Domino pattern wallpapers

Before the achievement of more mechanical processes, wallpapers were made by hand with wooden boards. These were small pieces, intended to cover books, shelves or the interiors of chests and boxes. They could also be installed in the servants' rooms of bourgeois houses. The expertise of Le Grand Siècle has made it possible to digitize these exceptional models of domino wallpaper to offer you a collection of rare and delicate products.

The choice of the domino pattern for your interior atmosphere

Few people know it, but domino wallpaper is the ancestor of wallpaper as we know it today. Printed using two engraved wooden boards, in red, black or blue, the pattern was then colored with a brush or stencil. These sheets of paper, made by a domino maker, were used to illustrate book covers, to line the interiors of boxes, chests or trunks, cupboards, drawers or even screens. Domino papers can be identified by their signature. Positioned at the bottom of the sheet, it generally indicated the name of the manufacturer, its city as well as the number of the board. Over the course of technological developments, this practice, very popular in the 18th century, gradually gave way to wallpaper still produced today.

Le Grand Siècle has chosen several domino wallpaper patterns, witnesses of an emblematic era of French decorative arts. We offer, for example, the Terracotta Ribbon model, originally designed by the “À Paris chez les Associés” workshop. This design features pink flowers with burgundy leaves, along green lines, all on a light, slightly dotted background. These were initially made using a wooden board and the colors applied with a stencil. On domino papers, the mention "A Paris chez les Associé(s) » followed by a number is frequent. But the identity of the manufacturer remains a mystery.

We have also chosen, for our collection, a predominantly blue and green model. This represents Blue Carnations matched with their foliage, all on a white background, also with black dotted lines. Like all the patterns in our collection of domino wallpapers, this one required extensive digital restoration work, for a refined result of exceptional delicacy.

Le Grand Siècle, French heritage at home

Founded by an enthusiast of decorative arts, Le Grand Siècle aims to offer faithful reproductions of historic wallpapers. Our experts go looking for remarkable designs in museums, libraries, castles, writers' houses and all places likely to still have exceptional wallpaper. Once discovered, these are digitized from photos taken at 1/1 scale for better precision of the graphics of the original version. Following this step, we reconstruct the pattern, retouch it to obtain a more fluid and flawless visual, before printing it, to order, in our workshop.

The love of French heritage is an integral part of the DNA of the Grand Siècle. We want our wallpapers to reflect the golden age of French decorative arts and national know-how. The entire manufacturing process for our products takes place in France, from digital restorations to printing, with a long-standing partner who makes prints to order for our brand.