Florence Maud Broadhurst (1899-1977) was one amazing woman. 
Born in rural Australia, Florence became a vaudeville performer, a women's academy owner in Shanghai, an artist, patron of the arts and an internationally renowned designer of wallpaper. In 1977, Florence was murdered in her home. The crime was never solved and no motive was discovered.
Florence Broadhurst's wallpaper is probably her greatest legacy. By the early 1970's, her company had produced well over 800 designs of various finishes and colors. Some of the patterns, which were acquired by Signature Prints, are still in use today - in wallpaper as well as high fashion and home goods. Her colors are lively, invigorating and interesting. They seem as new today as they were half a century ago. 
Signature Prints has a very nice bio of Florence and a wonderful collection of her prints. You can find them here. 
Many of the prints (such as the flowing horses on the right) come in a variety of colors so you can match them to your general theme.
This egrets print is one of my favorites. I love the gorgeous colors. Don't you just want to run your fingers over it? Or look at this glossy chalk blue: 
You could put that in practically any room in your house. I'd love it for a nursery, or a sun-filled dinning nook. How delicate.
Last year, Helen O'Neill published Florence Broadhurst: Her Secret and Extraordinary Lives. The book features over 100 of Broadhurst's prints and has gotten great reviews.... It's been added to the top of my Amazon wish list!
