Interior Decorating

 

C o nser nservat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

T his series of of bo o klet ets s has bee been n pro duced by

Summary of Conser Conserva vati tion on Principles

the D epar ep art tm ent ent o f the Envi Enviro nm ent ent to

•R esearch esearch pr p rio r to plann anni ing w o rk

incr crease ease aw ar aren eness ess o f the value o f o ur

•M inim um interven ervent tio n - repai ep air rather

Foreword

archi arch itect ctu uralheritag age e an and d to pro rovi vide

than replace

info rm at ati io n o n the basic pr p rinciples and and

•R espect spe ct the sett setting.

m et eth ho ds of co con nservatio n an and d resto ratio n.

Summary of Conser Conserva vati tion on Proc roce edur e

T he titles in the se seri ries are listed o n the bac ack k o feach bo o klet et. .

•R esearch and and anal analyse h hi isto ry o of f building T hese tex ext ts ar are e no n o t inten end ded to be

•Survey rve y bu b uilding a an nd identify o or riginal

com co m preh ehen ens sive techn echnicalo r legalguides. T he

m ate aterial

m ain aim is to assist archi architects,b ,bu uilders,

•Plan w o rk acco accor rding t to o con conservatio n

ow ners an and d o thers, ers,in un understan and ding the

principles

gui gu iding pr p rinciples of of co con nservatio n an and d

•U se exp expert erts w her here n neces ecess sary ary

restorat resto ratio n. T hey w illfac aci ilitate the the

•R ecor eco rd allw o rk

iden ent tificatio n o fthe m o st com com m o n pr p ro blem s

•Installm aintenance ance pro ced cedu ures.

encou co untered in heritage buildings,an and d indicate cate the bestso sol lutio ns. It shou sho uld be app ap preciated that sp spe ecialised aspe aspect cts s of con co nservatio n an and d resto ratio n w illrequ req uire pro fessio nalexpertise and and m o re de d etailed info rm at ati io n.

T he D epar ep artm ent ent ackno acknow w ledges ed ges, ,w ith ap preciatio n,the effo rts of app of the au aut tho rs o f the individual bo o klets,the Irish G eo rgian So ciety w ho co coo o rdinated nated their pro pro ducti uctio n,the C o nservati vatio n A dviso ry Pan Pane elestab abl lished unde under r the O per pe ratio nalPro gram m e fo r Local Lo cal U rban and R ural uralD evelo pm ent ent and allo ther hers invo nvo lve ved d.

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C o nser nservat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

Introduction T his bo bo o klet deals w ith the interio r deco cor rat ati io n,no rm ally fo und in roo roo m s fro m 17 1700 00 - 190 900, 0,bo th in pub ubl lic and do m estic buildings,in Ire rel land. A t its si sim plest,interio r de deco corat ratio n co con nsists of of paint nti ing. H ow ever ever,in m o st instan ances ces the fo llo w ing have have to to be co consi nsidered an and d spe sp ecified,ap app pro xim ately in the fo llo w ing order: • flo o r finishes shes and and flo o r cove co ver rings • light fittings • w allco cove ver rings,in particu cul lar w allpap ape ers • w ind ndo o w curt curtains and and be bed d hangings • item s of of furniture including m irro rs and paintings.

Bri rie ef Hi His stor y In or o rder to com pr prehend ehend w hy roo m s w er ere e decor co rat ate ed and and fitted o ut,in a spe specific m an ann ner, it is im po rtan ant t to understand ho w they w ere o riginally intended to be used ed. .M ar ark k G iro uar ard d in his Life in the English Country House,and Peter Pet er Tho Tho rnt nto o n in Au  Autthentic Dec Decor ,are am on ong g the co cont ntem em po rar ary y histo rians w ho have studied the evo evol lutio n and an d deco cor rat ati io n of of

subservient en t to the over verallsche chem e and and com com plem ent ented the archi architecture ure o of f the ro o m . W hereas relatively few ro o m s fro m this era era have survi survived ved intact act,particul cularly goo go o d exam ples ar are the the H o use of of Lor Lo rds in the O ld Parl arliam ent Building,C o llege G reen ee n,D ublin, and the ent en trance hallin the King H o use, Bo Boyl yle,C o.Ros o.Ro scom m o n a and nd also B Bel ellam o nt Fo rest,C o .C avan avan,and ,and, ,o n a sm aller s scal cale,the e,the Sti Still R o o m ,Str Stro kesto w n Park, ark,C o . Rosc Ros com m on. on. T hree paintings w hich illustrate ro roo o m s o f this perio d are are,' ,'T he State Ballat D ublin C astle', 17 1731 31, ,attribut uted ed to W illiam V an D er H agen agen, , and and the m o re intim ate d do o m estic interio r, 'C o nver versatio n Piece' ce',circa 1750,po ssibly sho how w ing the the m em ber ers s o f the C o rbally fam ily and and att attributed to Philip H usse ssey,in the N ati atio nal G allery o of f Ireland and,o r the equally instructi ctive painting o of f 'T he Bateso ateson n Fam Fam ily', circa 17 1740,agai again attributed to Philip H ussey, in the the U lster M useum .

histo ric ro o m s.

T he interi interior or fr from om 1700 to 1740 In the earl e arly 18 18th ce cen ntury,pub ,pu blic and and do m estic ro o m s o f cons conseq equen uence ce w er ere e used used in a fo rm al an and d rigid m an ann ner.T er. T his w as reflected in their deco cor rat ati io n w here th the architectural ectural em bel be llishm ent ents fo rm ed the the m o st pro m inent nent elem ent ent o f the ro o m ,and a lim ited am o unt un t o f furniture and an d fittings w as fo rm ally arrange arranged d aro und und the the room roo m . A llo fthes hese item s w ere ere

 Attri  Att rib buted to Phililip ip Hu Hussse seyy ‘Convers rsa atio ion n Pie iecce’,poss ssib iblly  members of the Corbally family.

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C o nser ervat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

The neo-classical interior from 1760 to 1800

The interior interi or fr from om 1740 to 1760 1760 B y th the m iddle o f the 18th cent cen tury,the rigid fo rm ality of of do m estic ro o m s w as gr grad adu ually declining,an and d this is pa partly ref reflected cted in a ligh ght ter fo rm o f archi architect ctu uraltreat atm m ent.

W ith the the com co m pleti etio n o of f C har harl lem o nt H o use use an and d the C asi asino at M ari arino circa 1 17 760,the neo -classicalfo rm o f decor co rati atio n,w as intro rod duced ced to Ireland and,by S Si ir W illiam C ham ber be rs,fo r his patro n Lo Lor rd C har harl lem o nt. nt.

A gain,it is also reflect cte ed in the m an ann ner in w hich the ro o m s’ archi architect ctu ural em bellishm en ent ts becom eco m e less im po sing and and m o re enr en riched ched. T hu hus s,in place o f tim ber pane an elling fro rom m flo o r to ce cei iling,w ainscot sco tting is used o n the the lo w er w alls,in o rder to to perm it the up upp per part to be painted ed, ,o r hun ung g w ith hand blo cked w allpap aper er and, and ,in very im po sing ro o m s,w ith a silk dam d am as ask. k.

T he m ain char charact acteri eristic o of f these ro o m s is the use of ofa shal shallo w er fo rm o f o rnam en ent t, to ge get ther w ith the introd roducti ctio n o f care caref fully design gne ed furniture ,such as p pi ier tabl ables an and d m irro ror rs,to get gether w ith suites o of f chai chair furn rni iture. re. A m o ng the survi urviving ex exam am ples fro m this er era a are the G reen and Red Re d D raw ing R o o m s,at C ast astlet eto o w n H o use use ,to gether w ith the w o rk of R obertA ob ertA dam at H eadf eadfort ort H ous ouse, e,C C o. M eath. In the cas case o of f H eadfo rt H o use,bo use,bot th the ro o m s and and the o riginalarchitect's draw ings survive,the latt atter in the M ello n C o llecti ctio n atYale U niver versity. Som So m ew hat later,is the w o rk of o f Jam es W yatt and his circle ,and the m o st com com plete ete surviving ex e xam ple o f this e er ra is the interio r o of f C as ast tlecoo eco o le ,En ,Enn niskillen en, ,C o.Fer .Ferm m anagh. anagh. For Fo r the m o st part,ho w eve ever r, the furniture and fittings at C astlecoo co o le are from rom the first quar art ter o f the 19th cen cent tury.

T he greate greater us use o f textiles,b ,bo o th fo r carp ets and and cu curt rtain s,co n tributed to an ad add ded sense o f com fo rt. In addi add itio n,m any m o re pieces o f furniture w ere intro duced w hich w ere less im p osing an and d ge gen nerally m o re co m fo rtabl ble. In public bu buildings and and in the grand grander do m estic interio rs,the m o re fo rm al ap app pro ach w as st stillretai retained. N o netheless ss, ,it is fro m this era that that the fine cu cut t glass ch chan and deliers,gilt tab abl les and and m irro rs o riginat ate e. G o o d exam exam ples fro m this era era are to to be fo und in the ro o m s in N o 85 St St. .St Step ephe hen n’ s G reen,an and d the Provo vost st’ s H o use se, ,Trinity C o llege,D ege,D ublin. For ro o m s o fa so so m ew hat sm aller scale ,N ew bridge H o use,C use,C o.D ubl ub lin, to geth gether w ith th the nearby nearby M alah ahi ide C as ast tle ,o ,or r Belvedere vedere H o use,C use,C o .W est estm eath, eath,cont con tain im po rtan ant t an and d intact interio rs.

From this era From era to o,the fine interiors ofthe then new ly bu b uilt terraced erraced ho uses have sur survi vived ved in D ublin,C o rk an and Lim erick,usually w ith w ell exe xecu cut ted plaster w o rk b by y su such practitio ners as M ichae chael l Stapl ap leto n,in a style gre greatl atly influenced uenced by by the w o rk of R o bertA bertA dam .

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C o nser nservat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

A painting (s (sho w n on o n the the co ver of this bo o klet) that capt captures the very very essen essence ce of of this age is ‘ M rs.C o ngreve greve an and d her dau daugh ght ters rs‘ ‘ , by Ph P hillip R einagle ,circa 17 1 780 (N at ati io nal G allery of o fIrelan and d).

The late neo-classical or romantic  interior interi or fr from om 1800 to 1830

Bellevue,C evue,C o .W ickl cklo w and M arlay G range ange, , C o .D ublin.T hey he y cap capt ture th the interi nterio rs o f a gentr gent ry hous hou seho ehol ld,at the m o m ent w hen m ass ass pro ducti uctio n had ens en sured that m any any var vari ieti eties o f fabri ab rics an and d item s o f furniture w ere avai ava ilabl able to give a grea great ter sense o of f com co m fo rt. T her here ar are e m any go goo o d exam exam ples o f surv urvi iving intact interio rs,fro m the late 18th cen century

B y 18 1800,the fitting ou o ut an and d deco ratio n o f ro o m s bo th at public and do m estic scal scale w ere beco becom m ing heavi he avier er,and ,and this w as gr great eatl ly influen enced ced by the m as ass s pro ductio n o f item s such as pl plaster deco decor ratio n an and d the m anuf anufacture of o fm any m o re vari variet eti ies of of fab abr rics cs, ,an and d trim m ings.T gs.T here w as also a m uch w ider sel selecti ectio n o f item s such as w allpap ape ers,m irro rs,furniture an and m usical instrum ents. T he tw o m ain architecturalpracti actitio ners during th this era w ere Franci Francis Jo hnsto n an and d Sir R ich char ard d M o rriso n. Bo th ar arch chi itects practised in a nu num ber o f styles,creati creating interio rs o f the high ghe estquality. y.To Tow w nley H all,C o .Lou .Lo uth,is the m asterpiece o f Franci Francis Jo hnsto n in the classica cal lstyle , w hile C harleville C astl astle , Tul Tu llam o re,C o.O ffaly, y,i is his m asterpiece in the go got thic style . Like kew w ise Si Sir R ichard chard M o rr rri isso n,assisted by hi his son son W illiam V itruvius,w as respon spo nsible fo r high ghl ly el e lab abo o rate interio rs fo r the m o st part in the classicalstyle ,in such such ho uses as as Fot Fo ta, C o.C o rk,Bar k,B aro o nsco nsco ur urt t,C o .Tyro ne and B allyfin,C o .L .Lao aoi is. O f particu cul lar interest are the draw ings by by M ar ari ia La Tou Touch che e,r ,reco eco rding th the interio rs of of

Drawing room of Marlay Grange by Maria La Touche

terraced erraced ho uses to be fo und un d in D ublin,C o rk, Lim erick an and d W ate aterfo rd,in particul cular the so m ew hat heavier de detailing t to o the jo inery er y and and plast aster w o rk.

The Victori Victorian an inte interi rior or fr from om circa cir ca 183 1830 0 to 1900 By this d dat ate e the industrialrevol vo lutio n ensure sured d that m ass pro ductio n cou co uld supply a large arge vari variety o of f paints an and d paint finishe shes,to get gether w ith fabri ab rics an and d furniture. re. C o m fo rt and the irregu egul lar arr arrange angem m en ent t of furniture w ithin the ro o m s ar are e the hallm arks arks o f this er era, a,to get gethe her r w ith m o re so m bre col colo ur schem es and the o ver use use o of f trim m ings to cur curtains an and d upho lstery.

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C o nser nservat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

rare instance ances,w s,w alls w ere hung w ith a fabr ab ric, such as si silk d dam am ask.

