Injecting a Contemporary Design into your Kitchen with Little Greene

Little Greene Paint & Paper Company have partnered up with The National Trust to support the important work they do, it gives Little Greene a unique opportunity to delve into a prestigious and eclectic mix of decorative styles.

Following the success of the first wallpaper collection, ‘National Trust Papers’, ‘National Trust Papers II’ is launched in 2021 with 42 colourways across seven designs with a collection of enduring styles spanning over 400 years of historic decoration. Each wallpaper in the collection has been redrawn and recoloured, whilst respectfully acknowledging the traditional methods and materials from which they were originally crafted.

The design elements are taken from Georgian and Victorian block-printed papers and also from older, decorative objects including a leather wall-hanging and a 15th-century tapestry. The contemporary definition of each design makes the timeless collection of papers perfect for homes of all architectural styles.

Let’s take a look at them below.

Massingberd Blossom (Gunby Hall) c. 1905

The wallpaper from which this design is drawn is most likely of British Edwardian origin but represents an era of passion for oriental design, in which it has a close connection to nature, simplicity and harmony. The trailing blossom and repeating birds are elements commonly found in early, hand-painted chinoiserie. It once adorned the walls of the Grey Room at Gunby Hall in Lincolnshire, a large country house that was built some 200 years earlier for the member of Parliament William Massingberd, which was left to the National Trust in 1944.

Available in 7 colours: Verditer, Deep Blue, Pale Blue, Oriental, Mineral, Yellow and Grey.

Mandalay (Bateman’s) c. 1712

This is the tree of life. It is drawn directly from the leather wallcoverings in the dining room at Bateman’s, a Jacobean mansion in East Sussex. Elaborate designs such as these were inspired by 17th-century Indian chintzes, which was often flowering trees with birds among the branches. Mr & Mrs Rudyard Kipling bought Bateman’s as their family home and paid 100 guineas for the wallpaper in 1902.

Available in 4 colours: Archipelago, Ceviche, Pollen and Arbour.

Tulip (Erddig, Wrexham) c. 1898

Considered to be one of Britain’s finest country houses, Erddig, just outside Wrexham in North Wales, is home to an abundant collection of wallpapers. You can still see some on the walls of the staterooms, but many more have been found as samples in tea-chests in the attic rooms.

In the 20th century, Philip and Louisa Yorke committed to the redecoration of Erddig, their new family home. The pattern of the scrolling foliage is unusual, the graded colour gives life and depth to the leaves – a contemporary take on the traditional, flat damask design.

Available in 7 colours: Powder Blue, Aqua, Cloud, Pale Grey, Sugar, Theatre and Blue Black.

Beech Nut (Oxburgh Hall) c. 1782

An authentic, late Georgian design, uncovered at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk. Originally used with a brightly coloured, flocked, floral border, the leaf and nut element was block-printed in a rather more subdued grey colourway. While the 6 contemporary colours are more colourful, each one uses a similarly balanced colour palette alongside the signature, crafted texture of a surface-printed paper.

Available in 6 colours: Cordoba, Summer, Delicate, Rubine, Florence and Warm Grey.

Burges Snail (Knightshayes Court) c. 1878

Knightshayes Court in Devon was built between 1869 and 1874 and was designed for the Heathcoat Amory family by the Gothic Revivalist architect and interior designer William Burges. He designed some of the most original and extravagant Victorian interiors. This quirky, charming wallpaper adorns the walls of one of the bathrooms.

Available in 7 colours: Ocean, Dark Blue, Travertine, Lemon, Silver, Juniper and Rosie.

Millefleur (Montacute House) c.1478

The floral detail within this design is drawn directly from an incredibly, important and lovingly-conserved object, the oldest tapestry in the care of the National Trust. It was made in the 15th century as part of a much larger set, and given by the city of Tournai, in Belgium, to Jean de Daillon, a French nobleman and Governor of Dauphine.

Available in 4 colours: Chambray, Garden, Knight and Masquerade.

Moy (The Argory) c. 1875

There’s not much info about this small-scale print found at The Argory, just outside Moy in Northern Ireland. It’s estimated to be late-19th century in origin and was printed using diluted watercolours rather than a more conventional, substantial ink or even opaque paint. The slightly broken effect, combined with the geometric pattern, gives life to the design that would be difficult to achieve straight from the drawing board.

Available in 7 colours: Pink, Red Ochre, Lime, Blue, Ash, Pompei and Mall.

If you would like to know more about our handmade kitchen designs contact us today – we look forward to hearing from you.