We stock wallpaper and fabric from some of the best-known design houses, and one of the questions we hear most is how they actually differ. This guide gives you a quick sense of each brand's personality, so you can narrow the choice before you start ordering samples.
The heritage houses
Morris & Co
Founded by William Morris, Morris & Co is the name most closely tied to the Arts and Crafts movement. Expect intricate, nature-inspired patterns of leaves, flowers and birds. Classic designs include Strawberry Thief and Willow Boughs, and the company's designers carried the style forward: Blackthorn Wallpaper was designed by J.H. Dearle in 1892 and is reproduced in colours matching the original wallpaper samples. Choose Morris & Co if you love traditional British pattern with a strong sense of history.
Sanderson
Established in 1860, Sanderson is quintessential British style, blending traditional designs with a contemporary touch. Its range runs from florals to geometrics, which makes it one of the most versatile houses to start with. It also works with Disney: the Bambi Wallpaper from the Disney Home x Sanderson collection sets Bambi among archive Sanderson florals and is a charming choice for a nursery or child's bedroom.
Cole & Son
With a long heritage, Cole & Son wallpapers are known for their artistic quality. The portfolio mixes historical reproductions with contemporary collaborations, so you'll find everything from intricate traditional papers to bold, modern statements. A good pick if you want wallpaper to be the main event.
GP&J Baker
GP&J Baker has been producing prints and weaves since 1884 and is especially known for rich, colourful florals. Little Magnolia Fabric shows the approach well: it is a smaller-scale version of Magnolia, a GP&J Baker Original painted by William Turner in 1913 from an early 18th century brocade, with magnolias, chrysanthemum, hydrangea blossom and butterflies. Another familiar design is Hydrangea Bird.
Luxury and texture
Mulberry Home
Mulberry Home draws on British heritage and the natural world, with a collection that includes rich velvets, silks and prints. It's the house to look at for layered, opulent rooms where texture matters as much as pattern.
Zoffany
Zoffany designs are often inspired by historical documents and artworks, with rich textures, bold colours and intricate patterns. Think grand, considered schemes such as a formal dining room or a dramatic hallway.
The bold storytellers
Mind The Gap
Mind The Gap is eclectic and artistic, drawing inspiration from many cultures and historical periods. Its prints are big and full of detail. Gardens Of Jaipur Wallpaper is a good example: a sprawling Rajasthan garden scene with leopards, deer, peacocks and cows among trees and flowers. Choose it when you want a room that feels like a story.
How to choose between them
- Start with the mood. Traditional and nature-led points to Morris & Co or Sanderson; artistic and dramatic to Cole & Son or Mind The Gap; opulent and textured to Mulberry Home or Zoffany; colourful florals to GP&J Baker.
- Think about scale. Large, busy designs suit feature walls and bigger rooms; smaller prints such as Little Magnolia are easier to live with across a whole room or on cushions and blinds.
- Pair paper with fabric. Many houses offer both, so you can repeat a pattern on curtains or pick out one colour from the wallpaper in an upholstery fabric.
- Consider who uses the room. A child's room can carry a playful design like Bambi, while a living room may suit something you'll love for years.
- Always order samples. Colours change with daylight, so look at a sample on the wall at different times of day before you commit.
Get help choosing
You can browse our full ranges online, starting with Morris & Co wallpapers. If you're still deciding between houses, visit the shop in Somerset or contact our team and we'll happily help you compare designs side by side.
