It is not by chance that the wallpaper patterns we chose date back from the late 18th and 19th centuries. From 1770 onwards, France experienced extraordinary flourishing of the production of wallpapers, eclipsing those of England, until then dominant in the world market.

France owed this superiority to the great strengths of decorative artists and designers, and a skilled workforce of the highest caliber, in tune with the style and taste of time. French wallpapers distinguished themselves from their English counterparts by greater originality and sophistication and by subtle and intense coloring; they conveyed the “douceur de vivre”, characteristic of the French decorative arts.

France thus became the world’s leading manufacturer of wallpapers, exporting as far as America and Russia. Similarly, panoramic murals, exclusively manufactured in France, enjoyed phenomenal success and were exported throughout the world. The fashion lasted until the late 19th century, but has seen several revivals throughout the 20th century.

Reviving the styles of these historic wallpapers is our way of celebrating the French Arts Décoratifs, and bringing history to life. For this reason we chose Le Grand Siècle as our brand, in homage to the 17th century, which saw the foundation of French expertise in luxury design and production, a tradition born under the genius of Colbert and Louis XIV, Le Roi Soleil.

The choice of historic styles and patterns has been guided by an overarching requirement to fit our modern times, matching today’s tastes, and resonating with what people love today - colors and patterns of greens and blues and luxurious foliage, or tamed jungle.

Our aim is to arouse the lover of decorative arts with natural beauty and compelling historic stories. Our goal is to enhance beautiful artefacts with meaning and depth, calling the history of an epoch, with its styles, customs, and famous people, such as Marie Antoinette whose love of wallpapers launched the fashion, or Honoré de Balzac whose novels abound with their descriptions.

Our products are manufactured exclusively in France, by a master printer based in Normandy, who develops each product through a rigorous process, from the testing for perfect color and texture, to the manufacturing of made-to-measure, hand-rolled prints. Our choice of working exclusively with a French printer reflects the brand philosophy, celebrating our French heritage through its enjoyment in the present.