‘Starflower’ (c.1967). The most iconic design in the collection and available in 5 colourways – have a look at ‘Platinum’ for a much more subtle treatment of this nostalgic floral pattern.

Starflower - Above left: Original document (1967), centre & right: Starflower 'Original'

‘Lavaliers’ (c. 1975). A bold, geometric motif, the original paper was embossed and one of the five colourways in the collection authentically recreates it with the same print technique.

Lavaliers - Above left: Original document (1975), centre & right: Lavaliers 'Atomic'

‘Reverie’ (c.1971). Found in a wallpaper book from the 1970s, this design was clearly inspired by the artist Henri Rousseau.

Reverie - Above left: Original document (1971) and 'The Dream' by Henri Rousseau (1910), centre & right: Reverie 'Jungle'

‘Bark’ (c.1961). From the archives at Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery, this design has changed very little from the original. Two of the five colourways include a mica finish (a subtle, sparkly quality) which adds something new.

Bark - Above left: Original document (1961), centre & right: Bark 'Heath'

“Poppy Flower’ (c.1968). A combination of two designs from the same year, one found in Belgium and the other at the Whitworth Art Gallery, this design has been created in three softer colourways.

Poppy Flower - above left: Original documents (1968), centre & right: Poppy Flower 'Glacier'

‘Fern’ (c.1960). A stunning two-colour pattern that would originally have been screen-printed. If you’re looking for a punchy wallpaper, have a look at some of the other fabulous colourways in this design.

Fern - Above left: Original ferns used for this design, centre & right: Fern 'Off Black' & Fern 'Yellow'

‘Hepworth’ (c.1973). The original pattern was quite cramped so we maintained the elements of this design but gave them more room to breathe – a lovely informal paper for almost any room in the house.

Hepworth - Above left: Original document (1973), centre & right: Hepworth 'Menthe'

‘Box’ (c.1962). Another pattern that required very little work, this paper is available in four colourways, with variations in print technique to affect the way the design behaves in changing light conditions.

Box - Above left: Original document (1962), centre & right: Box 'Lime'

Little Greene picked up the top Gold Award in the Northern Design Awards.

All eight 1950s designs in this collection are taken from originals found in the archive of The Whitworth Art Gallery, just a couple of miles from us here in Manchester, so a truly successful collaboration to celebrate design in the north west.

The Northern Design Awards bring together designers, retailers and property developers in a glittering celebration of Northern design and style. We are delighted that our 50s Line Papers are shortlisted in the ‘Best Wallpaper Collection’ category.

You can see our full range of wallpaper on our Flickr account ahead of the Friday launch date. We’ve had a fantastic response to the initial images we released at the end of December, with much discussion surrounding our wallpaper on other blogs, Twitter and on Flickr. It has been fascinating watching people discuss what we are producing and how they look forward to our new ranges.

These blogs can be found here -

http://housetrained.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/50s-wallpaper-by-little-greene

http://www.retrotogo.com/2011/01/little-greene-teams-up-with-whitworth-art-gallery-for-50s-line-papers-1950s-wallpaper-range.html

http://beautifulkitchens.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/bargains-to-new-designs-my-round-up-of-homes-blogs/

http://fleamarketchic.wordpress.com/

On other blogs for example we have had comments about our 50s line in anticipation of the launch:

Michelle Donald

Posted December 30, 2010 at 3:53 am

“Thankyou Marie for sharing here. I can’t quite decide which is my favourite… I really love the yellow… but then there’s the houses which are so cute and then…… Hmmmm this may take a while!”

Victoria

Posted January 2, 2011 at 9:54 pm

“What pretty paper, I really adore the black and white home one.”

Ampersand Design

Posted January 9, 2011 at 10:42 am

“Very nice. I like the yellow flowers and the house one is gorgeous.

Sandy K”

As you can see there has been a lot of interest and lovely comments about the 50s range and we are hoping that you like the wallpaper even more when it is launched on Friday.

The range will include the following:

• Florette style Acid Drop, Classic Grey, Soft Blue and Pastille
• Hampstead style Ink, Cloister, Cool Grey, James Blue and Yellow Apple
• Bouquet style Bonbon, Lily and Summer
• Herbes style Cocktail,  Spring, Coronation and Line
• Cones style Aurora, Lush, Lint, Mortar, Mode and Daybreak
• Quilt style Haar, Knot, Cardinal, Petiole and Canton
• Norcombe style Welkin, Jodhpur, Citron, Jazz and Couture
• Heath Stripe style Pewter, Goose, Cookie, Mineral Grey, Ash and Pistache

Will their garden look like this?

