Wallpaper samples

These original wallpaper samples were salvaged from the parlour of the Randell family cottage, built in 1867, during architect Martin Hill’s restoration in 1995. The samples are in date order, with the earliest sample at the back.

Wallpapers were relatively common in New Zealand houses by the 1860s, as new printing technologies made mass production possible and lowered the cost of imported wallpapers. Wall coverings served both a decorative and a functional purpose, reflecting the latest fashions in interior design while also covering cracks in the walls and preventing draughts.

McCarthy, Christine. 2009. Domestic Wallpaper in New Zealand: A Literature Survey. Centre for Building Performance Research. Victoria University of Wellington. https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/architecture/pdf/5.1.4-domestic-wallpaper-in-new-zealand.pdf