About
1838 Wallcoverings is a luxury brand, manufacturing all wallpapers at our factory in Lancashire. The name evokes the deep roots of wallpaper innovation, for 1838 was the year the first wallpaper machine was pioneered, just a few miles away from the factory.
Family Heritage
A family owned business, 1838 Wallcoverings is led by brother and sister team James and Abigail Watson, whose family has over 4 generations of wallpaper printing experience.
Craftsmanship
Many 1838 wallpapers are printed on irreplaceable surface print machines that are over 100 years old. There are now only a handful of these machines left in the world and we’re lucky to have 4 at our Lancashire factory. The surface print technique creates a beautiful hand-painted effect and was pioneered in 1838, hence the brand name.
Constantly innovating, we are also experts at the latest digital printing to create dramatic scale designs in a magnitude of colours. Thanks to our highly skilled team and one of the widest ranges of machine profiles in the world, 1838 can effortlessly blend tradition and innovation for stunning new wallpaper effects.
Eco-Friendly
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. As a responsible, caring, family-owned manufacturer, we are committed to constantly improving production and sourcing processes at our Lancashire factory.
We use only water-based, non-toxic inks in the printing of our wallpapers, which are free from VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Designs are printed on responsibly sourced, non woven bases and, when it comes to packaging, both our cardboard and shrink film are recyclable.
Luxury Wallpaper
With a worldwide reputation for the finest quality, wallpapers are printed using the highest quality substrates and materials, giving a luxurious look and feel. We print on non-woven substrates, which have the practical advantage of ‘paste the wall’ application, making our wallcoverings quicker and easier to hang.
Surface printing forms patterns that look as though they have been painted by hand and digitally printed wallpapers offer dramatic large scale designs. Some designs are adorned with lavish, velvety flocks, glistening beads, high sheen foils, contemporary metallics or textured inks, bringing them to life to form unique interiors.
Our Collections
New, inspirational designs are launched each year; encompassing timeless classic patterns reimagined from archive prints, to contemporary digitally printed designs. Most recently we have had the honour of collaborating with the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to create collections inspired by their rich archive.
It is this unique mix of heritage, quality, craft and innovation that characterises 1838. Available through our website, via a network of independent stockists nationwide and internationally in over 50 countries, we pride ourselves on excellent service levels and friendly customer service. We hope you enjoy browsing and shopping our collections as much as we’ve enjoyed creating them!