Soho Square Wallpaper

Fashion can play a big part in a wedding service and when the couple are married they will have their own descisions to make. Rumour has it that the couple will not have servants looking after them. Could they be looking to decorate their new place with a lovely display of traditional wallpaper?

They could find a great Soho Square print wallpaper from c. 1775 for their living room and this would give a fantastic traditional look.

Royal Tastes?

Maybe they want to adopt a more classic look with a cream Bayham Abbey print wallpaper that looks great in any room. It will be interesting for everyone to see what the plans are for the Royal couple’s new Décor choices. We can merely speculate but let’s see what happens in the next few months.

Winter

January

Source: Apartment Therapy

January continued very much in the same vain as 2009 with neutral colour schemes and a minimalist approach to furnishings. This was in part down to the economic downturn as home owners looked to use more conservative decorating techniques. This helped keep costs down and hold the value of the home. January was certainly not a month for bold statements.

As predicted, by many, chunky, clunky furniture that takes up lots of space were replaced with more refined and scaled down furniture. Chairs were a prime example as small furnished chairs sold in their thousands. These not only looked great but also saved money.

It comes as no surprise, but as mentioned in our 2010 predictions, grey became an extremely popular paint colour in the early part of 2010. Grey is perfect for apartments and clever lighting can help deliver both a stylish and warm feeling. Apartment Therapy featured an article about grey paint colours during this period also.

February

source: ColourLovers

In February we started to see the first signs of change. Soft pastel colours became increasingly popular. You only have to look at ColourLovers trends for this period to see the type of looks people were interested in. Light tones and accent walls could be seen in many homes.

The change in wall colours was not the only thing that changed in February. Fabrics became particularly popular with more and more people turning to fabric sofas. These went well with the new and bolder wall colours people were using. Fabrics are great during these winter months as they can be used to make a room feel much warmer. As a result people bought fabric sofas and installed new tightly patterned fabric curtains.

Spring

March

source: Apartment Therapy

March this year was a particularly popular time of year for renovating bathrooms and kitchens. Many bloggers commentated on the latest trends which included accessories and blue paint shades. In the kitchen designers and home owners started to make clever use of shelving and freestanding units. These created extra space and looked great.

Bathrooms always sell well around this time of year and are constantly evolving. It is probably the fastest moving area of interior design with so many styles and colour schemes. Bold colours traditionally haven’t worked well in bathrooms but with the flexibility of such spaces these became very popular in February 2010. Designers were also using accessories to create small features throughout bathrooms.

April

source: Little Greene

In spring design trends moved towards floral patterns and subtle colour tones. Fabric based furniture remained popular while white and purple paints were used. Designers also started to make more use of neutral yet soft carpets throughout the home. This is in stark contrast to 2009 were hard flooring was more popular.

Here at the Little Greene we saw a sharp increase in sales in our floral wallpaper range during this period. Floral patterns can work well in a range of rooms including hallways and bathrooms. You will mainly find these styles in more traditional houses.

May

source: Trend Hunter

Greens came back in a big way during May. Spring is a time that we often associated with natural colours such as white, green and purple. These are not only neutral but help provide a colour scheme that will be to most people’s tastes. This is particularly important when coming to sell your home.

In an unexpected return room dividers saw a resurgence in May 2010. The help of innovative designs and clever use of space made these not only functional but also desirable to home owners. Trend Hunter, who report on trends, even ran an entire piece on this and retailers such as IKEA began to sell then once again.

Summer

June

source: Wattrus

June marked the beginning of the summer and saw a continuation of many of the trends present in May. Again neutral colours and soft furnishings were the order of the day. On a separate yet surprising note geek chic became very popular during this time. Teenagers scrambled to get hold of geek imprinted cushions, wallpapers and desk accessories.

July

source: Apartment Therapy

With summer almost in full swing designers turned their attention to bedrooms. Floral patterns and light colours remained popular as designers tried to maximise the amount of sunlight coming into the home. It’s a time when we remove our thick winter bed quilts and bring in nice, airy and light bed sheets. Apartment Therapy put together a great piece on this during July.

