Heidi Wright Mead, C.P. is a wallpaper hanger, certified by the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers, and has won national awards for her work. The most recent for re-purposing an antique DeGournay Mural. She loves her craft and enjoys being part of the team with designers, architects, builders, artists and homeowners to create beautiful spaces. She calls herself a paperhanger but admits that title is limited in today’s world of papers, textiles, fibers, shells, magnets, and fabrics.
What do paperhangers do? How do they take your design vision and get it on the wall? Heidi is proficient in the art, and craft, of being a paperhanger. Let her help you understand what makes a beautiful installation. How the team of hanger and client can collaborate successfully. She understands realistic expectations for some of today’s tricky products, as well as creative possibilities that lie within the world of wallcovering.
Heidi installing Bradbury and Bradbury wallcovering at McHenry Mansion Museum in Modesto, California. Wayne Mathes was the Museum Curator and Designer. During a recent renovation of the museum, we installed wallcovering in the Halls and Staircases, the Front and Back Parlors, Guest Room, Mr. McHenry’s Bath and Bedroom, and the Child’s Room.
Bradbury and Bradbury wallcovering installed in the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco for the Cult of Beauty Exhibit. Lynn Orr was the Curator and Designer. This was such a wonderful job. We installed the wallcoverings which served as the backdrop for this exhibit. The Age of Aesthetics was a significant period in the history of wallcovering. It was a time when the burgeoning middle class began to use wallcoverings in their homes.
Removal and re-purpose of an antique DeGournay Mural. We removed the mural from the patriarch’s home and reinstalled it in the dining room of a family member. The mural was over 80 years old and in need of repair. Separating seams were repaired. The original 22 foot mural was cut to fit into 5 panels in the new space designed by Kathleen Navarra. The panels were balanced paying special attention to the characters. This job was awarded a first prize in the Specialty Category in the Winning Walls competition of the National Guild of Professional Paperhangers, 2012.
The Turkish Parlor in the McDonald Mansion, Santa Rosa, California, designed by Paul Duscherer. The dome ceiling of the Turkish Parlor is resplendent with custom printed Bradbury and Bradbury wallcovering from the Turkish Roomset. This complex ceiling has over 1300 pieces of paper from the mirrors to the dome top. Pattern balance is important with Bradbury and each triangle is installed identically. Photo: Mark Citret
The Map Room in the McDonald Mansion, Santa Rosa, California, designed by Paul Duscherer. The Map Room was a special challenge with its double barreled ceilings and circular elements. To bend the one inch border around the circular windows and arches, cuts were made every inch and 7/8 of the way thru the border width to allow the border to be bent. Larger borders were deconstructed and cut in a similar fashion to allow bending. Attention was paid to the pattern placement in each area, so that panel is balanced to itself and its neighboring panels. Deconstruction of the material allowed the paper to lie flat on uneven curved surfaces. This, along with the attention to balance of pattern through out the job earned us high praise from Paul. He said “You can cover the inside of a basketball” Photo: Mark Citret.
Here is the Pavonia Room designed by Geoffrey DeSousa for the 2012 San Francisco Decorators Showcase. This was a wonderful space inspired by Geoff’s visit to the Cult of Beauty Exhibit at the Legion of Honor Museum. He used Timorous Beasties “Thistle” wallcovering. Elements were trimmed away from the background to give the effect of plants continuing to grow upwards onto the ceiling.
I installed this hand painted silk by B Mori in a home office designed by Kathleen Navarra. The walls were cross lined with acid free liner. This panel arrived with a blemish near the trunk of the tree. The tape marks show where I made the repair and removed the blemish by cutting in a new piece of wallcovering using this yellow flower that was left over. Challenging repair work is one of my favorite things.
