William Morris began designing wallpapers in the 1860s which were hand printed by Jeffrey & Co. in London using wood blocks and mineral based natural pigments. Along with other designers, most notably John Henry Dearle, Morris created stunningly beautiful wallpapers with complex rhythms and movement which seemed to capture the randomness and symmetry of nature.
These same designs are produced today by machine, using surface or ‘flexographic’ rollers and modern inks at our factory in Loughborough, England, giving the appearance of the block-printed originals. Enduring favourites are sometimes given a contemporary twist by the Morris & Co. studio, and lesser known wallpapers may receive a new lease of life, creating classics for the future. Other designs, previously only found on textiles, have been translated into wallpaper, sometimes printed on Gravure machines to replicate the fine tonal textures and ‘watercolour’ effects found in Morris’s fabrics.
