On a recent trip to the York Wallcovering factory in York, PA we had a chance to see the old and the new. York is the oldest and largest wallpaper manufacturer in the USA. Touring their factory offered a study in contrasts. There was the York Wallcoverings Archives Room, for example, which is one of the oldest and largest such areas in the entire United States. This room contains examples of old wallpaper and fabric patterns dating back hundreds of years.
The York Wallcoverings Archives Room is often the starting point for new designs. Members of York’s design team will seek out old patterns as the inspiration for new designs. Check out some of the following to get a sense of the scope of the Archives Room. I especially love the first image of an old time ad for wallpaper. Don’t you just love the 23 cents per single roll price tag.
Here are examples of new wallpaper patterns that evolved from older fabrics.
Check out these great vintage wallpaper and border combos. I am a big believer in matching borders and sidewalls.
Don’t you just love these looks. Too bad, borders are being fazed out. But, the good news is there are still some wallpaper distributors that have large inventories of borders, including our parent company, U.S. Wallcovering which was founded in 1905. And, we are the lucky keepers of vintage style borders to be paired with the right sidewalls.
Check out these vintage style borders from our inventory that have that right vintage look here. Plus, some more on our eBay store.
The York Wallcoverings Archives are a true treasure trove.
