The hand-painted sky?s the limit Welcome back to Period Dramas, a weekly column that alternates between rounding up historic homes on the market and answering questions we?ve always had about older structures.
Last week, we looked at historic wallpapers, from woodblock-printed scenes by Zuber to hand-crafted Chinese designs. What we love most about these works of art is that they are not just found in museums and on the pages of shelter magazines. Many people today live with these beautiful wallpapers in their homes, and plenty of houses currently on the market retain these high-quality papers.
When considering older wallpaper, the question of preservation and restoration inevitably arises. What happens if you?re lucky enough to come across a house with incredible wallpaper, only to discover a patch of damage or discoloration" To find out, we spoke to Jim Yates, master paperhanger and owner of Historic Wallpaper Specialties. Now, we should mention that the techniques Yates uses to repair damaged scenic wallpaper are more creative rather than historically sound?and Yates is the first to admit that. "House museums will hire a paper conservator," says Yates. "I deal with private residences. With many private residences, the emphasis is mainly on how aesthetically pleasing the wallpaper is rather than having it be so historically sound. It doesn?t matter how the job gets done?it just matters that the outcome looks good."

#Zuber#wallpap...