Fabrics & Papers

GP & J Baker - Designer Fabrics and Wallpapers

Articles

GP & J Baker evolved from an Anglo-Turkish trading company in the mid 19th Century, and is now one of the oldest design houses in Britain.

George Baker founded a textile trading company in the mid 19th Century. However, the company didn’t get its current name until 1884 when George Baker’s sons, George Percival Baker and James Baker, entered into partnership and began to produce textiles in Britain.

In 1893 they leased a printing works in Crayford, Kent – Swaisland Print Works – where block-printed and roller-printed fabrics were produced, decorated with stunning patterns by leading designers.

George Percival was a keen gardener and many of the textiles he commissioned celebrated English fruit and flowers.

Since the 19th Century GP & J Baker has grown into a design house to be reckoned with. Their fabrics and wallpapers adorn walls, windows and furniture in royal houses across the country, due to its Royal Warrant. If a Royal Warrant wasn’t enough to contend with, GP & J Baker has one of the largest privately owned textile archives in the world.

With the incredible bonus of its vast textile archive GP & J Baker often uses the archive as a valuable resource, adapting designs to create eclectic contemporary pieces for today’s audience.

Today, in addition to developing its own traditional style and unique "handwriting" GP & J Baker continues to grow its reputation as one of the world's innovators of fabric design and colour.

Its exquisite Emperor’s garden collection of wallpapers is drawn in part from historical references in the renowned G P & J Baker archive. The raised texture and painterly charm of hand blocked antique paper is evoked, yet given a contemporary feel with the use of foils, metallics and glistening grounds.

The beautiful embroideries of the Holcott collection are partly inspired by the unique historical documents from the renowned GP & J Baker archive. While some of the designs pay homage to the tradition of the Arts and Crafts movement, others reflect rare textiles collected from various points along the ancient silk route.

The traditional elegance of damasks, regency stripes and pretty pictorals are balanced by glamorous stylized trails and textures in the Oleander collection. The differing scales of these designs together with the beautiful wide-ranging colour palette, allow them to be used in an infinite variety of interior settings.

GP & J Baker’s magnificent Fenton collection of exquisite embroidered silks with a strong Oriental influence, balanced by a range of stylish geometric velvets.

An exquisite ombré silk damask lends its name to this outstanding Perandor Prints collection. Wonderful woven fabrics, both stylish and tactile, include innovative embroideries on silk and linen, smart multi coloured stripes in soft textural chenille and a range of perfect plains.

Mallory is an exceptional collection of classically beautiful floral designs, drawn from the renowned GP & J Baker archive, is imaginatively printed on softly glazed linens, textural linen twills and luxurious velvets.