Wallpaper has always been more than decoration. It is history written on walls: a medium that reflects the tastes, technologies, and aspirations of each era. From hand-painted Chinese panoramas to William Morris florals, from mid-century geometrics to today’s avant-garde designs, wallpaper has reinvented itself countless times. To trace its story is to understand how style itself has evolved — and why, in our own age, wallpaper has returned as one of the boldest statements in design.
From China to Europe: An Exotic Beginning
The origins of wallpaper lie in China, where artisans as early as the 3rd century B.C. decorated walls with hand-painted rice paper. By the 16th century, Europe began importing Chinese and Japanese papers, sparking a fascination with exoticism. The grandest homes of the 17th and 18th centuries — from English country houses to French châteaux — displayed Chinoiserie panoramas: sprawling landscapes with pagodas, birds, and gardens, painted entirely by hand.
The Age of Printing
By the 18th century, advances in block printing and later machine printing democratized wallpaper. What had once been a luxury reserved for aristocrats now entered middle-class homes. Designs ranged from neoclassical motifs to pastoral scenes, reflecting Enlightenment ideals of order and harmony.
In 19th-century Britain, figures like William Morris elevated wallpaper into an art form again. His dense botanical patterns, created under the Arts & Crafts movement, brought craftsmanship and poetry back to the industrial age.
Modernism and Decline
The 20th century brought wallpaper into dialogue with modernism. Art Deco embraced bold geometrics and metallic finishes, while the mid-century era produced playful patterns for suburban interiors. Yet by the 1970s and 1980s, wallpaper’s ubiquity led to its decline: it was seen as fussy, old-fashioned, even oppressive.
The Revival
In the 21st century, wallpaper has returned with astonishing vitality. Advances in digital printing have made it possible to create murals, photographic effects, and custom designs with extraordinary precision. More importantly, wallpaper has once again become a medium of art and expression. No longer just background, it defines a room’s atmosphere. Designers and homeowners alike now embrace it as a statement of identity and luxury.
Wallpaper Through Time: A Timeline
- 3rd century B.C. – Early wall decoration in China using hand-painted rice paper.
- 16th century – Imported Chinese and Japanese papers spark fascination in Europe.
- 18th century – Block-printed and machine-printed wallpapers democratize the medium.
- 19th century – William Morris and the Arts & Crafts movement elevate wallpaper into art.
- 1920s–30s – Art Deco geometrics and metallics define a new age of glamour.
- 1950s–70s – Mid-century motifs thrive, before overuse leads to decline.
- 2000s–today – Digital printing, artisan ateliers, and design houses lead a renaissance.
Today’s Masters: The Top Five Creative and High-End Wallpaper Brands
- de Gournay
Hand-painted in studios around the world, de Gournay’s wallpapers are contemporary heirlooms. Known for lush chinoiserie gardens, 18th-century landscapes, and custom commissions, each panel is a work of art.
http://www.degournay.com - Fornasetti (Cole & Son)
Whimsical, surreal, and deeply Italian, Fornasetti’s wallpapers — produced in collaboration with Cole & Son — bring the artist’s iconic motifs to interiors. Think architectural trompe-l’œil, celestial patterns, and endless variations of the face of opera singer Lina Cavalieri.
http://www.cole-and-son.com/fornasetti - Pierre Frey
The Parisian maison blends historic pattern archives with bold contemporary collaborations. Pierre Frey wallpapers range from classic French to graphic, modern works, often produced with contemporary artists.
http://www.pierrefrey.com - House of Hackney
Maximalist and gothic in spirit, House of Hackney reinvents Victorian tropes with wild botanicals, serpents, and saturated colors. Their wallpapers feel like immersive worlds, perfect for bold statement interiors.
http://www.houseofhackney.com - Phillip Jeffries
A leader in natural and textured wallcoverings, Phillip Jeffries specializes in grasscloth, silks, and metallic finishes. Their designs bring subtle sophistication and tactile luxury to contemporary interiors.
http://www.phillipjeffries.com
Top 5 Wallpapers Right Now — Designs to Buy
- Salon Vert | de Gournay
Inspired by an antique Chinoiserie paper once in Baroness Rothschild’s Paris apartment. Butterflies, dense foliage, and a muted palette make it timeless and romantic.
View design - Wild Grasses / Morning Glory / Wisteria | de Gournay, Japanese & Korean Collection
Serene, botanical panoramas: cranes, blossoms, and grasses painted with extraordinary delicacy. Perfect for contemplative spaces.
View collection - Golden Lily – Apple | House of Hackney
A reimagined Victorian floral in vibrant tones. Extravagant and lush, it’s ideal for dining rooms and salons seeking maximalist flourish.
View design - Golden Lily – Midnight | House of Hackney
The same motif, reborn in moody, dramatic tones. Perfect for bedrooms or studies that thrive on atmosphere and depth.
View design - Zeus Collection | House of Hackney
Chinoiserie-inspired wallpapers with birds among blossoms, bringing delicacy and boldness in equal measure. Elegant yet immersive.
View collection
Closing Reflection
Wallpaper has always moved between art and utility, between exclusivity and accessibility. Its current renaissance shows just how powerful it can be: walls are no longer passive surfaces, but active participants in design.
From the hand-painted panoramas of de Gournay to the witty surrealism of Fornasetti, wallpaper today is once again a medium of creativity and luxury. To choose it is to join a centuries-long conversation between craft, culture, and imagination — a reminder that history is never just written in books, but on walls.
My World of Interiors 