Celebrating International Wallpaper Week: 80 Years of Wallpaper

Part of what we’re celebrating this week is something quietly remarkable: the way a wallpaper can change how a room feels. A beautiful design does far more than decorate ~ it sets the mood of a space, and that’s much of the joy of wallpaper.

Color leads the way. Warm shades ~ terracotta, ochre, soft reds ~ bring energy and a cocooning warmth, well suited to a sociable living room or dining room. Cooler tones, from blues to greens and soft sage, tend to feel calming and restful, which makes them a natural choice for a bedroom or a quiet corner. Deeper, richer shades wrap a room in a sense of drama and intimacy, while soft neutrals create a calm, grounding backdrop that lets everything else breathe.

Design plays its part, too. A botanical or floral design brings a little of the outdoors in, for a room that feels fresh and restorative. Stripes add rhythm, and can make a wall feel taller or a space more expansive. A bold geometric brings order and a contemporary energy, while a classic damask lends a sense of heritage and quiet grandeur. And texture ~ a woven grasscloth, a softly marbled finish ~ adds a warmth and depth you can almost feel.

"Wallpaper is where our story began. Graham & Brown was founded in 1946 in Blackburn, Lancashire, by my great-grandfather Harold Graham and his best friend; Henry Brown, with a shared passion and ambition. Eighty years and four generations later, we’re still a family business with creativity and innovation at the heart of what we do.

Every design still begins by hand in our Blackburn design studio, drawn and painted by our team of artists before it’s carefully brought to print. We draw on an archive of more than 50,000 original designs, built up over eight decades, and we bring the same care to every roll we make today. It’s a story of craft, refined over generations ~ and a story we’re still writing today."

IONA GRAHAM

Wallpaper has always been about more than design. It’s really about home ~ about the people who make it, and the people who enjoy it. We’ve built a very special community over the years, from the skilled makers in our studio and factory to the customers who welcome our designs into their homes and share them with us.

Creating the Graham & Brown community is at the heart of what we do. International Wallpaper Week is a lovely reminder of that connection ~ a chance to celebrate the wallpaper and everyone who plays a part in its story.