One of the things I found most stunning about the houses owned by Historic New England was the beautiful selection of wallpapers. Some of them were original to the homes, some had been installed during restoration projects, but all added an additional dimension to the history of design and interior decoration on display. Historic New England has a whole section of its website devoted to wallpaper, and I have been combing their collections database and historic reproductions trying to decided which is my favorite. It’s an impossible task, but the paper above is a strong contender. I got to see it in situ at Beauport, the summer home interior designer Henry Davis Sleeper constructed in 1907. Sleeper purchased this 18th-century Chinese wallpaper in pristine, unused condition, and designed an entire room around it. I would too, if I had the good luck to find 18th century wallpaper in someone’s attic!
