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1875 - FOUNDED IN LONDON - In a vibrant centre of over 190 block printing companies active during the 18th and 19th centuries, the son of a Cambridgeshire merchant began to make a name for himself.

1883 - THE PAINTED PAPER FACTORY OPENS IN OFFORD ROAD, ISLINGTON, LONDON - The founder of Cole & Son, with a discerning taste and innovative foresight, begins to harness the power of the industry to complement the traditional methods of printing with wooden blocks prevalent at the time.

1900 - HAND FLOWNED PAINTED PAPER REVIVES - This was a process that imitated the cut velvet that originated in Holland in the late 17th century. It provided a cheaper version of the wall tapestries in vogue among the aristocracy.

1910 - A RANGE OF TECHNICS INCLUDING BREAD COATING is DEVELOPED, USED TO CREATE tactile, deep and rich rays and strié prints - Perhaps the most notable contribution of the founder of Cole & Son to the wallpaper industry was the creation of a process to imitate silk.

Using a solution of ground mica, he was able to develop a silk-like gloss effect on the paper that is still used today.

1941 - A.P. COLE, OWNER OF COLE & SON (WALLPAPERS) LTD, BUYS THE COMPANY - This includes some 2000 wooden wallpaper printing blocks purchased from neighbouring companies when they closed over the previous 60 years.

The company now exhibits the best quality in wallpaper making in the showrooms of the aristocratic Mortimer Street in central London.

1948 - ALWAYS Embracing INNOVATION - Cole & Son creates one of the first screen printing studios in Europe.

1950-1960 - COLE & SON GO TO MARKET WITH SOME OF THE most iconic colored paper prints of the contemporary design movement - These include the perennially popular contemporary classics Woods and Palm Leaves.

1961 - COLE & SON IS GRANTED ROYAL CERTIFICATION AS SUPPLIER OF WALLPAPER TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II

2005 - Winner of the ELLE DECORATION INTERNATIONAL DESIGN AWARD - Woods wins the EDIDA Wallcovering of the Year award for his iconic design and classic monochrome color palette.

2007 - FIRST COLLABORATION OF COLE & SON WITH FORNASETTI - Cole & Son begin their long relationship with the Italian workshop Fornasetti, creating exceptional wallpapers from the vast Objet d'art archive of the Milanese master.

2009 - COLE & SON x VIVIENNE WESTWOOD - “It's good when my ideas are transferred to other artistic media. This collection is a perfect opportunity to be able to work with a traditional company like Cole & Son and see my fashion ideas translated into the world of interiors and wallpaper”.

This is Vivienne Westwood, 2009.

2012 - COLE & SON x GUCCI - Cole & Son created the Flora wallpaper tailored for Gucci using one of the Maison's silk handkerchiefs for the repetition of the hand screen printing.

2013 - ROYAL HOUSEHOLDS & BEYOND: COLE & SON COLLABORATE WITH HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES - The Design House launches its first collection in collaboration with the charity Historic Royal Palaces, guardians of some of the UK's most famous royal residences including Kensington Palace, Hampton Court and the Tower of London.

2017 - Ardmore Ceramics Translated into Captivating Wall Coverings - Recognized as modern collectibles by auction houses Christies, Bonham's and Sotheby's, Ardmore ceramics represent the enchanting flora and fauna of the Kwazulu Natal area in South Africa. Translated into vibrant wall coverings by Design House of Cole & Son, the 2017 Ardmore collection was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between the two workshops.

2019 - COLE & SON launches its FIRST TEXTURE COLLECTION, THE CONTEMPORARY COLLECTION - TEXTURE: a selection of some of the most beloved designs from the design house in a range of luxury textiles.

2020 - ELLE DECO Wall Coverings Collection of the Year: The PEARWOOD Collection - The reimagined gems from the Cole & Son archive win the ELLE Deco UK British design award for wall coverings collection of the year.

2022-2023 - THE DESIGN HOUSE Moves HOME - In 2022, the year of Queen Elizabeth II's platinum jubilee, Cole & Son are moving to a new home in the heart of Chelsea, Jubilee Place. The ground floor will be Design House's first flagship and will open in summer 2023.

COLLECTIONS

Albemarle - Archive Anthology - Traditional Archive - Ardmore - Jabula - Ardmore Collection - Botanical - Curio - Folie - Selection Fornasetti - Fornasetti Senza Tempo II - Foundation - Geometric II - Royal Historical - Palaces - Grand Masters - Icons - Landscape Plain - Mariinsky - Damascus - Marquee Stripes - Martyn Lawrence Bullard - Ready to Style - Sevilla - Stella McCartney x Cole & Son - The Contemporary Collection - Fabrics - The Contemporary Selection - The Gardens - The Gardens - Fabrics - The Pearwood Collection - Whimsical

STYLES

Animals - Borders - Conversational - Damascus - Floral - Leaf - Geometric - Paisley - Panels - Smooth and textured - Stripes - Tiles - Tolie de Jouy - Traditional - Trellis - Wood