Farrow & Ball wallpaper

Farrow & Ball wallpaper is printed with paint rather than printing ink, at the factory in Wimborne, Dorset. That one choice explains the velvety matte surface, the depth of color and the texture you can feel. On the smooth painted drywall of an American room, that difference shows.

Paint on paper: how Farrow & Ball wallpaper reads on drywall

A US interior wall is usually flat drywall in latex paint, and whatever you hang is judged against it. Ink on paper sits on a wall like a picture. Paint on paper becomes the wall, and that is what these papers trade on. In Dorset that work is done open-trough and flatbed, techniques a printer needs months to master.

European roll sizes and what one roll covers

European brands sell by the roll, not by the single or double roll your local supplier quotes. One roll runs 32.8 ft by 20.9 in (10 m by 53 cm), close to a US double roll in coverage. Buy for the whole room at once, since hand-printed lengths vary slightly between rolls. And measure your real ceiling: a 10 ft (3.05 m) wall or a stairwell eats length far faster than the 8 ft (2.44 m) wall a rule of thumb assumes. Our wallpaper sold by the roll is quoted the same European way.

Rooms in a US home that suit the collection

A powder room is the easiest first move: two or three rolls, and a bold pattern in a room you pass through. An entryway takes a stripe such as Drag well, giving a narrow run of wall some rhythm. In open-plan living, one papered wall behind the dining table marks off a zone. Deeper colorways belong in a dining room or library, where the matte surface absorbs lamplight.

Farrow & Ball patterns to sample first

The range runs from quiet botanical sprigs to outspoken graphic work, always keyed to the brand's own color card. Polka Sprig scatters a light dotted floral. Ivy is a graceful climbing pattern. Barace is crisp and rhythmic, with a clear British signature. The Purnon Papers is the most recent collection, playful and graphic. Still choosing? Compare our botanical wallpaper and striped wallpaper selections, or see how Little Greene and Cole & Son handle the same British vocabulary.

Hanging the paper and ordering from Europe

Hand printing means the repeat wants care at every seam, so set the drops out first. Small differences between rolls are normal. Every roll carries a fine wipeable sheen that stands up to light marks, so a soft cloth, barely damp, is enough. Selected Wallpapers is an official dealer with the full range. Order samples first and check them at breakfast and again under lamplight. US orders arrive with import duties and fees already settled, nothing extra on delivery.