Our corridors have had a heritage makeover to match our Victorian past.
Initially, wallpapers were made & block printed or painted by hand, but during the 19th century, advancements in printing technology led to the mass production of wallpapers. Being our original building was once a coaching inn, transformed in the Victorian era to a larger hotel, means we’ve found snippets of historical layers and colours during more recent renovations.
This flamboyant, vibrant golden peacock design though, a beautiful example of late-19th century wallpaper printing, was found on a lobby wall at Erddig Estate in east Wales. Hung in the 1870s, it has the painterly finish of a traditional Chinese silk, a fabric coveted by the Victorians. Showing peacocks perched on branches, accessorised by flowers, leaves and birds, the subject is typical of wallpapers and fabrics produced in the late 19th Century to satisfy the western elite’s interest in Chinese design.
Why did we chose Little Greene?
Well apart from their eco-factory being just up the road at the edge of the National Park, Little Greene is family-run business who design & supply eco friendly paint and wallpaper.
Their sustainable wallpapers are created with a low environmental impact & responsibly sourced from sustainable forests. For every tree used, another four are planted. The pigments used to print the eco wallpaper designs are completely non-toxic.
Their eco-friendly practices extend to packaging and manufacturing also – they recycle paint Tins & have achieved a 57% rate of waste reduction in the last three years. They look to local manufacturing solutions with all their paint & wallpaper made in the UK.
We’ve had some fabulous feedback about the peacoks from design enthusiasts and historians alike, who appreciate the craftsmanship and historical significance of the elaborate designs & rich colours that adordned interiors in the 19th Century. We love that we can reflect our heritage but in today’s modern interior – the Victorian’s certainly knew how to create eye-catching wallpaper that has stood the test of time!
you can find out more about our rich heritage on History Points or on Our History page