North & South
Drawing Rooms
The Drawing Room (or in this case, rooms) was one of the most important rooms in the Victorian house, there for beauty rather than functionality. It was considered the women’s domain, while the dining room was considered the men’s domain and used for social gatherings to display wealth, status, and grandeur.
The wallpaper story
During the restoration of Newstead House in 2021, layers of wallpaper were uncovered from beneath the picture rail in several rooms. The conservation assessment of the wallpaper dated it to the 1870s – 1880s, indicating it may have been selected by Jane Harris.
The Harris-era wallpaper appears to be block printed with a repeating leaf pattern outlined in dark red and green with an overlay of gold pigment. The width of the wallpaper roll and handmade production indicate that it may have been sourced from a country in Asia. After the Harris period, the wallpaper was subsequently painted over.
The wallpaper you see in these rooms today was handcrafted to accurately reflect the wallpaper of the Harris period. Can you spot the square of original wallpaper in the drawing rooms?
What was in this room?
Scroll through the 1890 auction catalogue below to find out what was in this room.
Explore
3 Adjacent Rooms
Click on a room to find out more
