Lizzie Allen Wallpapers

October's British House and Garden takes us through the process of labor-intensive, hand printed wallpaper with designer Lizzie Allen. Only 26 years old, Allen used a grant given by the British Arts and Crafts Council to set up her own business, shortly after apprenticeships with Osborne & Little and Paul Smith.

Pictured above is one of her complex and charming designs, City Gents, depicting classic scenes in London and reminiscent of illustrators like Miroslav Sasek. A single 300 x 56 cm sheet takes three hours to produce and includes hand-ripped paper for texture. Since prints are fit specifically to the space, there is no leftover paper waste.


Because her initial offerings have been such a success, Allen is expanding her catalog to include other picturesque cities. Above is her latest design, "Jazz in Central Park". For more information and designs, Lizzie Allen's website. (Photos from British House and Garden by John Carey)

Miroslav Sasek's Map of the World

If Holly Golightly and Paul Varjak had children, they would probably read them these super cool European books, written and illustrated by Miroslav Sasek.

Produced between 1959 and 1974, the books read like a travel guide for children, highlighting the world's most famous places. There were originally eighteen books in the "This Is" series, ten of which have been reissued over the past few years. For a complete list of works and more of these fabulous illustrations visit M. Slavek's official website.

Update: Set for release in January 2008 and available for pre-order is: This is Britain