In this 1960s living room, the stucco walls were too damaged to wallpaper. Instead, the homeowners hung printed fabric on the walls — from ceiling to baseboard — in something that looked like a heavy, boldly patterned black and white tweed.
But it wasn’t tweed at all. The fabric was cotton (which is much easier to shirr than wool) that had been printed with a photographic reproduction of a wool weave.
Gathered on rods, top and bottom, the printed fabric on the walls cloaked the old vertical surfaces in rippled pleats.
It was a pleasant way of getting a pattern on walls that would otherwise need to be replastered. Another plus: the fabric offered an acoustic foil for the bare floors.
In the bay window, curtain panels were tied back in little billows to keep the pretty tracery of the turn-of-the-century diamond panes unobstructed.
ALSO SEE: 25 retro curtains & drapes: Home inspo from the 60s & 70s
Custom-sized padded cushions were placed around three sides of the bay, creating a cozy window seat.
All this black-and-whiteness made a wonderful counterpoint for the room’s only upholstery fabric: a sea of anemones in their natural colors.
An old sofa was spruced up with the same floral fabric, and upholstered feet and white nailheads were also added.
There were framed pictures on the windowsill, and even upon the sofa — and a bull’s-eye mirror in a black-and-white op-art collar hung above the couch.