W her hereas ther here are are m any exam ples o f publ ub lic and an d private buildings fro m this er era,an and d in m any instances the ther re are are do cum en ent ts,such as arch arc hitects’ draw ings,inve ven nto ries an and d pho to graph graphs,the rigid discipline an and d ove ver rall con co ntro l o f design had disapp sappeared, ared,exce cep pt in the case o f the larger re residence o r pub pu blic buildings.

T he her re w as a gr great eater er use o of f w allpapers apers by the late 18th cent century ury,to get gethe her r w ith a m o re restrained ne d use o f pattern. In t the he m o st im po sing ro o m s,specific co col lo ur s sche chem m es w ere cre created by b y archi chitects,such as R Ro o bert A dam ,fo r H eadfo rt H o use,K use,Kel ells,C o .M eath.

By th the late ate 19th ce cen ntury,w ellestab abl lished shed deco corat rating firm s,su such ch as Sibtho rp rpe e’ s,o f M o lesw esw o rth St Street D ubl ub lin,had em erged erged and a m o re op o pulen ent t style of o f decor eco ratio n w as intro duce ced d,using stencil w o rk,w ith a m o re con co ntro lled ap app pro ach to the de d esign gn. .

B y 18 1800,a larger variety o of f paints and paint finish she es,w as ava avai ilabl ab le to get gether w ith w allpaper ape rs and m atching bo rders ers. In addi add itio n,col colo ur schem es becam e m o re co com m plicated, ed ,and there w as a great greater er use o of f gilding to arch archi itecturalenrichm chm ents.

So Som m e o f thes he se int nter eri io rs have b bee een n recor eco rded by earl early pho ph o to gr grap aph hy.

Fro m 1830 183 0 to to 185 1850, 0,colo ur schem es beco becom me gr grad adual ually m o re so som m bre ,and in add additio n,there is greater greater use use o f decorat co rative finishe shes in the fo rm o f grai graining and stenci en cilw o rk. B y 1890, firm s such such as Si Sibtho rpe rpe’ s,used sed a light gh ter palette o fcol co lo ur,in particul cular w hen execut cuting Fren French ch revi revivalstyle r ro o o m s. A m o ng t the he bes be st exam exa m ples are the A nte R Ro o om and D raw raw ing R o o m at Fot Fota,C o .C o rk,w her here elabo abor rate sten enci cilw o rk and and gilding w ere also em ployed yed. .

Typical Elements T he m ain el e lem en ent ts o f interio r deco cor ratio n ar are as fo llo w s: (a) Painting and and deco cor ratio n,including w allpap ape ers (b) Flo o r finishes and flo o r co ve ver rings (c) Ligh ght t fittings (d) Fabrics and curt curtains (e) Item s o ffurniture

W ith the the ass assistance ance o of f m o dern t tech echn no lo gy it is now no w po ssible to anal analyse yse paint and and the vari var io us layer yers s that ha have ve bee b een n app applied. ed . T here ar are e no no w a num num ber o f firm s that m anu anuf facture histo ric co co lo urs in a v vari ariety o of f paints.

(a) Pa Paint inting ing and decor decora ati tion,i on,including ncluding wallpapers In ear earl ly 18 1 8th ce cen ntury interio rs,the ce cei ilings and and w alls w ere ge gen nerally pai p ainted w ith distem per,and the jo inery w o rk stained o r painted w ith an o ilpaint.

(b) Flo Floor or Fi Finish nishes es and Flo Floor or Cov C overi ering ngs In the earl arly 18 1 8th cen century interio rs, flo o rbo ard ards w ere nor no rm ally dry scru crubbed flo o rs,bo th in public an and d privat vate e ro o m s.

By the m id 18t 18 th centur century y,hand blo cked w allpap apers ers had bee een n int ntr ro duced uced an and d,in very

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C o nser nservat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

C arpets pets w hen us u sed,w er ere e so so m etim es displayed o n a tab tabl le . By the m id 18th cent centur ury y,car ,carpet squares uares w er ere e intro duced ced,laid o n the flo o r in o nly the m o st im pos po sing ro o m s. T here here w as m o re us u se of o f ca car rpe pet ts and o ther flo o r cove co ver rings du during th the lat ate e 18th ce cen ntury and by 18 1800,o ne finds a great greater er use of of car carpet pets,bo bot th hand m ade and m ac achi hined, ned , to ge get ther w ith o ther fo rm s of of flo o r cover covering. In ad add ditio n,the use of o f w ax po lish an and varnish, to ge get ther w ith the intro ductio n o f par arq quet flo o rings becam e m o re pr prevalen ent t. Fr Fro o m 18 1830 30 o nw ar ard ds,an even even lar arger ger var vari iet ety y of of flo o r finishes w ere em em plo yed. yed . A m o st info rm ative study has has bee een n carr carried o ut o n histo ric flo o r co coveri verings by by A ntho ny W ells-C o le of o fTem ple N ew sam H ou ous se,Leeds. e,Leeds. In ad add ditio n there are sti stilla nu num ber of of firm s, prim ar ari ily in En England, and ,w ho pro duce m achine ned d carpet carpe ts in an an au authentic 19 19th ce century traditio n.

(c) Lig Light Fit Fitti ting ngs A m o ng the m o st im po rtant item s in an histo ric roo roo m are the the ligh ght t fittings.T gs. T he surviving ex exam ples fro m the early 18t 18 th cent cen tury ar are e in carved o r gilded tim ber, r,b brass, o r cut cut glass. B y the m id 18th cen century,the glass ch chan and delier had been een consi consider erab abl ly ref refine ned d,and a num num ber o ffine quality ex exam ples have have survive ved d.

By th the late 18th cen century,further refinem ents had take aken n place in particul cular in the use o of f o il burning lam ps. T his cont con tinued nu ed thro hro ugh the 19th ce century,in particul cular w ith the introd roductio n o f gas gas a an nd,late ater r still,w ith the introd roductio n o felectricity,c y,ci irca 19 1900. T here here ar are e no no w a num ber ber o f firm s that m ake ake goo go o d quality re rep prod roducti ctio ns o of f histo ric light ght fittings in cut cu t glass,tim ber o or rb brass. rass.

