I encourage you to take a moment to share photos or memories of wallpaper that once claimed precious wall real estate in your homes. It’s such a fun topic—and almost everyone seems to have a story to tell.
Wallpaper actually began as a luxury, created in medieval times as a substitute for costly wall tapestries. By the 18th and 19th centuries, printing advances made wallpaper more affordable and accessible across social classes. It reached peak popularity during the Victorian era—though unfortunately, this was also when many wallpapers contained arsenic. Yikes. Because people didn’t yet understand the dangers, the resulting illnesses were often blamed on “bad air.”
I’ve been using Google search within my Google Photos albums to track down pieces of our own family wallpaper history, and it’s been a surprisingly delightful trip down memory lane. I hope you’ll share photos too! Tell me about the wallpaper you loved… or the patterns you couldn’t wait to see disappear.
Linda Claire, Kathryn, Edward Klotz “Bones”, Madalyn Klotz and Mary Ann in March 1960 at the Klotz home on North Main Street, Ann Arbor, MI.I colorized this photo and enhanced it, but in my memory it should have more gold tones. What a lovely and elegant 60’s style entry way to 2629 Danbury Lane, Ann Arbor, MI The pocket door on the left side was the doorway to the kitchen. The dining room at 2629 Danbury Lane, Ann Arbor, MI – photo from the mid 1960’s.This photo shows the wallpaper in the dining room at 2629 Danbury Lane, Ann Arbor, MI. My Heritage dates this photo with 86% accuracy as 1977. Pictured are: Robert Hess, Tim Whitmer, Madalyn Klotz and ? (this does not look like Aunt Babe to me???)This photo is estimated as 1975. The Dining Room of 2629 Danbury Lane, Ann Arbor. The door wall leads out to the enclosed back porch.I am dating this wonderful photo of Dad at about 1990. He is seated in his study at 2629 Danbury Lane, Ann Arbor, MI . I adored this wallpaper and the study. This was also the location for our piano.
When Mike was in college at the University of Michigan, he rented an apartment near the Law Quad on Oakland Avenue. Honestly, I don’t think anyone could ever top the creative use of wallpaper in that place. It was boldly expressive and always sparked conversation.
I’m still a little distraught that I can’t find the photo I took of theliving room ceiling—it was covered with a huge quilted star that was absolutely unforgettable. The image below is from the entryway of that apartment, but the ceiling is the one I wish I could show you!
The front hall to Mike’s apartment on Oakland Ave., Ann Arbor. This wallpaper design was carried through into the living room and was really quite remarkable.
The wallpaper story that immediately comes to mind for me is Mike and I trying to remove a Winnie-the-Pooh wall border in the house at 2725 Yost Blvd. It must have been super-glued to the wall. We were so determined to get the job finished before our exchange student arrived that we worked ourselves into total exhaustion. Somewhere along the way, fatigue turned into slap-happy delirium, and the whole miserable task became oddly hilarious in retrospect.
My nephew’s kitten, Mr. Whiskers, managed to break a one-of-a-kind banana lamp. While I can’t quite remember what the lamp looked like, I’ve tried to picture it in my mind. One thing I can say for certain is that as a shopper, I’ve never come across a banana lamp in any store. Of course, I felt sad that my nephew’s unique lamp was broken. But, as my sister recounted the tale of the broken banana lamp, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy —I longed for a lamp that was equally fun and unique. The image of that quirky banana lamp lingered in my mind. This past weekend, while browsing a garage sale, I stumbled upon a lamp shaped like a coconut tree. It was both peculiar and delightful. While I had never seen a banana lamp in stores, I also hadn’t encountered a coconut tree lamp before. When I inquired about the price, the owner estimated $5.00. At that moment, I knew this charming lamp was destined to adorn the dresser in my bedroom. The owner then shared the story behind the lamp. It had been a gift from her parents—something she had appreciated but wasn’t particularly attached to. She felt a bit of guilt parting with it and hoped it would find a home where it would be truly cherished. When I told her it was love at first sight for me, her face lit up with a radiant smile. She thanked me warmly, declaring that I was the perfect person for the coconut lamp.
