September 10, 2020

Each year, UK wallpaper and paint specialist Graham & Brown announces its Wallpaper of the Year and Color of the Year. Drawing upon 75 years of design and manufacturing experience in the field, the in-house design studio identifies key movements in the interiors sector and forecasts the future trends that will shape the Graham & Brown collections for the coming months.

Launching the 2021 collection from its design headquarters in Blackburn in a globally streamed digital showcase, the heritage brand presented Wallpaper of the Year: Timepiece and Color of the Year: Epoch, an expert fusion of archive material and contemporary components.

Full of movement, color and exuberance, the Graham & Brown Wallpaper of the Year marks the start of the 75th Anniversary celebrations of the brand which will run throughout 2021. Piecing together fragments from the Graham & Brown archive, Timepiece is an amalgamation of prints dating from 1946 to the present day. The result is a bold, innovative wallpaper that represents the essence of the Graham & Brown design philosophy.

One of the archive patterns referenced in Timepiece is Original, the first wallpaper produced at the Graham & Brown Blackburn factory in 1946. The Art Deco structure of the pattern forms the geometric framework of the Wallpaper of the Year 2021; layers of floral designs are then woven into this architecture to produce a striking wallpaper that reflects upon the aesthetics of the past to inform the designs of the future.

Exhibiting a brilliant array of flowers and foliage that would feel at home in both the homes of the past and the most contemporary of spaces, Timepiece evokes an environment that is opulent, glamorous, and indulgent. Reminiscent of the lavish blooms and tangled stems of Dutch flower painting, the rich, jewel-toned color palette is enlivened with flashes of sunlit petals and vividly striped tulips. Hyacinth florets form an inviting textural juxtaposition to the large-scale arrangements featuring elegant magnolia blooms.

In addition to the Amethyst colorway, Timepiece is also available in Moonstone and Midnight palettes. For the first time, the design can also be produced as a made-to-measure bespoke Mural of the Year: Timepiece, highlighting just how far wall covering production has developed from the fixed repeat surface print machines of 1946.

The Wallpaper of the Year and Color of the Year are shining examples Graham & Brown’s perfectly partnered paint and wallpaper offerings. Each wallpaper in the extensive Graham & Brown collection is mirrored by a matched hero paint color and three coordinating hues for a complimentary full-room solution. Complementing the Wallpaper of the Year is the Color of the Year: Epoch, along with partnering shades Spiced Mulberry, Fondue and Whale Tail.