(d) Fabri brics cs and Curt urta ains In earl early 18 18th cen century interio rs,there w ere relativel vely few fabr ab rics an and d cur curtains u used sed and and the hen n onl o nly in the the m o st fo rm alro o m s. B y the m id 1 18t 8th h cent centur ury y,m any m o re types o f fabr abric w ere availabl able ,the m o re fo rm al dam asks being u used sed in public b bu uildings an and d in the larger arger d do o m estic interio rs. O ther fo rm s o f fabr abric,su c,such ch as pr printed calico ,be ,becam cam e avai ava ilabl able,an ,and d these w ere used u sed in less im po rtant ant ro o m s,in p par art ticul cular in b bed edr ro o m s. T he late 1 18 8th ce cent ntury ury saw the use of o f a m o re restrained design, gn,no rm ally in the fo rm o f stripes,bo th fo r im po sing and and m o dest interio rs. T he vari variety o of ffabri ab rics gre greatl atly incre creased, ased ,as did the v vari ariety an and d fo rm o f trim m ings. gs. T he e earl arly 1 19 9th cen cent tury saw the intro ductio n o f further va vari rieties o of f fabrics, cs,i in pa p articul cu lar printed cot co tto ns o or r chi chintz,and and w ith the com com m encem en cem ent en t o fthe indust nd ustrialrevo evol lutio n, m any any o of f these fabr abrics beca ecam mea avai vailabl able t to oa w ider der publ pu blic. Fro m 1830 18 30 o nw ards, ds,the vari variety a an nd quant an tity o of f fabri ab rics a ava vai ilabl ab le gre greatl atly

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C o nser nservat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

repr rep ro ducti ctio ns are re read adi ily a ava vai ilabl ab le .

increas ncreased ed and m o re som bre bre col co lo ur urs s w er ere e em ploy oyed. ed.

4. Ins Insuff ufficient icient app pprrec ecia iatio tion n of th the e importance of original decorative schemes, including the contents of historic houses and bui builldi ding ngs.

In th the lasttw en ent ty years, years,m uch effo rt has bee been n expended in creat creating a var variety of o f fab abri rics sui suitabl table fo r hi histo ric inte teri rio rs.

Procedur e

(e) Item Items of F Furnitur urniture e Kno w ledge o f the histo ry of o f furniture, paintings and and m irro ror rs has has great greatly increased creased in the last tw enty ye years ars, ,an and d,in ad add ditio n, w o rthw hile repro ductio n furniture is now no w rea readily av available.

Prio r to the re-decor co rati atio n o f an histo ric interio r it is im po rtant an t to ensure sure that that the fo llo w ing invest vestigat gatio ns are carried o ut.

(i) Structure A fulleval valuatio n o f the st structure ructure sh sho o uld be carried o ut,to ensure that the building is bo th so und,and and is secur ecure fro m the ingress gress o f allw ater and dam pne nes ss.

Problems and Common Pro Solutions T he m ajo r pr pro o blem s encount enco unter ered ed w ith reg egar ard d to the resto ratio n an and d refurbishm ent o f histo ric interio rs are as fo llo w s:

1. The de deca cay of the b buildi uilding ng fabri bric c T he building shou sho uld be m ad ade e structurally so und pr p rio r to the the com m encem ent o f w o rk o n the interio r.

(ii) (ii) Arch chitectura itecturall surv surve ey A m easur easured ed dra d raw w ing o of f the ro ro o m sho houl uld be ex execu ecut ted to get gethe her r w ith a p pho hot to gr graph aphi ic survey surve y. T his sho uld recor co rd allthe archi arch itectu cturalelem ents and and finishe shes s to get gether w ith any an y ori o riginal furni rniture and an d fittings.

2. The de destruction struction of paintwor intwork ka and nd,in ,in parti ticula cular, r,texti textiles les and floor floor co cov verings erings,due ,due to over exposure to natural light,and increased visitor numbers. Tex Te xtiles an and d flo o r co ve ver rings w illneed the service ces s of of experts in tho se fields. Paintw o rk is cove co vere red d in detailin the latter part part of of this bo o klet et. .

(iii) (iii) Arch Ar chiva ival res esea earch T he histo ry of o f the b bu uilding sho shou uld be reco cor rded,w ith the aid o f all surviving reco recor rds, su such ch as ori original arch archi itectural draw ings, inve ven nto ries,o r histo rical pho to grap graph hs.T s.T his shou sho uld include allinfo rm ati atio n con co ncer cerning item s of of furniture and and furnishings re rem aining o r fo rm erly ho housed used in t the he ro o m .

3.The dispersal of furniture and fittings. Furni Fu rniture an and d fittings,dat ati ing fro m the co cor rrect era ca can n still be purch chased ased, ,o r goo goo d

O nly w hen this tho ro ugh in vestigatio n has bee een n carried o ut can a det d etai ailed pro po salbe prep epar ared ed and ex execu ecut ted to include ud e the

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C o nser nservat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

fo llo w ing sche schedules and and sp spe ecificatio ns: 1. Sched Schedu ule and an d specificatio n o f rep epai airs to all surf surfaces,including ce ceilings,w alls, s,f flo o rs and jo ine ner ry w o rk. 2. Sched Schedule and and specificatio n fo r the clean ani ing,repairing and an d renew ing of o f all finishe shes to ceilings,w alls,flo o rs and and jo inery w o rk. 3. Sched Schedul ule and and speci spe cificatio n fo r all furnish shi ings to include: • light fittings • flo o r finishes shes and and flo o r cove co ver rings • w allpaper ape rs and w allhangi hangings • cu cur rtains an and d so sof ft furnishings • m irro rs and paintings • tab abl les,ch chai airs an and d furniture toge toget ther w ith o bjects,such as clo cks an and d o rnam ents.

d.

A m o ng the m o st info rm ative pub ubl licatio ns o on n thi this to top pic is The Nati Nation onal al Trust M Manu anual al o of  f  Housekeeping (Lo Londo ndon n 1984) 198 4). .

Dos and Don’ts Don’ts Do

W hile w o rk is in pro rogre gress ss, ,all fittings,features atures and furnishings sho uld be pr p ro tected ected. . T he ceiling m ay req equi uire tem tem po rar ary y sup supp po rts. T he fireplace sho uld be en encased an and d lo o se sheets sheets placed o ver the flo o r ar area. ea. D o o rs and w indo nd o w s m ustbe protect protected as neces necess sary. ary. T he w o rk in pro gress, gress,as w ellas the finished shed pro ject,shou sho uld be b e re reco cor rded ed. .

Maintenance

re-de e-deco cor rati atio n; sufficient pro tecti ctio n fo r all item s,in particul cular textiles an and d the con co ntrol rolo f natural turallight.

•che check listing o of f ro o m under lo cal devel de velo pm ent ent plan. •check check or o r have checked checked ro o fspace and and ro o fcoveri co verings. •o pen up and ven vent tilate r ro oom . •prot rotect allfittings and an d featu ature res s w hile w o rk is in pro gress gress. . •recor eco rd the ro o m prio r to w o rk b by y m eans of draw ings and phot ho to graph graphs s. •explain sch sche edule o of f w o rks to con co ntract acto o r and define the plant ant and and equi eq uipm en ent t that can be b e us u sed o n site. •visit an and d inspe spect w o rks, rks,recor co rding w her here neces necess sary. •recor eco rd com com pleted eted pro ject w ith pho to gra grap phs an and d‘ as bu built’ draw ings.