Painted floors also became popular again for a short time. White floor paint is the single most popular colour for floors and can provide a stylish and affordable flooring solution. This approach is often used in bathrooms.

August

source: Flickr - Massminto354

In August bedroom and bathroom decorating continued to be popular. Since it was summer many designers took inspiration from the garden and bought many elements from the garden inside. House plant sales increased significantly and kitchen accessories were a must.

Home accessories as a whole became popular. Some innovative laptop pods were launched. These were perfect for people who shared a home.

Autumn

September

source: Floormats

Neutral colours have always been popular but there are ways to brighten up a room during those cold winter and autumn nights. In September bold and bright colours became the colours of choice. Strong warm reds were particularly popular. Many designers and home owners bought bright accessories and fabrics to offset their neutral wall colours and flooring.

During this month rugs sold particularly well and at the Little Greene we experienced a rise in sales for accent wall wallpapers. These are both great ways to create warmth within a room and make a real statement. This trend continued throughout the winter months.

October

source: Trend Bible

Fabric furnishings featured consistently throughout 2010 however in October these furnishing often came in bright, mixed and bold colours. Patterns varied much more widely and designers were no longer confined to conservative looks. These bright new colours promoted positivity and optimism and were used on everything from cushions to dining room chairs.

November

sourec: Flickr - xJavierx

Towards the latter end of 2010 bright colours continued to perform well. The lounge became the key focus for many and sofas sold particularly well during this month. The contemporary look and colours such as grey performed well in this month. Many home owners decorated their dining rooms during this time in preparation for Christmas.

December

In December people’s attention turns to Christmas and entertaining guests. As a result vast amounts are spent on accessories and decorations. The lounge is particularly important and lighting typically sells well this time of year. Floor standing lamps reportedly sold well in December.

This concludes our roundup of 2010 interior design trends. We have seen both subtle and bold changes in many areas and this trend is set to continue in 2011. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for our predictions for 2011 and leave us a comment if you think there is anything we should add.

For this latest range the company has collaborated with The Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester, which houses one of the largest wallpaper archives in the UK. The collection focuses on the 1950s; an era very much within living memory for many.

The 50s Line Papers encapsulate this decade of post-war revival, with its newfound freedom of expression and palpable spirit of adventure – albeit a thrifty one – championed in a culture and economy striving to rebuild both confidence and identity.

The collection is named in tribute to the celebrated wallpaper manufacturer, John Line & Sons, who, since the turn of the 20th century, commissioned artists to create innovative and adventurous wallpapers. The eight eclectic designs represent a variety of designers and styles from the 50s era, some of which were indeed manufactured by the John Line & Sons factory in Southall, London.

All the papers are careful interpretations of the original archive documents, respectfully adapted in scale and detail to honour the spirit of the period. In keeping with its previous heritage collections, Little Greene has embellished some patterns, refined others and applied its colour expertise to create a range of papers that will serve not just the 50s enthusiast but interiors of any era and style.

The 50s Line Papers celebrate the confident use of colour which is so highly representative of the time, whilst the designs themselves demonstrate a somewhat relaxed approach to the ‘modern’ interior: a distinct departure from the more formal decorating style so favoured by previous generations of designers and homeowners.

• Bouquet: A striking floral trail on a subtly spotted background, Bouquet depicts loosely-drawn spring flowers such as tulips, lily of the valley and Solomon’s seal.
• Cones: A linear motif showing tightly-drawn, linear pinecones in two different shades on a contrasting ground.
• Florette: Six very stylised flowers, each of which features a dainty main bloom, two tiny buds and two veiny leaves, symmetrically arranged over two rows.
• Hampstead: Line drawings of smart Georgian and Regency town houses, complete with trees, gardens and railings; very 1950s style, but also very now!
• Heath Stripe: An abstract linear stripe motif in two colours on a neutral ground
• Herbes: Charming outlines of herbs such as lavender, rosemary, oregano, basil and angelica, accented against a rectangle of solid colours.
• Norcombe: A dense design featuring clusters of wildflowers, leaves and ferns.
• Quilt: A double line diamond trellis in two complementary shades, accented by a spot in the middle: the overall effect is of a quilted fabric.

As with previous collections, Little Greene has judiciously selected paint shades from its Colours of England and Colour Scales collections to co-ordinate with and complement the wallpapers.

