Cole & Son Historic Royal Palaces, Great Masters - Wallpapers

An in depth look at Cole and Son's Historic Royal Palaces, Great Masters wallpaper collection. 

We Take an in-depth look at Cole & Son's Latest Wallpaper Collection

Cole & Son"s Historic Royal Palaces, Great Masters collection is a collection of wallpapers inspired by the 6 iconic royal residences curated by the Historic Royal Palaces charity. The collection draws on more than a thousand years of British heritage and pays homage to the master craftsmen, artisans and monarchs whose artistic influences can still be seen in these historic buildings.

Tijou Gate

The beautiful ornate garden screens at Hampton Court Palace, named after the master blacksmith Jean Tijou, provide the inspiration for the Tijou Gate wallpaper. The decorative roses are suggestive of the King"s private gardens through the gates.

Palace Tales

The Palace Tales wall covering features a print of three of the royal residences: the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and Kensington Palace. The famous guardian ravens are shown circling the Tower of London and, in a nod to Henry III's collection of exotic animals which used to be housed at the tower, a polar bear can be seen swimming in the Thames below. Kensington Palace is shown in a twilight setting framed by the surrounding trees of Hyde Park whilst Hampton Court Palace is depicted with its famous gardens.

Royal Jardinière

The Royal Jardinière wallpaper features orange trees in blossom in ornate pedestals, inspired by the paintings of the same by Antonio Verrio in the King"s Little Bedchamber at Hampton Court Palace.

Queen's Quarter

Cole & Son's design team took inspiration from a small detail within the Verrio murals found in the Queen's Drawing Rooms at Hampton Court Palace to create a striking geometric design which is both modern and classical. The metallic finish gives a beautiful shine enhancing the geometric pattern. This is one of two geometric papers in the collection.

Wolsey Stars

The second geometric wallpaper takes its pattern from the ornate wooden interlocking stars on the ceiling of the Great Watching Chamber at Hampton Court Palace. The wallpaper takes its name from Cardinal Thomas Wolsey who acquired Hampton Court in 1514 and transformed it from a manor house into a palace before it was later gifted to Henry VIII.

King"s Argent

The 17th century baroque style extension to Hampton Court Palace provides the inspiration for the King"s Argent wallpaper. The design features silvered mirrored tiles in a metallic print covered in leaves and flower heads.

Chamber Angels

The Chamber Angels wallpaper takes its design influences from the Kensington Palace"s Presence Chamber ceiling, painted by William Kent. The Chamber Angels design features dancing figures, delicate foliage and ripened fruits set against a light or dark background.

Gibbons Carving

The Gibbons Carving wallcovering features doves, shells, foliage and ripened fruits and is inspired by a Gibbons" carving at Hampton Court Palace. Grinling Gibbons was a master carver who worked at the Palace, St Paul"s Cathedral, as many other historic buildings throughout Britain.

Wren Architecture

The Wren Architecture wallpaper features a detailed line-work study of the East Front and Fountain Court Façade of Hampton Court Palace and is named after Sir Christopher Wren, the master architect who oversaw the baroque style extension to the palace

Verdure Tapestry & Verdure Tapestry Silk

The Verdure Tapestry panel scene was inspired by the tradition of hanging vast tapestries in royal residences, such as the one currently hanging in the King"s Presence Chamber at Kensington Palace. The Verdure Tapestry Silk features the same design in pastel shades on a 100% natural slub silk base, ensuring every panel is unique and re-creating the feel of rich silken wallcoverings traditionally found in the grandest royal residences throughout Europe.

Tudor Garden

There are a number of floral wallpapers in the Historic Royal Palaces – Great Masters collection, the Tudor Garden wallpaper was inspired by Henry VIII"s knot gardens, a style of formal gardens featuring aromatic plants in a square frame of low hedges. In this wallpaper tulips are bordered by herbs and wild meadow flowers, which soften the geometric pattern.

Hampton Roses

Hampton Roses is an exquisite floral wallpaper depicting roses, roses are synonymous with British Tudor history and have been planted continuously at Hampton Court for over 500 years.

Court Embroidery

The floral design in the Court Embroidery wallpaper was inspired by a 19th century waistcoat kept in the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, the Cole & Son design team hand-painted the design to give the impression of the silken hand stitches of the courtier"s garment.

Verrio Mirrors & Verrio Sky

A number of the wallpapers in the Historic royal Palaces Great Master"s collection take their inspiration from the Baroque murals of the Italian artist Antonio Verrio whose works are found throughout Hampton Court Palace. Verrio Mirrors features metallic print mirrors framed by the trompe l"oeil pillars found in the mural above the King"s Staircase at Hampton Court Palace whilst Verrio Sky uses the same design but swaps the mirrors for the gentle clouds featured in the Fresco Sky wallpaper.

Fresco Sky

The Fresco Sky wallpaper shows gentle clouds in a classical style, it was inspired by the mural ceiling above the King"s Staircase at Hampton Court Palace.

The collection of 17 wallpapers in the Historic Royal Palaces, Great Master"s collection is completed by Library Frieze, a frieze of wooden panelling which pairs beautifully with any of the other papers in the collection. Wooden panelling was widely used throughout the Tudor period for insulation and decoration.