Laura Ashley…a British institution! A globally renowned brand recognised for its beautiful designs, style and patterns and arguably one of THE most recognisable brands when talking about home interiors. Unfortunately Laura Ashley disappeared from the high street back in March 2020 and people were devastated to lose such an iconic brand. Luckily the name and the designs lives on with one of our favourite wallpaper manufacturers picking up the reins to keep delivering these gorgeous patterns to our homes!

 

 

Yep that's me and my sister in my Laura Ashley dress. Mam loved a matching outfit and you couldn’t beat that LA style! Couldn’t resist digging this out of the archives to share in celebration of Laura Ashley landing at DCO! I wanted to share a bit of the history of the amazing Laura Ashley brand first as I am so fascinated by business, history and home interiors so if you’re not here for the background, skip a couple of paragraphs when I’ll be getting down to the detail on the patterns you’re so desperately checking to see have been carried on into this new phase of Laura Ashley!

 

 

Laura Ashley was originally formed with husband and wife team Bernard and Laura Ashley back in 1953 where they were hand painting fabric at their kitchen table and making them into napkins, table mats and tea-towels. Laura was inspired to product Victorian designs in fabric and couldn’t find any so like a true entrepreneur made her own. Printed by Bernard on a screen frame they had invested £10 in they started producing headscarves which, thanks to Audrey Hepburn, had become a fashion must-have meaning the Ashley’s product was soon snapped up by stores. 

 

 

 

Whilst Laura Ashley had started with some homeware pieces back on the kitchen table in 1953, the homewares expansion of the brand actually came in the 70’s. Bernard saw the need to diversify from their clothing lines and had the idea to take their very recognisable prints and get them into production as wallpapers. By the end of the 70’s, Laura Ashley wallpaper was proving so popular that all furnishing and fabrics were produced with a corresponding wallpaper. Laura had a key interest in home interiors, one of her most popular quotes being “no two houses in the world are the same, because everyone likes to put things together in their own way” which I think is a fantastic view of interior design and shows how we can make any scheme into our own! 

So that's a quick whistle stop of the Laura Ashley brand that we know and love with its quintessentially British designs. There are so many recognisable wallpapers as ‘a Laura Ashley’ wallpaper so it was really sad when the news of its administration was announced in 2020. Little fact for you guys, I’d always loved the Laura Ashley homeware designs and styles but had never been allowed to buy it. They didn’t sell their wallpapers through independents like ourselves, only selling them  within their own stores and websites so I always had to choose my wallpaper from my mams store! The recognisable styles like the Josette damask, the Belvedere peacock or my ultimate fave the Pussy Willow I would try and find replicas for and usually without success. The Laura Ashley wallpapers really are one of a kind in style!

 

 

Fast forward to 2021 and it was announced that IMG, a licensing company would be supporting Laura Ashley in the licensing of the brand. For its wallpaper and paint, excitingly Graham and Brown were selected as the new manufacturer and distributor of the fantastic range of designs! Another British institution, G&B are known for their manufacturing excellence and design and we can really say that the Laura Ashley brand is in safe hands! 

So now we're here back in 2022 and launching over 90 wallpapers on our website covering iconic archive pieces and new contemporary designs with the signature Laura Ashley flair. The timeless designs have been reinvigorated, the signature prints made available once again and in fantastic best selling colourways with everything now available on a paste the wall substrate! One of the criticisms of the original Laura Ashley wallpapers was the quality and difficulty in hanging so to know that we have the quintessentially British Laura Ashley style paired with the quality you get from a Graham and Brown manufactured wallpaper is a fantastic step forward for this brand! Let's take a closer look at some of the prints I know you’ll be looking for!

Magnolia Grove

A timeless wallpaper design! The Laura Ashley Magnolia Grove wallpaper will provide your space with the feeling of freshness and spring with its beautifully detailed spring blossoms perfect for styling a bedroom, living room, or hallway. A great choice for using as a stand-alone feature wall design or subtle enough to be taken throughout a room for maximum impact. Available in three stunning colourways, this classic design has a contemporary feel packed with elegance!

 

  

 

Josette

We can’t talk about Laura Ashley wallpaper without taking about the iconic Josette. It was inevitable that this classic design would be pulled from the archives and included in the latest collections!  Josette is a beautifully elegant damask wallpaper with a French style to add instant glamour and elegance to your walls without being overpowering. It's the ultimate choice when seeking to create a focal point in your room and suitable for either traditional or contemporary settings! 

 

 

Pussy Willow

As I mentioned previously the Pussy Willow design is my favourite. Available in four gorgeous colourway options, this stunning design aims to bring the outside in, feeling like a fresh spring morning which is ideal for rooms in your home where you want to relax, calm and prepare or recover from a busy day! Suitable as a feature wall design but also subtle enough to be used throughout a room due to its stunning colour options. 

 

 

Belvedere

The Belvedere peacock is another instantly recognisable design from Laura Ashley. Its an intricately detailed all-over floral design that features hummingbirds and beautifully elegant peacocks delivering a truly regal feel to your scheme. Available in three gorgeous colour options, the Belvedere peacock would look beautiful in a bathroom paired with panelling, a living room or a bedroom scheme. 

 

 

So there you have it, a quick whistle stop history tour and the latest details on the re-launched Laura Ashley wallpaper ranges! The key things to takeaway here are they’re the same classic Laura Ashley designs which are known for adding character, charm and a sense of luxury to every interior that have been lovingly chosen from the archives, recoloured into wallpapers that suit the style and home interiors of today and are now manufactured on a paste the wall substrate! Browse the full range here and select your favourite!