Plain colored, unprinted papers were fashionable from about 1760-1820, often hung with elaborate festoon or other borders. These papers have been discovered in historic houses ranging from simple to grand on both sides of the Atlantic. We know of installations in the fairly humble Pendleton House in North Carolina, as well as the imposing Osterley Park in England (designed by Robert Adam). Other examples include Salso Slot in Denmark, The Governor's Palace in Williamsburg, Gunston Hall and Kenmore in Virginia, and many others.

Blue and green were the most popular colors for plain papers during this period. (Correspondence indicates that George Washington purchased green plain paper for Mount Vernon, and that Thomas Jefferson purchased blue paper for Monticello.) Adelphi Paper Hangings offers the following traditional colors: Royal Blue Verditer, Common Blue Verditer (Sander's Blue), Sky Blue (Prussian Blue), Green Verditer, Scheele's Green, Pink, Dawn, Peach, Ochre, Buff, French Grey and Grey. But, like our 18th century predecessors we can also provide “plain paper of any colour that may be desired.”