Fauxology: Studying the Visual Magic of Faux Finishing and Interior Design (brought to you by Garay Artisans)

We all know I love faux finishing. If you are a regular reader of the Fauxology blog, you know how much I also love wallpaper and beautiful base paint colors. Now imagine a material that could combine all three? We are talking about products that have permanent residence in the Garay Artisans Hall of Fame: Anaglypta and Lincrusta. 

Lincrusta, a paintable tough petroleum-based wallpaper, was invented in 1870. Ten years later, Thomas Palmer patented his creation, Anaglypta, a lighter alternative to the heavy and hard-to-install Lincrusta. Anaglypta is an embossed and flexible wallpaper that is made out of pressed cotton pulp and meant to be painted as well. The papers are imprinted with their design while the cotton pulp is still in its wet state – ergo maintaining its design permanently. They were developed to provide the ornate plasterwork prized by wealthy Victorians to those with less lavish means. It is still extremely popular in Europe, particularly Britain. Anaglypta comes from the Greek words “ana” (raised up) and “glyptos” (engraving) and Lincrusta was formed by two Latin words: “linum” (a tribute to one of its main ingredients, linseed oil) and “crusta”, meaning hard shell. Both sturdy papers come “primed” in a white or cream color and can be rebased multiple times without losing a bit of the texture. Water-based materials are used for Anaglypta and oil-based for Lincrusta. You can also use layers of colors – starting with a background color and then using other colors or glazes to enhance the raised design. When finished in the right way, you can have it take on the look of a tin ceiling, a hammered metal backsplash or simply base it out in a glossy paint for a striking finish. Traditional uses for this historic wallpaper include the papering of entire rooms, panel interiors or underneath a chair rail or dado line. The textures have many pattern options to fit many style schemes and are a perfect solution to hiding walls that have cracks, pits or that are uneven.

These papers are making a beautiful comeback. I’ve heard it from no less than two designers these past three weeks and today in the Homes section of the Orlando Sentinel, Canada-based Debbie Travis writes about wallpaper and singles these papers out. They are products that in the past have been notoriously hard to get a hold of (you can order it but as to when it’s actually going to come in…) but now there are a few product manufacturers that are making easily accessible, price-wise and time-wise. Here’s to its re-emergence!

Original design pattern and then painted:

Examples of painted Anaglypta at MorganHouse:

Underneath Chairrails:

Other patterns:

Used in borders and full walls: