the mid 1830s when my 3rd great-grandfather built it. My 2nd great-grandmother (with her 6 unmarried daughters) didn't take up residence until the early 1890s.

I'd really love to get a date for this distinctive wallpapering

 

It could have been Victorian, but without seeing it ... not a clue.

 

Could it have been 1830s, I wonder? –– A bit of a long shot

 

Without being able to see it ... it's possible. If it was on the ceiling I'd have guessed later but who knows.

 

Welcome to Antiquers, Lily.

 

@daveydempsey has probably seen more old English wallpaper than any of us.

 

Welcome to Antiquers Lily!

 

Star-patterned ceiling wallpaper has made a comeback and you can find many examples online. Because we don't have a photo of the wallpaper you remember, there is no possible way to give any assessment of the age. Right now the images are only in your memory.

If you could find an online image of the same or similar, perhaps that could lead to a nice discussion.

 

Hi and welcome! You may be able to find photos online of similar paper such as this one from the V&A collection, taken in the 1860's. You can't tell much about the color or material but the pattern is visible. Was yours silver on a dark background?

http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O...s-photograph-hawarden-clementina-viscountess/

 

The Cooper Hewitt in NYC has an archive of historic wallcoverings, many of which are on-line. https://collection.cooperhewitt.org/departments/35347503/ Also Old House Journal lists the current historic reproduction wallcovering companies. https://www.oldhouseonline.com/old-house-directory/ceilings-and-walls/wallcoverings-wallpaper I know Bradbury's has a repeat star design, and perhaps some of the others do as well. Good luck. (Cited from: https://www.antiquers.com/threads/h...aign=Feed:+AntiquersUpdate+(Antiquers+Update))

 

You could look up the "Napoleon Star" design of 19th Century wallpaper that was a popular design. Good luck I hope you find it.