Spotlight Magazine for North Mansfield March 2015 Spotlight Magazine for Mansfield North, March 2015 | Page 26

Spotlight Magazine G The Art Of Wallpaper o along to any DIY store or specialist decorating shop and you will see lots of different types of wall coverings, but how did they originate? The first type of paper was introduced in Egypt around 4000 BC and was called papyrus. It was from about 200 BC that the Chinese started to put glued rice paper onto their walls, and around 105AD that they began to make paper from textile waste. Knowledge spread from the Chinese to the Middle East via prisoners in the eighth century. It took until the twelfth century for papermaking to reach Europe. English manufacturing methods became world famous, and in the eighteenth century wallpapers from London workshops were highly sought after. Initially, hand painted papers imitated architectural details or materials like marble and stucco, but eventually other patterns emerged. The 1920’s are known as the Golden Age of Wallpaper as some 400 million rolls were sold during that period. The industry was revolutionized after WW2 when plastic resins were added to make wallpapers stain resistant, washable, and more durable. over dark paint or wallpaper. It won’t be as noticeable if the wallpaper fails to align exactly at the top. 4. Use a special plumb bob to get paper straight. 5. Your first strip should be about