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“Incredibly rare” find leaves historians awestruck

<p>Speaking to the <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-20/rococo-wallpaper-uncovered-in-historic-tasmanian-house/12567422" target="_blank">ABC</a>, historians have been left dumbfounded after finding a beautifully preserved and rare type of rococo wallpaper, along with a child’s drawing, hidden behind a cupboard in a Tasmanian property for more than 150 years.</p> <p>The owners of Jordan House in the southern Tasmanian town of Broadmarsh recently uncovered the section of wallpaper and a sketch of a coastal town while renovating.</p> <p>The rococo wallpaper has been called "incredibly rare" and Southern Midlands Council Heritage Projects Officer Alan Townsend said the find was significant.</p> <p>“Rococo wallpaper was big in the 18th century,” he told the ABC. “It’s full of shapes like scrolls and seashell, really over the top and curvaceous</p> <p>“This find is amazing because it's incredibly high quality.”</p> <p>After estimating the wallpaper’s installation in around 1850, soon after the time of the building’s construction Mr Townsend said, “We know the reason the paper has survived is because sometime in the 1870s, a set of matching built-in cupboards were put in, and they covered up the wallpaper.</p> <p>“Sometime later, someone has come along and done what everyone did, which is steam everything off the walls.”</p> <p>Mr Townsend put the odds of finding that particular wallpaper in Tasmania at “astronomical” – before adding that it was the child’s drawing discovered beneath the wallpaper that made the find all the more special.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837471/wallpaper2.jpg" alt="IMAGE / Natalie Geard" data-udi="umb://media/49da371b359e4f5497ed541894291a4a" /></p> <p>“It just puts you into the outer stratosphere in terms of likelihood It looks to me like a child's drawing of a wall harbour, which are of course common on the coast of England.</p> <p>“I've never seen anything like this in Tasmania before.”</p> <p>The owner of the property, Ben Geard, is currently looking at options for preserving and showcasing the rare find.</p> <p>IMAGES: Natalie Geard</p>

Home & Garden

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7 creative uses for wallpaper around the home

