Vital Signs Pittsburgh: Back In The Day

When Wallpaper Was Meant To Never Be Removed

1960's Floral Motif Wallpaper

Ever moved into an older home or been in the position of having to remove wallpaper from a room (or more) that was applied several years ago. You no doubt quickly learned that whoever put the paper on the wall..never meant for it to be removed. Now perhaps it was just the type of glue or adhesive of the times..but somehow you can just picture them laughing at your angst as you struggle with every removal solution you can think of (or look up on Google).

Yes, I remember a few of those houses where we scrubbed our fingernails gone trying to remove layers of ancient wallpaper. In fact, I would put money on the fact that was where our children probably heard their first swear words watching their dad hard at work.

Vintage Period Wallpaper

Things Have Changed!

The first European wall decorations were textiles. The earliest surviving wallpapers are from the early 16th century England. These were block-printed and then colored by hand. These early papers usually mimicked fabrics, like damasks. By the 1600's wallpaper was common in Western Europe.

Wallpaper has come a very long way since those early designs and their lengthy method of production. For many people wallpaper seems to be either a Yes, I love it or No, I hate it proposition. I happen to really enjoy wallpaper, particularly when it is used in a great setting. The other reason that I love wallpaper is because we (Vital Signs) have various medias in which to print wallpaper on. That is, we can go the traditional method where one uses a wallcovering company to apply the paper to the wall with glue. Or we can use a press and smooth media in which no glue is required. Or we have other medias somewhere in between. It doesn't get any easier than that, especially if you enjoy a quickly changeable look.

The goods news also..is that Vital Signs recently added a latex printer to our hardware arsenal, so quick printing with no dry time in a snap.

Attractive but subtle focal wall

How Can We Help?

Are you looking to re-create a wallpaper from a certain time period or architecture style? We are happy to help. Our design staff is happy to help you find the perfect design to meet your needs. Whether you are wallpapering whole rooms or just focal walls, we can help you decide which look will bring the effect you are looking for. Need a larger-than-life 3D design, we can do that. Did I mention that the cooler the design project, the more we love it?! It's true. We enjoy the opportunity to work on unique projects that fulfill your design aesthetic.