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Jean Monro: A Quintessential English Design House
19th April 2024Established in 1981, Jean Monro reproduced designs dating back to the 1920's that her mother, the famous decorator Mrs Geraldine Monro, had used and loved. Renowned for their gorgeous English Chintzes and floral motifs, Monro's fabrics and wallpapers remain one of our most popular brands and one that we are proud to supply the entire collection of here at F&P Interiors.
Featuring heavily in our country house inspirations, her range is printed in elegant heritage colours. A true celebration of both classic and contemporary styles which can be used across your home to create rich and luxurious interiors that stand the test of time. The brand is also one of very few companies still using the hand-block method, a time consuming process of printing to achieve an authentic and traditional look.
Jean Monro Fabric
Inspired by English archives and crafted from the finest cloths, Jean Monro's fabrics are the perfect accompaniment for a country house interior. From colourful floral stripes to dainty sprig leaf designs, each portrays the idea of elegance and delicacy. With a high rub test, most of Monro's fabrics are suitable for upholstery, creating the ideal armchair or statement headboard, whilst large designs are a good choice for full length curtains, allowing the full pattern repeat to be shown off.
Printed Linen
Linen fabric is a strong, natural fibre cloth and a popular choice for upholstery and curtains due to its hardwearing and sustainable quality. Many of Jean Monro's rich floral designs are printed on fabrics containing over half or full linen content, ensuring a lasting effect in the home.
Their breathable and comforting quality not only enhances comfort but also helps regulate temperature, keeping your interior spaces cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Cotton Chintz
Favoured for its intricate patterns and polished finish, traditional Chintz is a medium-weight fabric. The glaze is applied when processing the cloth, creating a lovely shiny appearance and its durable quality makes the fabric well suited for upholstery use.
100% Cotton Chintz fabrics are a keen favourite from Jean Monro's collection, keeping to the traditional style loved by so many and continuing to inspire interiors across the globe.
Shop Jean Monro Linen
Shop Jean Monro Cotton Chintz
Traditional Hand Blocked Printing
The hand block method involves hundreds of specially carved wooden blocks printed onto the fabric, to produce and pattern match the design. This technique is a very lengthy process, however, the outcome is certainly worth the wait, achieving a look that cannot be easily replicated by any other method.
Most of Jean Monro's fabrics used for hand blocking are 100% linen, as the natural imperfections of the material add to the authenticity. The fabric is laid out on a 18 metre table where each colour is then pressed on, hammered lightly from above and repeated to build up the design by layering.
This intricate process continues until the length of the table is complete and this can take up to a week. Some of the designs will also need to be screen printed for filling in larger areas of colour.
Whilst there are certainly quicker ways of printing, the charm and imperfect beauty of hand blocking represents the labour-intensive work and incredible skill behind the design which is wonderful to acknowledge when admiring the final product hanging in your living room.
Shop Jean Monro Hand Blocked Fabrics
Jean Monro Wallpaper
A few of Monro's floral fabrics are also available in matching and complimentary wallpapers. These include the beautiful Briar Rose wallpaper, taken from the Kingsberry fabric design, as well as the sweet Betsy Fabric, which inspired the matching Lizzie wallpaper.
Use of vertical stripes and geometrics are much more prominent in Monro's wallpapers, with a focus on lighter colour and small design techniques. Many of these styles would sit comfortably in a country cottage interior, adding character to a cosy living room or bedroom space. F&P's most popular Jean Monro wallpapers include Squirrel Leaf and Lancaster, both of which are available in multiple colorways, making them adaptable to various different schemes.
How To Style Jean Monro At Home
There are so many ways to utilise these designs in your own interior whether you want to achieve the classic quintessential English look, or if you're looking to add a vintage touch to a modern interior.
The Lustmore fabric is a great choice for a contemporary space, by adding a pop of colour to an outdoor bench seat or sofa cushions.
Smaller geometric wallpaper designs are ideal for bringing a plain space to life, adding the idea of texture and depth. Areas such as this can be styled with accessories like bookshelves or open cabinets to elevate the corner or a dining room or living area.
A classic Toile De Jouy design can instantly uplift a bedroom as full length curtains or pelmets, paired with a matching bedspread or headboard to achieve the idyllic English Country look.
We're Here to Help...
If you're looking to style your home but don't know where to start, get in touch with our expert team for all made to measure and interior design enquiries.
F&P's New Furniture Collection features the gorgeous Witley Armchair, available to purchase in Jean Monro's Cecelia Toile fabric, the perfect statement piece for an English Country living room.
"The Cecilia Toile is a real favourite of mine and so we were thrilled to use it on our new Whitley chair. The design lends itself perfectly to the soft shaped armchair, with the addition of a short gathered skirt and finished off with a Chelsea Textiles tape – I think Jean Monro would be thrilled with it!" Emma, Design Director & Founder
Shop Jean Monro Best Sellers...
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Image Credits: Lifestyle imagery Jean Monro, photography by John Englefield, Jan Baldwin and Simon Brown, stylist Katrin Cargill
Copyright 2024 F&P Interiors. All rights reserved.
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