Anaglypta Wallpaper
We transformed an ugly little room into an extraordinary little room by hand painting new Anaglypta wallpaper. Our 1905 Neo-French Renaissance Brooklyn brownstone has original Anaglypta in the hallways and staircase, but we couldn’t find the same patterns anywhere. When we bought the house, this little room’s mahogany woodwork had been painted pumpkin orange, one…
We transformed an ugly little room into an extraordinary little room by hand painting new Anaglypta wallpaper. Our 1905 Neo-French Renaissance Brooklyn brownstone has original Anaglypta in the hallways and staircase, but we couldn’t find the same patterns anywhere. When we bought the house, this little room’s mahogany woodwork had been painted pumpkin orange, one wall was crumbling and other wall had been covered in cork tile. It had one sconce. We stripped the pumpkin paint off the woodwork, demolished the old wall and installed dry wall, refinished the parquet oak floor, installed a chair rail, curtain hardware, antique lights, and reproduction switch plates. But the star of the show was the brand new embossed Anaglypta, which was originally invented by Thomas Palmer in the late 1880’s and made out of cotton pulp, that we hand painted with Benjamin Moore studio finishes metallics and pearlescent paint in copper, gold, jealousy and buttercream yellow and then glazed. Costs/Resources: 3 rolls of Anaglypta ($40 per 60 sq. ft.) from DYHomeDecor.com, Paint ($160) from Benjamin Moore, curtain hardware ($35.50) and switch plates ($52.00) from VanDykes.com, antique lights ($860) from OldHouseLights.com, and chair rail ($57) from HomeDepot. Tip: If you are going to hand paint embossed wallpaper, choose a small room or an accent wall or a boarder, otherwise you’ll spend the rest of your life painting wallpaper. Dave Cummings (718-864-2906, DaveE718@hotmail.com), who specializes in restoration of Brooklyn homes, did most of the extraordinary work.
In answer to grand army: I put the curtain rod there so that I could reach it without climbing a ladder.
In answer to HomeSweetstuy: Dave Cummings does exterior woodwork quite well. He just refinished the front doors of 63 Rutland Road and the next door neighbors hired him to do their doors, as well. Dave’s number is 718-864-2906.
I have posted a detail photo under the caption “hand painted anaglypta.”
My husband and I just hung some anaglypta in our hallway.We did not have to poke holes re: airbubbles as within 24 hours they usually workthemselves out. i am curious about your paint job and would love to see more detailing. Can you post mmore pics and tell inquiring minds how the paint was applied?
Does Dave do exterior woodworking restoration? I have a bay window that could use some TLC>
Thanks for the post!
Anaglypta is embossed wallpaper so, yes, somewhat fragile. Lincrusta — made by the same British company — is a much tougher, but more expensive alternative, made with linseed oil and wood pulp (somewhat similar to linoleum). You can tell the difference by sticking your finger nail into the pattern relief — lincrusta is solid and won’t give at all; anaglypta will depress where poked. Both are available at Janovic Paint.
Love what you’ve done though curious why you mounted the curtain rail below the window frame.
in answer to Vinnie’s inquiry: This wallpaper is actually more delicate than you think. We laid it out on my seven foot dining room table to apply the glue and let the glue dry for the manufacturer’s recommended time. Then, once you hang it, and run the brush over it, use a 300 watt light to inspect for bubbles. Dave Cummings then gently pushed the bubbles away Also, use an extremely sharp knife to cut the wallpaper and change the blades practically after every slice.
In answer to Mopar’s inquiry: The curtain rod is from VanDykes.com. Dave Cummings is a jack of all trades in construction, and his specialty is restoration work. He has done some amazing paint jobs in my house, including a Venetian finish that looks like a sunset. He also totally restored some ornate ceiling decorations and reproduced copies of original medallions. He does amazing restoration work on old woodwork, like front doors and casings — my 1905 mahogany gleams like new after being painted for 30 years. He just finished the front doors at 63 Rutland Road in Lefferts Gardens and the owners of the houses on either side hired him to do their doors too. Dave has done a tremendous amount of work for me since 2007 and he has become a friend. I am very lucky to have found Dave because it’s hard to find really good restorers. Cummings number is 718-864-2906.
Looks amazing, although I’ve never seen a small room like this with a wainscott before. Congratulations. We have a little bit of original Anaglypta in our entry and I’ve been debating what colors to paint it. Where did the curtain rods come from, and who is Dave Cummings? Is he a contractor, a woodworker, or a decorator who specializes in faux paint finishes?
Looks great. We are about to install Lincrusta in our vestibule. Do you have any recommendations for the installation?