Don’t  •seal sealroo roo m as n natu atural ralven ventilatio n is alw ays requ eq uired. •rem ove item s fro m ro o m except w hen he n abs abso lutely n nece eces ssary ary. . •en end deavour eavour to reco ecor rd room roo m after w or ork k ha has s com m enced. enced. •per perm it any w o rk to com m ence unt unti il con co ntract acto o r has b be een clearl arly instructed con co ncer cerning t th he pro pro gram m e o of f w o rk,and w hat plant and equi eq uipm ent can can be u us sed. ed.

In o rder to ensure sure the preservati vatio n o f an histo rica cal linterio r,it is im po rtan ant t to ensu sure re that a bas basi ic m ainten ntenance ance pro gr gram am m e is ado ad o pted,and and this sho uld include the fo llo w ing pro visio ns: a. adeq ade quate uate vent ventilatio n of o fallro o m s; b. adeq ade quate uate he heat ating o f all ro o m s,includ udi ing the co con ntro lan and d reco rding of o f the tem perat atu ure and an d relati ative vel ly hu hum idity; c. adequat adeq uate cleaning and,w here here req requi uired ed, ,

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C o nser ervat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

•carry carry ou out an any y op operat ati io n that cann canno t be reve ver rsed, sed ,as further info rm at ati io n m ay com co m e to light at a future dat d ate. •rem o ve or o riginal elem en ent ts to a ro ro o m : en end deavour eavour to ret etai ain as m uch as po ssible. T his app ap plies eq equally to all finishes shes such as pai paint an and d w allpap ape er. If a finish is to be ch chan ange ged d,a represent esen tat ati ive ex exam ple of o fthe existing roo roo m shou sho uld be left if po ss ssi ible,so that future practitio ners m ay have the the o ppo rtun uni ity to stud udy y the evol evo lut uti io n o fa ro ro o m .

Select Bib Biblio liog graph

y

Benceence-Jo nes nes,M ark. A Gu Guid ide e to Iris Irish h Countr y  Londo Lo ndo n,198 1988. 8.

Houses. C o nfo rth,Jo hn and Fow Fo w ler,Jo hn. hn .

English Decoration in the 18th Century . Londo Lon don, n,1978. 197 8. C ro o kshan kshank, k, A nne nn e and the K Kni night o f G lin Watercolours of Ireland c.1600 16 00-1920 19 20. . Londo Lon do n.1994 199 4 G iro uard uard,M ark. ark.Life in the English Co Coun untr tr y  House. N ew H aven and and London,1978.

Sour ources ces of Inf Infor orm mati tion on T he so urce ces s of of info rm at ati io n o n histo ric interio rs can be divided into the fo llo w ing catego categ o ries: a. Pub ubl lic and private bui b uildings open op en to the public,an c,and this to include co col llect cti io ns of of paintings,draw ings and and de d eco cor rat ati ive o bject cts. s. b. Pub ubl lic archi archives of o far archi chitectu ecturaldraw ings, pho to gr grap aph hs an and d o ther reco cor rds,an and d,in ad add ditio n,priva vat te archi archive ves s ge generally attac ach hed to histo ric bu b uildings. c. Publicatio ns o n hi h isto ric bu buildings an and d interio rs including bo b o o ks,p ks,perio dicals and and guidebo de boo o ks. ks. d. A rchives attached to estab abl lishe hed d m an anu ufactu acturers o f item s o f furniture an and d furn rni ish shi ings,in pa p articular • w allpaper papers s • fab abr rics and trim m ings • ca car rpets pets • light fittings.

G uinn nness ess, ,D esm o nd and O ’ B rien, en ,Jacq acque uel line. Great Irish Houses and Castles. Lon Londo don, n,199 1992. 2. Plo w den, de n,A nna nn a and H alahan,Frances Frances. . Looking After Antiques. Lon Londo don, n,198 1987. 7. Sand San dw ith,H erm io ne and and Stai Stainto nto n,Shei Sheila.

The National Trust Manual of Housekeeping (T he N atio nalTrus Trust t). Lond Lo ndo o n,1984 19 84. . T ho hor rnto nto n,Pet n,Peter er. Au  Authentic De Deccor, The . Londo n,1984.

Domest estic ic Inte Interior rior 16 1620 20-19 -1920 20

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C o nser nservat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

PAINT T AN AND D WALLPAPER PAIN Bri rie ef Hi His stor y It is natu natural ralfo r us us to deco corate rate ou o ur living en envi viro nm ent ent. In caves 10 10, ,00 000 0 years years ago co col lo ured clays and so o t w ere used to cr creat eate e w allpaintings of o f hunting scen scenes and and fam iliar anim als. M as aso o nry w alls w ere ere plas ast ter ered ed and painted w ith lim ew as ash h or o r real fresco. W all paintings becam e m o re sop sophisticated cated in Egypt gyp tian an and d R o m an civilisatio ns,cu cul lm inat ati ing in the rich de d eco cor rat ati io ns excavated cavated in Po P o m peii and H er erc culaneum . B y m ed edi ieval tim es deco decor ratio n w as all pervasive an and d rem nan ant ts of of this deco decor ratio n survive in so m e chur chu rches ches and secul ecular buildings in Ireland and. In the 18th an and d 19th cen centuries paint w as used to achi achieve subt sub tle effects. Plasterw o rk w as painted to im itat ate e sto ne colum ns ns. . N o rth fac aci ing ro ro o m s w er ere e paint nted ed w ar arm m co col lo urs and so uth facing ro o m s co coo o lco col lo urs to co com m pen ens sate fo r the effect o fsunligh ght t. C o lo ur o n w alls cam e to to be taken taken fo r gr gran ant ted and co cont nti inu nues es so so up to the present esent day ay. . T he hab abi it o f repainting eve ever ry te ten ye years ars is a recent pheno ph enom m enon eno n - thanks to cheap and easy to ap app ply m aterials. But in the pastthe decor eco ratio n o f a ro ro o m m ight be left fo r as lo ng as 20 o r 30 years. R ep epai ainting of often m ar arked ked a w ed edd ding,a new new ten enant ant, ,alteratio ns to a roo roo m ,sudden pro sperity,e ,et tc.,so the paint histo ry also tells us us abo ab o ut the fo rtunes o fthe house. ho use. C o vered by m o de der rn em em ulsio n,pre pre 20t 2 0th h ce cen ntury pai paint la ye yers rs are rare rarely visible to day, but the w ho hol le co col lo ur histo ry of o f a ro ro o m can

be reve eveal aled by ex exam am ining chi chips o fpaint und under er high m agn agnificat catio n,and an d,by ,by identifying the pigm ent en ts,these co col lo urs can e even ven be dat d ated. ed .

