Hi, We’re The Bruce’s

The best teams might feel like family. But we actually are.

  • Alex Bruce

    Director & Finisher

    (on site handyman)

  • Naomi Bruce

    Director & Master Printer

    (does everything)

  • Ellie Bruce

    Artwork & Marketing Manager

    (also answers the phone)

  • Jake Bruce

    Printer & Production Assistant

    (expert at painting paper)

Our History

With a 30 year long tradition of handcrafting heritage wallpaper, this isn’t your typical family. Most pass down the odd heirloom, but in 1994, out of a small barn in rural Lincolnshire, Alex Bruce started a tradition with hand block printed wallpaper which quickly became a whole family affair.

Today, working in partnership with his wife Naomi, and alongside their children Ellie and Jake, Bruce Fine Papers manufactures bespoke block printed wallpaper for a range of leading wallpaper companies, and collaborates with heritage firms such as English Heritage, National Trust and the Biltmore Estate to keep the art of block printed wallpaper alive.

We like to think our small team of 8 is as close as you can come to the old workshops of block printed wallpaper’s heyday; an independent business rooted deep into a passion of colour, texture and pattern, and continuing the quality and heritage of a traditional craft.

Block Printed Wallpapers, Handmade in Great Britain.

Continuing the process which has its roots deeply entwined with British design and manufacturing history.

Our Wallpaper History

Hand block printed wallpaper was created by early British printmakers and continues today as a testament to the quality and heritage of a traditional craft.

Block Printing is the oldest printing technique in the world with the earliest surviving prints dated back to the 9th Century, but it took British craftsmanship to utilise this technique for wallpaper. These early wallpapers were created as an alternative to tapestries and wall hangings and were printed entirely in monochrome with colour brushed on laboriously by hand afterwards. The designs available were exclusively damasks and wallpaper could only be found in the homes of the wealthy.

By the 18th Century Britain was the leading wallpaper manufacturer in Europe with all wallpaper hand block printed until 1840 when technological advancements saw the rise of other printing techniques. At this time wallpaper had become a commodity for all and was available in more designs than you could ever think of.

Today this highly skilled and laborious process is renowned for its handmade and traditional quality that sets it apart from the mass produced alternatives. It’s a heritage craft on the endangered list and we are proud to do our bit to keep it alive.