Service
Historic Home Wallpaper Installation
Wallpaper for historic Bay Area homes with the careful, preservation-minded approach older walls need — plaster prep, gentle adhesives, and patterns that respect the period.
Wallpaper for historic Bay Area homes with the careful, preservation-minded approach older walls need — plaster prep, gentle adhesives, and patterns that respect the period.
Wallpaper for historic Bay Area homes with the careful, preservation-minded approach older walls need — plaster prep, gentle adhesives, and patterns that respect the period.
Historic homes have walls with stories, and those stories live in plaster, lath, horsehair, and decades of paint. Our approach is to disturb as little as possible while still creating a stable surface for new wallpaper. We hand-smooth uneven plaster, use gentle, fully-reversible adhesives where possible, and document anything we find behind the walls so future owners benefit from that knowledge.
For period-correct restorations we work with documentary, hand-blocked, and licensed reproduction patterns. Stripes need to be plumbed against a wall, not against a ceiling that may have settled an inch over the last hundred years. We make those judgment calls in your favor, with your input, before any paper is hung.
Historic installs reward craftsmanship over speed. We allow plaster to fully cure where we have done repair work, choose pastes that will not damage original finishes, and protect woodwork meticulously. Our goal is for your wallpaper to look beautiful today, and to be removable tomorrow without harming the wall.
We assess the walls together — settlement, paint history, and any prior wallpaper.
Hand-smoothing, careful patching, and stable cure time.
Plumb lines against the wall, not the ceiling, to respect age.
Reversible pastes where possible; documentary work uses traditional formulas.
Slow, deliberate hanging with gentle pressure on plaster.
Original woodwork masked and protected throughout.
Notes left for the homeowner about what was used and where.
We don't post fixed numbers because no two walls are identical. The variables that move the price the most are:
We are wallpaper specialists, not generalists. That means our installers know exactly which primers, adhesives, and rollers to use for your material and substrate combination — and they have the patience to let prep work fully cure before any paper goes up. Each project is licensed, insured, and supervised end-to-end.
No. Our process is built around minimum disturbance. We hand-smooth and use gentle adhesives chosen specifically for older walls.
Often yes — we work with reproduction houses and documentary archives. Send us a photo and we'll explore options.
It's a normal part of historic homes. We plumb to the wall, not to the ceiling, and choose patterns that flatter the room as it actually is.
If lead is suspected, we follow EPA RRP guidance and engage certified abatement professionals when required.
Yes — we use reversible adhesives wherever the material allows, so future owners are not stuck with what you choose today.
Cracks are stabilized and skim-coated first; we never wallpaper directly over an active crack.
Always. Original trim is masked and protected before any paste comes near it.
Yes — we have sources for both, including hand-blocked options.
Yes — we are happy to coordinate with preservation consultants or local historical societies as your project requires.