Typesof Paint Limewash A sol solutio n o f lim e (calcium o xide) in w ate ater is stirred up and brushed o nto the w all. A s it dries,it cry crystal stallises ses a as s insol so luble calcium carb car bo nate ate . T his is the che cheape apest o f paints and w as used fo r hum ble bu b uildings,in servan servant ts' quart arters,o n ext ex terio r w alls et etc. c. Lim ew ashe ashes s w ere usually w hite ,bu ,but t sand andy co col lo urs w ere po pular fo r exterio r w alls in the 18th and and 19th ce cen nturies.

 Soft  So ft d diste istem mpe per  r  T his is a m ix o f chal chalk,w ate ater and and an ani im al glue. It pro duces ces a m att atte ,po ,po w dery finish,that is m arked ver very ea eas sily an and d has to be frequent en tly repl ep laced aced. . It can be tinted,b ed ,but ut be because cause o fthe chal chalk co con ntent,the col co lo urs are alw ays p pal ale tho ugh they can be ver very br bright ght. For Fo r three cent cen turies it w as the stand andard ard ho use p pai aint and and w as used right up the 195 950 0s and 60s as a che cheap alternati ative to o il. Tod To day, ay,i it can o nly b be e o btained from rom sup suppliers specialising in histo ric paints.

O il pa paint  int  Since the end o f the 17th cen century this has invariabl ab ly b be een used fo r painting so sof ftw o o d pane anelling.W g. W hen fullpane anelling ga gave ve w ay in the 18th cen century t to o the fashio n fo r cladd adding just the lo w er p par art t o f the w all,the upper part w as usually co cove ver red w ith w allpape aper o r fabr abric , but to w ard ards the e en nd o f the cen cent tury o oi ilpaint w as app ap plied directl ctly to the w allplaster ab abo ove the dado ad o rail. 10

 

C o nser nservat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

C o rnices ces and and plain ce cei ilings,o n the o ther hand and,w ere no t painted in o iluntilthe end o f the 19 1 9th/ beginning of o f the 20 2 0th ce cen ntury. If the ce cei iling w as an or o rnat ate e o ne it m igh ght t have been painted in o ilas earl early as the 18th cent cen tury,bu ury,but t co cor rnices w o uld alm o st alw ays be painted in distem per.

E muls ulsii on pa paii nts O ilpaint is stillso sol ld to day but,since the 1960s,w allpaint is usua usual lly bo b o ugh ght t in the fo rm o f an em ulsio n - a suspe suspen nsio n o f acrylic in an aqueous aqueo us m edium . A s the w ater evapo evapor rates after bru brush shi ing,the ac acryl rylic particles lo ck to ge get ther to cr cre eate ate a stro ng an and flexible paint film .

Historic toric Colou Colours His Se Seven vent tee een nth cent century oak oak pane panel lling w as unpainted but,if it w as sof soft w o o d,it w as so m et eti im es m ar arb bled ed, ,o r gr grai ained to im itate o ak o r w alnu nut t. Ex Exam am ples of of 17th cen century grai graining ar are e ver ve ry rar rare e . W here it has su survive ved d it is see seen to be high ghl ly stylised, sed ,unlike the nat atu uralistic ef effect cts s so ugh ght t by 19 19th ce cen ntury cr craf aftsm en en. . C eilings an and d co cor rnices w ere decor eco rated w ith pure p ure w hite di d istem per. In the lat ate e 17th ce cen ntury and and righ ght t thro ugh the 1 18 8th cent century, ury,s so ftw o o d panel ane lling w as invari nvariably paint nted ed. . T he com co m m o ne nes st co col lo urs w er ere e st sto ne co col lo ur ur,cr ,cream o r pale grey. grey. It w as o nly in ve ver ry grand grand estab abl lishm ents that brigh ght t col co lo urs an and d gilding w ere occasi o ccasio nally used used. . T he sam e ne neutraltint w o uld ge gen nerally be be used sed fo r all feature atures, s,including the skirtings, the w indo nd o w s and the the do d o o rs. In unp un panelled ro o m s,the w alls w o uld be pai p ainted w ith so ft distem per,also in neutral tints,an and d se servi rvice 11

ar areas eas and very very p po o o r dw ellings w o uld be lim ew ashed ashed. . T he inven ventio n o f Prussian blue in 1704,a pigm ent ent w hich w as not no t o nly c che heap,but ap,but had a high tinting strength gth,w o rke rked d w ellin o iland and did no not t fad ade e ,m eant eant that,by hat,by t the he m id 18 18t th ce cen ntury,p ry,pl laster w alls w ere frequently p pal ale blue o r pale gree green n (m ade by m ixing blue w ith yel ye llo w ),tho ugh the h hal alf pane anelling co con ntinued to be paint nted ed in ne neut utr ralto ne nes s. T he beds ed s o f 18th cent cen tury o or rnate ceilings w ere o ccasio nally pai painted in pale col co lo urs,b s,but w ere m or ore e com com m only w hite. T he invent ven tio n o f a w ide range ange o f stro ng, brigh ght t pigm ent en ts in the 1 19 9th cen cent tury m ean eant t that decor de corat atio n co coul uld b beco ecom m e m o re ad adven vent turous urous and and painters nters used stro ng co col lo ur schem chem es,including d dee eep p reds ed s and and gree greens. ns. Elab abo o rate ate m arb arbling w as pop po pular in hallw ays an and d dining ro ro o m s,and grai graining w hich had virtually di d isap sapp peared as a tech techn nique in the 18th cent cen tury,h ry,had ad a hu huge revivalw hich lasted righ ght t thro ugh into the Edw ard ardian era. N inet etee een nth cent century gr grai aining w as very nat atu uralistic an and d w as co com m pleted w ith a thick glaz aze e to give it a h hi igh glo ss.

Ironwork In th the earl early 1 18 8th cen cent tury iro nw o rk t ten end ded to be pai p aint nted ed w hite o r sto ne co col lo ur to m atch the col co lo ur o fthe h ho o use ,or ,or shades ades o of fpale grey ey. . D eep blue,bas ue ,based ed o n the pigm ent sm alt, w as occasi occasio nally u used sed fo r ver very grand gate gates an and d railings.To gs. Tow w ard ards the e en nd o f the ce cen ntury, ry, dark dar k grey and dar d ark blue beca becam m e m o re co com m m o n cho cho ices. Black painted railings date fro m the V icto rian perio d.

 

C o nser ervat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

Typical Elements Each painted surface co com m prises three par art ts. • Support • Pigment • Medium

Paint sample  from wall wall

graining prussian blue graining

Support T he supp sup po rt is the surface to to w hich th the pai p aint is app applied;it can be an anyt ything fro m a cave cave w all o r plastered m ason asonry,to a part p artitio n w all or M D F.