Little Greene’s ‘50s Line Papers’ collection will be launched in January 2011 at Maison & Objet, Paris.

From the beginning of February, the wallpapers will be available nationally and internationally through Little Greene’s network of distributors. They can also be bought via mail & phone order and online.

The following questions answer some of the basic issues that crop up during wallpapering and painting. Feel free to add your questions or thoughts in the comments.

Q) What is the best method to remove wallpaper?
A) There are a lot of different ways to successfully remove wallpaper from a wall, but some of them can be very tedious. Heat can often be the best free solution to remove wallpaper. Covering an area of the wallpaper with very hot water and leaving it to soak in for couples of minutes, then scraping it off becomes much easier. For quicker results, you may find that a wallpaper steamer helps dampen the wallpaper a lot easier, but this obviously comes at an extra cost.

Q) Can you paint directly over wallpaper?
A) In a word, yes. It is generally best to strip the wall if you are planning on painting it, but you are able to paint directly onto it with most wallpaper. You need to make sure you have an even surface, so this means pasting down any loose bits of wallpaper, and filling any holes that may be in the wall. If the wallpaper is shiny you may want to test a small area first to see how the paint reacts to the surface and use a primer if necessary.

Q) How do you prepare a wall for wallpapering?
A) This answer is best broken down into the following steps:

1. Make it smooth – Fill any holes or bumps in the wall to ensure you have a smooth wallpapering surface. If your wall is in really bad shape, you may need to have it plastered before applying any wallpaper.
2. Lining paper – Although not a necessity, lining paper will help cover a multitude of imperfections in a wall – a common issue in older properties. Lining paper should be cross-hung (applied horizontally) if you’re going to hang a wallpaper on it (this will prevent the glue from the top wallpaper lifting the joints of the lining paper), or hung vertically (with completely flush joints) if you’re going to paint it.
3. Apply the wallpaper!

For a subtle look, choose a neutral colour scheme and earthy tones, for a simplistic and calming effect.  Try ‘Camellia’ wallpaper in Grise, combined with complementary paints colours such as ‘Stone-Mid Cool‘ and ‘Normandy Grey‘.

Alternatively, for a slightly bolder look, try shades of grey, brown and green with splashes of brighter colour that are reminiscent of Japanese florals such as orchids and peonies.  In this instance, use  ‘Peony’ wallpaper in ‘Boxington’ on selected walls, offset with paint such as ‘Stone Paint Cool‘ and ‘Stone Dark Warm‘.

For a dramatic Oriental inspired room use bright, vibrant colours and bold wallpaper to accentuate the look.  ‘Pink Blossom’ wallpaper really makes a statement and when combined with ‘Baked Cherry‘ and ‘Jet Black‘ paints will really create the wow factor.  Alternatively, for a brighter coloured look try ‘Shojo’ in ‘Sunlight’ and offset this with vibrant paint colours such as ‘Heat‘ and ‘Sunlight‘.

Oriental wallpaper can be used on featured walls, in alcoves or throughout the room.  With 32 colourways in 7 designs, our selection will help you to create your own oriental theme and look, whether you are aiming for big impact or subtle suggestions of east meets west.

It can be tricky picking your paint colours for this room, so we’ve used some example bedroom settings and listed the paint colours you would need to re-create the look.

Ikea have some great bedroom furniture, and this example will appeal to both men and women with a mix of masculine strong colours, pale accessories and soft dusky lilac.

Ikea Bedroom Furniture : black glossy wardrobe

The paint colours you would need to recreate this look are Juniper Ash, Chemise and Hollyhock. They have accessorised this room with white bed linen and a strong yellow/green accent colour.

Juniper Ash

Chemise

Hollyhock

Feather & Black have a couple of nice room setups for 2009. This room uses a neutral green/grey for the main colour, accessorised with a soft brown, and the floor has been varnished in a striking dark wood brown.

Recreate this look by using either Dark Lead Colour or Lead Colour, French Grey and Portland Stone.

You can get the bed from Feather & Blacks.

Lead Colour

Dark Lead

Portland Stone

French Grey

This bedroom, also from Feather & Blacks. You can recreate this look by using Bone Chine Blue or for a slightly stronger effect, James, and Slaked Lime for the woodwork.

This has been accessorised with strong black items, and the bed can be bought here.

Bone Chine

James

Slaked Lime