☞ INSPIRATION: Wainscot Panels

The late 19th century documentary photographer Joseph Byron provided the black and white shot of a fashionable 5th Avenue home boldly transformed with wallpaper and wainscoting. The repetitive, rectangular wood panels are often in polished wood or lighter painted finishes in many Harlem brownstones, but most of the walls today have long been stripped of their colorful adornment. Especially since the natural wood finish is dark and neutral in most cases, the walls had the addition of color and pattern to brighten an otherwise stark interior. The second photo shows a high Victorian interior using paper even within paneling, and one can see how even the colors of the paper complements the vibrant hues of the curtains. From the original black and white photos of the time, it is difficult for the modern viewer to understand the dramatic colors used in the time period to help brighten and otherwise dark interior. Lower photo courtesy of Bradbury & Bradbury: LINK or see our other post on the green wallpaper we discovered in our building earlier this month: LINK