Paint sample sample  from joinery 

primer/underco rcoat

Pigment T he pi p igm en ent t is the co col lo uring m atter used. used. T he first pigm en ent ts w ere co lo ured clays fo und lo cally. In tim e,p ,pi igm en ent ts w ere tr trad aded ed an and d m an anu ufactured actured artificially. A s cer ce rtain co col lo urs w ere m an anu ufactu actured at different dat ate es it is som so m etim es po po ss ssi ible to give an “ earliest po ss ssi ible” dat ate e by b y anal analysing the pi p igm ents used in a paint laye yer r.

wood

stone colour bright yellow colour

Dining room early  18th century   paint 

Medium T he m edi ed ium is w hat binds nd s the pigm ent ent to the suppo rt. T his can be b e lim e plas ast ter, distem per,o ,oi il,acryl acrylic etc. W e def define w hat typ ype e o f paint it is by the m ed edi ium used,e ,e. .g.oi g.o il

verditer distemper probably late 18th centur century y

red and black scheme from the 19th centur century y

paint. It is po po ssible to an anal alyse the m edium used by taki taking a sm allsam ple o f the o riginal. H all early  18th century   graining

Wall Wa ll Painti Paintings ngs A decor eco rative sche schem m e exe execut cuted ed o n a w allin fresco o r o ilpaint m ay requ req uire co con nservatio n. A sp spe ecialist w allpainting co co nservator servator sho uld be consul consulted ed. . Flaking pai paint m ay so m et eti im es be co con nso sol lidated using a tack tacki ing iro ron n,an app ap pro priat ate e ad adhesive an and d silico con n release paper ape r. T his pro cedure cedure sho shoul uld be b e carri carried o ut by a con conservato r.

warm grey top coat

yellow ochre on leadwhite primer followed by streaky pattern put on in thin layers of iron oxides reds and browns

Paint analy analysi siss of Ledwithstow Ledwithstown Hou House se,, an early early 18th 18th century house  A se sellectio ion n of the colours use sed d over the years is shown above. How oweve ever,r, they should should be be viewed viewed as approxima approxi matitions, ons, owing to changes changes in in colou lourr which occur in the reproducing reproducing proc process ess..

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C o nser nservat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

bo und),o ilbased ased paints an and d acrylic p pai aints. T his is very im po rtant as so m e m edi ed ia ar are e affected by m o isture . Inspect the surface caref care fully to m ake ake sure that the paint laye ayer r is sound.

Problems and Common Pro Solutions 1. Failure of tth he s su uppor ort,s t,str truc uctura turall o orr otherwise C heck that the w allis in go goo o d co con nditio n an and d that the plaster is not no t lo o se. Se Set ttlem ent cracks cracks and and tho se caused caused by vibrat ati io n,can lo o sen plaster. Ifthe w allso sou unds hol ho llo w w hen ge gen ntly tap app ped the plaster is vu vul lnerab abl le and m ust be conso co nsol lidated befo re any any ot othe her r treatm atm ent is carried o ut. T his invo vol lve ves s injecting an ap app pro priate ad adh hesive betw ee een n the plaster and and the w allan and d is a pr pro ce ced dure best ca carri rried o ut by a spe specialist.

Soft distemper T his is glue bo und and and is gen gene erally fo und o n cei ce ilings. It w ipes of o ff very very e easi asily. T he o nly safe w ay to clean it is to dust light gh tly w ith a sof soft br brus ush. h. N ever us use e w ater. Case sein in bound distem distemper per T his sho uld be dusted as abo abo ve. Ifthe p pai aint layer is secur ecure it can be w iped w ith a d dam am p, not no t w et, et,clo th. D o n no o t w ash ash the s sur urf face ace. .

2. Pr Problem oblems rres esulti ulting ngfr from om d da ampn pnes ess s and/or attempts to dry out a building quickly Excess Ex cessi ive m o isture brings its ow ow n pro blem s. T he first step is to find the cause cau se of of dam pnes pn ess s - a leaking ro ro o f,no dam p pro o f cour cou rse ,a bridged dged dam d am p pr p ro o f cour cou rse or or po o r gutt gutter eri ing. T he so urce urce o fm o isture shou sho uld be el e lim inat ated ed an and d the w allallow ed to dry ou o ut nat atu urally. M o stw alls are nat atu urally dam p but this w illno t necess cessarily harm harm the surf sur face pai p ainting so so lo ng as the am am o unt o f m o isture in the w allrem ains con constan ant t. Fluct ctu uat ati ing clim at ate e an and d rap api id drying br b rings sol so luble salts to the surf surface . T hese crystals frequently fo rce the paint o ff the surface cau causing flak aki ing.

Oil boun bound d distempe perr O ilbo und und distem per pe r such as W alpam ur is ge gen nerally har h ard der w eari aring. D ust firstw ith a so ft brush. Fresh Fresh b br read pressed int nto o lum ps an and d ro lled o ver ver the dry surface w illrem ove a co con nsiderable am o unt o f surface grim e. If neces necess sary,w as ash h gent gently w ith w ar arm m w ater to w hich a few dro ps of Synp Synper ero o nic N has been be en ad add ded ed. .R inse o ff and dry. U se three clo ths and tw o buck bu cket ets s. Oil based paint ints s T he hes se can be be t tr reated eated in t the he sam e w ay as o il bo un und d distem per er. . Lo Local calgr grease ease s st tains o on n w o o dw o rk can can be cleaned usi using a m ixtur xture eo of f 300 m ls w hite spi spirits,300 m ls w ater to w hich a teaspo teaspoo o n o f m ild det eter ergen gent t has been been added. dded . A few drop drops s of am m oni on ia in w ater w illalso rem o ve gr grease ease s st tains. C are are m ust be tak ake en,ho w ever ver ,as allo f these m ixtures w ill ev eve entually sof soften the o ilpaint and and you yo u m ay

3. Soiled p pa ain intwork twork B efo re attem pting to clean an any y pai paintw o rk, m ake sur sure e that that you you kno kno w the type o f paint used.T used. T he m o st usual usualtypes are lim ew ash, ash, distem per (glue bo b o un und d,casei casein bo b o und o r o il

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C o nser nservat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

find you yo u are left w ith a ver ve ry clean area w hich stan and ds o ut to o clearly fro m the sur surro unding paint.T his w illalso hap app pen if yo you u use co com m m ercialdet etergen ergent ts and ab abr ras asi ive po pow w der ders. W here here an area of of paint ntw w o rk is pro ne to gath gather grease stains,(do o r pan ane els, ligh ght t sw itch che es etc. etc.), it is a goo go o d idea to put a pro tect cti ive shee sheet o f perspex spe x in po p o sitio n to preven event further w ear.

to get gethe her r by o over verl lappi app ing t the he ed edges. ges. O ften the hand and-m ade ade she sheet et w illsho w a d di istinctive 'aid' pattern o of f fine ho rizon zo ntal lines w hen held up to the light gh t,and an d is ch chara aracte cteri ristical cally stro ng du due to the q qu uality o of f the rag p pu ulp. W allpaper aper m ade ade in t th his w ay w illsho w ho rizon zontalseam s at intervals of of abo abo ut eight ghteen ee n inche ches,altho ugh these are are no t alw ays o bvio us beneat en eath h the thick gr gro o und col co lo ur w hich w as app appl lied befo re printing.

