Wallpaper History: Around 4000 B.C., the earliest known form of paper was introduced: Egyptian papyrus.
Wallpaper actually began in ancient China, first because the Chinese invented paper, and secondly because they glued rice paper onto their walls as early as 200 B.C.
Chinese invented paper
In 105 A.D., the Chinese court official Ts’ai Lun, invented papermaking from textile waste, i.e. from rags.
Hence, this was the birth of paper as we know it today.
Some time in the 8th century, several Chinese prisoners with papermaking skills worked under Arabs, who in turn, spread the knowledge of papermaking throughout the Middle East.
By the 10th century, Arabians were substituting linen fibers for wood and bamboo, creating a finer sheet of paper. Paper now reached a much higher quality level.
Paper spread across Europe
During 12th century, papermaking had spread throughout Europe.
The earliest European pictorial block prints were religious souvenirs known today as “helgen”.
The oldest known, a representation of the Virgin, is dated 1418.
It is now in the Royal Library at Brussels.
In addition, this type of printing method may have also been used by the Chinese as early as the 5th century.
Jean Bourdichon painted 50 rolls of paper with angels on a blue background for Louis XI of France in 1481.
Portable wallpaper
King Louis ordered the portable wallpaper because he found it necessary to move frequently from castle to castle.
Other well-heeled Europeans commissioned artists to paint paper for their walls.
But, real wallpaper can hardly be said to have existed till the advent of the printing press.
Modernism frowned on embellishments, so wallpaper fell into disfavor during much of this century.
However, as the 20th century ebbs and the bane of cookie-cutter homes and sterile work environments is upon us, some have rediscovered the romance and beauty of patterned walls.
Recent advances in digital, photo, and printing technologies have allowed modern printing facilities to replicate historic papers and other digital media on a variety of substrates.
Of course, one should no longer talk about wallpaper.
New era of wallpaper
Now it’s wallcoverings, for technology has stepped in and created products that incorporate miracle compounds that make them washable, long lasting, pre-pasted, and yet so true to the best of history’s worldly arts.
So, companies can reproduce any style of any period.
And unlike the costly fresco paintings, tapestries and hand-painted papers of the past, today’s wallcoverings are very affordable.
Today, you get all of your needs in wallcovering at Wallpaper & Carpets Distributors (WCD).
Wallpaper Maestro
It is located at Lot 1509, Batu 8, Jalan Klang Lama, Taman Desaria, 46000 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
WCD is currently Malaysia’s No. 1 Wallpaper & Carpet Distributor for Korean, European, Luxury and Asian Wallpapers.
In addition, WCD offers over 10,000 designs across 450 collections of Wallcoverings.
The Wallcoverings vary from Paper Baked, Fabric Backed and Non Woven Backing which are suitable for offices, condominiums, apartments, hospitals, homes, banks, hotels and resorts.
WCD offers a vast range or Fabrics used for curtains and upholstery.
With over 50 collections, WCD also sells Sheers, Laces, Blackout Fabrics as well as Dim Out Fabrics that is suitable for homes, hospital and offices. Along with this, WCD sells Curtain Accessories like Tussels, Fringes, Metal Rods and others.
WCD, established in 1995, has since gained a reputation as one of Malaysia’s leading distributor of top brands of Wallcoverings.
It currently supplies to thousands of dealers all over Malaysia (inclusive of Sabah & Sarawak), Brunei, Vietnam, Mauritius and Singapore.
In addition, WCD also offers flooring materials such as Vinyl Sheets, Vinyl Planks, Vinyl Tiles, Carpet Tiles and many more.
With over 8 different Product Lines, over 15,000 designs, 500+ collections, WCD’s mission is to become the Number One Solution to Walls, Windows & Floors.