The hidden wallpaper
The joy is in finding the bits of the past that remain intact.
One of the things I’ve grown to be very grateful for through the course of this house restoration is a well-cut corner.
The way that these are often preserved is by accident (or sometimes apparent lunacy).
But K, you exclaim, You are known far and wide as a hard work enthusiast! You pray at the altar of the patron saint of Thoroughness! You are a founding member of the Do It Right Or Don’t Even Bother Club!
Not wrong. Let me explain.
As any historic home enthusiast knows, the joy is in finding the bits of the past that remain intact: the custom paneling, the wavy-glass window, the coal chute with the coal still in it.
And as anyone who has come into intimate contact with an old building quickly learns, the way that these are often preserved is by accident (or sometimes apparent lunacy). Doors are hidden under wallboard. Floors are hidden under carpet. A marble fireplace mantel becomes a paving stone in the garden. This is not an exaggeration: all of these happened in our house.
If it weren’t for corner-cutting by the house’s previous owners, we would never have torn down the crudely glued wallboard in an upstairs bedroom to reveal this glorious wallpaper frieze - itself evidently papered over another wallpaper, even older. Even better, there’s a date: 1903.
Evidently papered over another wallpaper, even older.
Even better, there’s a date: 1903.