Acrylic paints T hes hese can be cleaned eaned in the sam e w ay as o il based paints. Prio r to carryi carrying ou o ut extensive clean ani ing it w o uld be b e prud prudent ent to deter determ m ine w here here m o st o f the dust is co com m ing fro m an and d to elim inat ate e the so urces as far as pos po ssible . W as ash hing shou sho uld be neces ece ssar ary y on o nly on o nce in eve ver ry five year yea rs - o r in idealcircu cum m stan ance ces s on only on o nce ever eve ry 10 10 years.

 Ske  S kettch detail fr fro om 18t 18th h Ce Cen ntury wallpaper 

Wallpapers It is w ellw o rth devot evo ting even even a sm allam o unt o f tim e to a w allpap aper er sea sear rch befo re undertaking an any al alterati atio ns or or redeco cor rat ati ing sm allscr crap aps s of of w allpap aper er are are so m et eti im es discover scove red during reno reno vati vatio n o f o ld buildings, behind pan p ane elling,pelm ets,ligh ght t sw itch che es,fitted bo o kcases or inside cupb cup bo ar ard ds. 'Sand Sandw iches ches' fo rm ed o fm any layer ayers of ofw allpap aper er general generally have an un unap app pealing out o uter er surface but b ut m ay co con ntain m an any y hidden tr trea eas sures. U ntilthe late 1830's w allpap aper er w as pri print nted ed o n len engt gths fo rm ed fro m ind ndi ividualshe heet ets s o f hand hand m ad ade e, rag pul pulp paper ape r m easuri easuring app ap pro xim ately ely tw en ent tyy-o o ne inch che es by eigh ght tee een n,glued

T he paper p aper used used fro m the 1 183 830s 0s onw ards is m uch thinner and w eaker eaker. H and bl b lo ck cked ed paper aper w as printed w ith thick,distem per paint w hich tends to flake ake distinctivel vely,u y,un nlike the thinner nn er inks u us sed o n m achine printed papers apers, w hich tend end t to o becom be com e absorb absorbed into nto the surface o of fthe paper ape r. T he dam p cond co ndi itio ns w hich pertain in so m any any Irish ho uses favo avou ur the rem rem o valo fw allpaper aper,and ,and it m ay be po ssible to ease the pape aper gen gently fro m the w allusing a flexible ,flat to o lsuch such as a spatu spatul la o r plastic ru ruler. Ifthe pape ap er is w ellbo nded to the w all,it m ayb aybe e eno ugh sim ply to pho to grap graph h it,rather he r than risk d dam am age b y

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C o nser nservat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

attem pting to rem o ve it. O ther herw ise,the pap ape er w illhave to be w ell so soake aked d,either w ith w ater or o r else w ith a fifty-fifty m ixture o f alcoh co ho lan and d w at ate er fo r as lo ng as poss po ssible . T he ap app plicatio n of o f steam fro m a w allpap aper er steam er w illhe hel lp lo o sen stubbo rn pas ast te ,but ,but m ay also entailthe risk of o f dam aging lo o se o r fugitive pigm ent;if in do ubt,test a sm all area area before att attem pting to to rem ove the be best sam ple, o r else see eek k hel help fro m a pap paper er conserv conservat ato r. O nce the paper paper has been been rem rem oved,the back m ay be exam exam ine ned d fo r traces o f dut uty y m ar arks ks, , w hich w er ere e gener general ally st stam ped using black,or ack,o r so m et eti im es red ed, ,ink.

Dos andDon’ts Do

•pro tect and and m aintain p pai ainted surf surface aces in an histo ric b bu uilding. •identify type yp e o fpaint befo re c cl leani an ing. •do be car carefulrem o ving o or r clean eaning o ld leadad-based paint. •rem em ber it is po ssible to disco scove ver r previo us col colo ur sche chem m es by us using paint analysis. •keep keep any scrap crap,ho ,how w ever ever sm all,o f ant antique w allpaper aper. .

Don’t  •try to clean w all paintings;alw ays ays ca cal ll in an expert. •clean paint w ith w ate ater unless you yo u are sure o fthe paint type ype .

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C o nser ervat vatio n Guidelines Interior Decoration & Finishes

D ulux Paints Ireland and Ltd. 17,St Sth. h.Fr Fred ederi erick St St.D .D ub ubl lin 2 01 679 5890

D avid Skinner nner and Sons So ns W allpape aper M ake aker rs,T he M ill,C elbridge, ge, C o .Kildar dare e 01 62 627 7 2913 291 3

Farro w and B all H isto ric Pai Paint M an anu ufactu acturers U ddensTr Tra ading C om pany W im borne, borne,D D or ors set BH 21 7N 7N L Englan and d

T ina Sitw ell Specialist in Interio r and and D ecorat co rative Finishe shes T he N atio nalTrust Q ueen ueen A nne’ nn e’ s G ate Lo Londo ndo n Tel.0171 017 1 222925 222 9251 1

C at ath herine H assal assall, U C L Pai P aint A nalys ysi is, H isto ry of A rt D ep epar art tm en ent t, U niversi versity of o fLo Lon ndo n, 43 G or ordon don Squ qua are, London ondon W C 1 H 0P 0PD D Tel.0171 01 71 636 63 6 8000 80 00

Select Biblio liog graph

Keim M ineralPaints Ltd. c/o R eno eno fo rs C oach oach Lod Lodg ge R athgar A ve. D ub ubl lin 6 Te Tel l./Fax.01 492 0292

O m an,C harl harles C .and H am ilto n,J., Wallpapers, So therby Publicat cati io ns

M r.C hristo ffO lden enb berg 55 W ey eyl land R oad H eadi eadingto ngto n O xfo rd O xfo rdshire 38P 3 8PD D Englan and d

Sand San dw ith,H erm io ne and Stai Stainto n,Shei Sh eila.

Sour ources ces of Inf Infor orm mati tion on

y

Bristo w ,Ian. an. Ar  Arcchite itectura rall Colours in Br Brit itis ish h Interiors 1650 - 1840. Yale ,199 996. 6. Bristo w ,Ian. an. Interior House Painting Colours and Technology 1650 - 1840. Yale,1996. ,199 6.

Plo w den, en,A nna nna and H alahan,Frances Frances. . Looking After Antiques. Londo Lo ndo n,198 1987. 7.

The Nationa Nationall Trust M Man anual ual o off H ousekeeping (T he N atio nalTrus Trust t). Lond Lo ndo o n,1984 98 4.

M ary M cG rath FIIC C o ns nser erva vat to r R oset osetow n Lodge N ew bri bridge C o ,Kildare dare Tel.045 .04 5 4320 43 2007 07

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