Feature walls and stairwells in Hardwick houses
Nearly every home in the village is a house, and in a house the stairwell is often the wall people most want papered. It is also the hardest one to get right. Simon, our wallpaper specialist, plumbs every length rather than following the one before, so the pattern stays true from the hall to the landing.
Bedrooms and living rooms suit a single papered wall. We hold samples up in the room before you order, so you can judge the scale of a pattern against your own furniture.
Lining paper for the older cottages
Council Tax records show only around 20 homes built before 1900 in Hardwick, and about 70 more from between the wars. Walls in houses like these can be uneven or patched, so we usually hang lining paper first, which gives a heavy or hand-printed paper an even surface to dry onto.
Seven buildings in the parish are listed, and part of the village is a conservation area. If you live in one of the older properties, tell Graham at the visit, and we'll protect any original surfaces you want kept. Our wallpapering page has more on heritage papers.
Hardwick at a glance
- 11 milesby road from our Landbeach base, about 15 minutesOSRM routing
- 2%of properties were built before 1919VOA Council Tax stock
- 5%date from 1919 to 1939VOA Council Tax stock
- 1,083householdsCensus 2021
- 7listed buildingsHistoric England
- 77%of homes are owner-occupiedCensus 2021
How we approach wallpapering
We strip old paper, wash off the paste and fill any dents or fixing holes, then size the wall where the paper maker asks for it. In 1970s and 80s rooms the walls are usually sound enough to paper directly. Older plaster gets lining paper first, and every pattern is set out from the centre of the main wall. The full method, products and FAQs are on our wallpapering page.