A quick explanation is in order. Most of Hillcrest Cottage's walls are plaster. This wall between the Kitchen and Dining Room had modern wall board placed on top of the plaster, a standard practice in lieu of much-needed plaster repair.
I hurried into the very dusty kitchen and gasped out loud upon viewing this:
CLASSIC 1940'S BLUE HYDRANGEA WALLPAPER!!!!
The hydrangea pattern upclose:
And... underneath the 1940's paper was a classic 1930's nod to the Orient complete with apple blossoms and birds in cages and sparkled art deco flourishes. The 1940's paper was firmly pasted upon the 30's paper, so a complete pattern was difficult to obtain, and the colors were very muted.
Underneath the 30's paper, and much more difficult to see, another layer of 1920's paper which seemed to match a swatch of 20's linoleum previously discovered on the kitchen floor.
Of course, anyone who had renovated an old home knows that it eventually all comes down to some shade of green. Notice the horse hair incorporated in the plaster on the plaster's right hand side:
This shade of green is actually going to be the the new kitchen's wall color. Full circle back to the original color.
I think the bank president's wife would approve.
Tomorrow... I will reveal : "So, that's why they covered the plaster wall with gypsum board!"
What a fun surprise!
ReplyDeleteWe have renovated/remodeled old houses before, and you just never know what you are going to find under there.
WOW! That is so cool! Are you able to save any of the paper to maybe use in a piece of art later?
ReplyDeleteWow, that's so AWESOME! Here in CA you just don't have the opportunity to see things like that unless it's in a design article or something, you know? AND... you love hydrangeas too! How totally COOL is that! I love the original plaster w/ the horsehair, and that you're going back to the original green - great choice Bev! Can't wait to hear more! :)
ReplyDeleteI love the Hydrangea wallpaper, how pretty.
ReplyDeleteHugs RosieP x