I’m part of a Facebook group dedicated to sharing photos of unique thrift store finds. I posted a picture of the coconut lamp, and almost immediately, members began to chime in, confirming that it was indeed a rare treasure of sorts. One person even sent me a link to a website: Kina Ree. To my surprise, the site identified my lamp as an Indonesian piece with a lovely description—and noted that it’s currently out of stock and unavailable for purchase.
Here is my new-to-me coconut lamp on my dresser. I purchased it on 3 Aug 2024 at a garage sale in Ann Arbor, MI
Not long ago, I read a book on Hygge, the Danish art of cultivating comfort and coziness in our homes. The book highlighted the importance of creating an inviting atmosphere through various light sources, with a particular focus on candlelight. Inspired by this, I expanded the concept to include other creative lighting options that add a personal touch to our living spaces. Ultimately, I realized that Hygge is not just about the light itself but about setting a mood of warmth and contentment. And…who wouldn’t feel content with the soft glow of a banana lamp or a coconut tree lamp?
I began to wonder if the lamps in our lives each have a story to tell. Pause for a moment and think about the lamps you’ve chosen and those from your past that you especially admired. In this blog, I’ve included a few photos from my collection of scanned family images, each featuring a lamp that holds a special place in our hearts. I hope you enjoy these glimpses into our illuminated memories…
There are not many photos that feature lamps in our family photo collection. I suppose that is because the pictures were taken to capture the people and the moment and the lamps were just a part of the background so would not have been noticed. Also, because photography was usually done during the best light situations, we simply do not have many photos of lamps being used.
I hope this blog has been illuminating…(couldn’t help myself…ha, ha, ha.)
Kathryn c1960 in the living room of 1517 Harbrooke, AA, MI. Mom loved to dress us with a nautical theme…I like the anchor on the collar of Kathryn’s dress. And is that a hairbrush in her hand? Kathryn is perfectly posed in this photo c1965 at 2629 Danbury Lane, AA. Look at this dress! Wow!We shared so much time as a family around the kitchen table at 2629 Danbury Lane. I selected this photo because it shows the table light fixture. Mary Ann is hard at work dishing up ice cream for Kathryn’s cake. I was possibly, maybe, certainly a little jealous of this doll cake. LOL. Check out the telephone on the corner of the kitchen counter!Mary Ann is in the living room of 2629 Danbury Lane, AA in her band uniform. The lamp on the table was with the family for a long time. Look through the window to see the spinning clothes line used for drying clothing outside. Photo c1968.Our family used Hawthorne trees at Christmas. My father would spray paint them white. My mother had to work hard to find white lights with white cords. The visual of these trees was amazing. Photo c1970I love this photo of our front door entry at 2629 Danbury Lane, AA. The overhead light resembles candles and the light on the dresser was in our family for years. Photo c1975This is a photo of my desk in my bedroom at 2629 Danbury Lane. I obviously loved Winnie the Pooh. The desk light was a rather new novelty at that time called a tensor lamp. Photo c1976Here is the iconic lamp of the Groshans. Jack and I got this as newlyweds and the lamp stayed in the family and moved to different homes over the decades. It even got as far as Seattle! This photo was taken at our duplex on Bemidji, AA. Photo c1979.I couldn’t find a photo of the darling lamp that my father made with an old iron train engine toy. The lamp pictured here was in the family for many, many years. Photo c1987.My mother’s dresser at 2629 Danbury Lane held this sweet mirror. Photo c1989.This is a photo of my father in his beautiful study. The lamp stayed in the family for decades. This is c1990.This c1992 photo is of Bones and my father sitting at my sister’s home. I love the light fixture that they used over the kitchen table. The gas light in the back yard of 2629 Danbury Lane c1998.The gas light in the front entry of 2629 Danbury Lane. I am not sure of the year for this photo. I am estimating 1990.
telling life stories 