Cole & Son

Wallpaper Made in England Since 1875 Archive Prints

Cole & Son is the British wallpaper house behind some of the most recognizable prints in the world. Founded in London in 1875, it holds an archive of around 1,800 block-print designs and screens, has supplied wallpapers for royal residences and historic interiors, and still produces both traditional hand-blocked papers and modern surface prints. Its signature designs — Hummingbirds, Woods, Cow Parsley, Palm Jungle, Hicks' Hexagon — and its long-running collaboration with Fornasetti, including the Nuvolette clouds, are the feature walls that define countless interiors. For a project that wants a wall with real provenance, Cole & Son is the heritage name. Via della Seta sources Cole & Son for residential and hospitality projects across the United States — handling specification, freight, customs and delivery, and coordinating with your designer and installer under one contract.

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Why specify Cole & Son for an interior project

Cole & Son is the choice when a wall needs a print with history and confidence. These are designs drawn from a working archive of original blocks and screens — Hummingbirds dates from the 1920s, Palm Jungle and Cow Parsley are modern classics — so a feature wall carries genuine provenance rather than a generic motif. For a designer, a single Cole & Son wall sets the character of a whole room and is instantly recognizable to a knowledgeable client.

It is also a rare breadth of style from one heritage maker. The catalog spans delicate botanicals and archive birds, bold tropical and geometric prints, period damasks and the witty Fornasetti collaboration — so the same house can paper a classical drawing room, a moody dining room and a playful powder room. Both hand-blocked traditional papers and durable modern prints are available, which suits everything from a heritage residence to a hospitality interior.

Via della Seta sources Cole & Son. We work from the spec — designs, colorways and roll counts, with pattern repeats matched to the walls — manage freight and US customs clearance, and consolidate the order with the rest of the specification (other finishes, furniture, lighting) under one contract and one timeline.

Best Cole & Son collections by use case

Archive botanicals

Hummingbirds, Cow Parsley

The signature nature prints — Hummingbirds from the 1920s archive and the modern Cow Parsley — delicate, recognizable feature walls.

Tropical & bold

Palm Jungle, Palm Leaves

The lush statement prints, led by Palm Jungle — dense foliage designs that turn a wall into a dramatic focal point.

Fornasetti

Nuvolette, Acquario, Frutto

The collaboration with Fornasetti — surreal, witty designs such as the Nuvolette clouds and the Acquario fish, drawn from the Italian artist's world.

Geometric & period

Hicks' Hexagon, damasks

Geometric classics like David Hicks' Hexagon and the period damasks and stripes — structured patterns for a more architectural scheme.

Collections

Hummingbirds

One of Cole & Son's most loved archive prints — coral and green hummingbirds darting among trailing flowers and foliage, here on a deep indigo ground. Drawn from the 1920s archive, it is a delicate, instantly recognizable feature wall that works in a study, bedroom or powder room.

Fornasetti Nuvolette

From the Fornasetti collaboration — the Nuvolette design of soft, scudding clouds across a grey sky, wrapping a bedroom with an arched alcove and a metal bed. Surreal and calming at once, it is the artist's cloud motif turned into an enveloping wall.

Cow Parsley

A modern Cole & Son classic — fine, trailing cow-parsley stems and seed heads in ochre and gold against a dark ground, here above deep navy panelling in a moody dining room. Delicate botanical drawing used for quiet drama rather than bold color.

Hicks' Hexagon

David Hicks' geometric design — a small-scale interlocking hexagon in soft tones, here above navy panelling in a washroom with a double washstand and a striped floor. A structured, architectural print that gives a wall rhythm without a large repeat.

Specification & project planning

Lead time

Many designs in stock; hand-blocked papers and certain colorways are made to order, typically a few weeks, confirmed at quotation

Application

Supplied by the roll and hung by a paperhanger, with the pattern repeat matched across walls. We confirm roll counts from measured wall areas, allowing for repeat and wastage.

Pricing tier

Premium to luxury wallpaper — priced per roll by design and print method, with hand-blocked and special papers at the top of the range.

Trade pricing

Available to verified designers, architects and hospitality buyers. Send your wall measurements, designs and colorways for a project-specific quote.

Cole & Son vs Elitis, Arte, Orac Decor

	Cole & Son	Elitis	Arte	Orac Decor
Origin	England (London, 1875)	France (Bordeaux, 1988)	Belgium (1981)	Belgium (1968)
Specialty	Heritage & archive wallpaper	Sensory wallcoverings & fabric	Innovative wallcoverings	Decorative mouldings
Signature	Hummingbirds, Palm Jungle, Fornasetti	Raffia, leather, plaster effects	Grasscloth, Les Cuirs, panoramics	Cornices, ceiling roses, 3D panels
Material	Paper, hand-blocked & screen prints	Natural fiber, leather, mica	Grasscloth, leather, mica, paper	Lightweight high-density polymer
Best for	Signature feature walls	Tactile, layered interiors	Textured statement walls	Architectural detailing & trim

Care & maintenance

Printed papers

Most Cole & Son papers are dusted lightly or wiped very gently with a soft, barely damp cloth on more durable prints; hand-blocked and delicate papers should be kept dry and dusted only. Avoid abrasive cleaners and excessive moisture.

Light & environment

Keep papers out of strong, prolonged direct sun, which can fade any print over time, and maintain steady humidity to protect seams. Bathrooms and kitchens need adequate ventilation and the appropriate print type.

Repairs & spares

Order a little extra at the outset and keep a spare roll with its batch number; this allows a damaged drop to be replaced later with a matching print, since colors can vary slightly between print runs.

What is Cole & Son?

Cole & Son is a British wallpaper house, founded in London in 1875, holding an archive of around 1,800 block-print designs and screens. It has supplied wallpapers for royal residences and historic interiors and produces both traditional hand-blocked papers and modern prints, including signature designs such as Hummingbirds, Palm Jungle and Cow Parsley and the long-running Fornasetti collaboration.

Can I buy Cole & Son in the United States through Via della Seta?

Yes. Via della Seta sources Cole & Son for residential and hospitality projects across the United States — including luxury residences in California, Florida, New York and Texas, and hospitality interiors nationwide. We handle specification, the order, freight, US customs clearance and delivery, and coordinate with your designer and paperhanger.

What is the Fornasetti collaboration?

Cole & Son works with Fornasetti to produce wallpapers drawn from the Italian artist's surreal world — designs such as the Nuvolette clouds, the Acquario fish, flying machines and forbidden fruit. The collaboration brings Fornasetti's witty, dreamlike imagery to the wall at architectural scale, and is among the most distinctive ranges Cole & Son offers.

Are Cole & Son papers hand-blocked?

Some are. Cole & Son still produces traditional hand-blocked wallpapers using original print blocks, alongside surface and screen prints for its wider, more durable ranges. Hand-blocked papers are made to order and sit at the top of the range; we confirm the print method, lead time and care for each chosen design.

How much wallpaper will my project need?

It depends on the wall area and the design's pattern repeat. We calculate roll counts from measured walls, allowing for the repeat and for wastage, and recommend ordering a little extra from the same batch so a future repair matches. Send your wall dimensions and chosen designs and we will quote the exact quantity.

Is Cole & Son suitable for hospitality interiors?

Yes, with the right product. Cole & Son is used in hotels, restaurants and bars, and its modern surface-print ranges offer more durable, contract-appropriate options than the delicate hand-blocked papers. We help select designs and print types that meet a project's wear, cleaning and fire requirements while keeping the signature look.

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