<p>Wallpaper has been back en vogue for years but interior design lovers are still pushing the boundaries of what you can do with it far past the standard feature wall.</p> <p>From covering the stairs to using it as art, here are seven creative things you can do with with wallpaper. </p> <p><strong>1. On the stairs </strong></p> <p>Take your entryway to the next level by installing wallpaper on your stairs. Either install a variety of geometric patterns or transform your stairway into a piece of art by choosing a pattern that is revealed to be a floral or abstract image from a distance.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://static3.stuff.co.nz/img-4774-copyjpg-97cdd145.jpg"/></p> <p><strong>2. Upcycle old furniture</strong></p> <p>Wallpaper can be used to upcycle tired and old furniture. All you need to do is wallpaper the back of a cabinet, bookshelf or even a set of shelves and voila. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://static3.stuff.co.nz/17-rod-house12jpg-fa88f1d0.jpg"/></p> <p><strong>3. As a piece of art </strong></p> <p>Interior designer Daniella Norling created a unique piece of artwork in her living room by installing a bold piece of wallpaper - Kanchou by Brunschwig &amp; Fils - in a circular frame. </p> <p>Norling isn't the only one who has begun to think of wallpaper as art.</p> <p>"The lines have become blurred between art work and wallpaper art, which is often large-scaled art, such as a mural," Annabel Taylor of The Paper Room said. "A bold wallpaper or mural can make a great design statement that completely transforms a space. The key is not to have the design elements in your room fighting each other; rather they should be in harmony in terms of colour and pattern."</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://static3.stuff.co.nz/47726882726407f6da94cc45a5905c6d-c014787b.jpg"/></p> <p><strong>4. On a fireplace </strong></p> <p>Make your fireplace the focal point of a room, even when it isn't in use, by wrapping it in bold wallpaper. For a modern touch, opt for a geometric pattern.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BgeSX-gH2K2/" target="_blank">A post shared by Lime Lace (@lime_lace)</a> on Mar 18, 2018 at 10:38am PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>5. As a kitchen splashback </strong></p> <p>Renters rejoice. Give a tired kitchen a spruce without having to make any costly or permanent changes by installing removable stickers that resemble a tiled splashback.</p> <p>If you're looking for a more permanent solution, you could install wallpaper behind a piece of glass, but the experts say that this won't last in the long-run.</p> <p>"Sticking up wallpaper behind a piece of glass may look okay to begin with, but often moisture will get in behind the glass, bubble and create issues," Lucy Gauntlett of Lucy G Splashbacks <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/kitchen/95676466/how-to-make-a-splash-with-your-splashback" target="_blank">t<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>old NZ House &amp; Garden</strong></span></a>.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"> </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media"> <div style="padding: 8px;"> <div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 50.0% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"> <div style="background: url(data:image/png; base64,ivborw0kggoaaaansuheugaaacwaaaascamaaaapwqozaaaabgdbtueaalgpc/xhbqaaaafzukdcak7ohokaaaamuexurczmzpf399fx1+bm5mzy9amaaadisurbvdjlvzxbesmgces5/p8/t9furvcrmu73jwlzosgsiizurcjo/ad+eqjjb4hv8bft+idpqocx1wjosbfhh2xssxeiyn3uli/6mnree07uiwjev8ueowds88ly97kqytlijkktuybbruayvh5wohixmpi5we58ek028czwyuqdlkpg1bkb4nnm+veanfhqn1k4+gpt6ugqcvu2h2ovuif/gwufyy8owepdyzsa3avcqpvovvzzz2vtnn2wu8qzvjddeto90gsy9mvlqtgysy231mxry6i2ggqjrty0l8fxcxfcbbhwrsyyaaaaaelftksuqmcc); display: block; height: 44px; margin: 0 auto -44px; position: relative; top: -22px; width: 44px;"></div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BYr8Q1gBWAE/" target="_blank">A post shared by 🔲Lover Of Luxe Homewares (@sartorialinteriors)</a> on Sep 5, 2017 at 9:43pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p><strong>6. On the ceiling </strong></p> <p>Give any room a dose of wow-factor by installing wallpaper on the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/homed/ceiling" target="_blank">ceiling.</a></strong></span> </p> <p>Wellington-based accountant and <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/home-property/91135726/statement-ceilings-transform-your-space-with-a-bespoke-fifth-wall" target="_blank">statement ceiling fan</a></strong></span>, Nicola Koptisch, said giving your your fifth wall some TLC is the perfect way to give a dull room an eye catching transformation.</p> <p>"I believe ceilings are just as important as the walls and furniture. A stunning ceiling can completely transform a space," Koptisch said. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://static3.stuff.co.nz/26d2aab55c2587a9782ba37cc0f38694-01ea8e29.jpg"/></p> <p><strong>7. As an alternative headboard </strong></p> <p>Not a big fan of headboards but don't want to be stuck with a plain wall behind your bed? Install a framed piece of wallpaper behind your bed instead. Opt for removable wallpaper as this will allow you to switch to a different style of paper without causing any damage.</p> <p><em>Republished with permission of <a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Stuff.co.nz.</span></strong></a></em></p>

Home & Garden

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Meet the 76-year-old man behind the most viewed photo in history

<p>Some estimates say that the Windows XP’s wallpaper has been seen by 1 billion people, making it the most viewed photograph in the world.</p> <p>In 1996, Charles O’Rear, on the way to visit his girlfriend, captured the iconic wallpaper “Bliss” in Sonoma County, California.</p> <p>The 76-year-old man behind the image is now producing “the next generation of wallpapers” and they look just as stunning.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="460" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7267411/in-text_500x460.jpg" alt="In Text (2)"/></p> <p>Now, his new projected called New Angles of America is wallpapers targeted for smartphone users.</p> <p>“I am thrilled to create for Lufthansa a sequel to the “Bliss” photo on smartphones so that my views of other beautiful places can continue to be enjoyed by millions of people. After all, smartphones have become the primary place for the world to see new and interesting photography. And, I’m glad to be part of it.”</p> <p>“I am turning 76 and realise how much the Microsoft Bliss photograph has meant to my life. As the photographer of the most viewed photo in history, I have enjoyed every minute of the fame.”</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see his latest images.</p> <p>Do you have the “Bliss” photo as your wallpaper? Let us know in the comments below.</p> <p><em>Image credit: <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=47&amp;v=b414uFIR5RM" target="_blank">Lufthansa</a></strong></span></em></p>

Art