British Style: Lincrusta

With its rich and illustrious heritage Lincrusta is a great British success story; a distinctive textural wallcovering more relevant than it ever was as we all desire to create our own unique space.

Here we look at the history, designs and decorative possibilities of this renowned interior design brand.

The history of Lincrusta

Lincrusta (opens in new tab) catches the eye and captures the imagination whatever the setting. From classic country residences to modern urban living spaces, this incomparable range of wallcoverings, dado panels, friezes and borders allows for the creation of bespoke interiors and inspirational wallpaper ideas.

This sculptural wallcovering was the ingenious creation of Frederick Walton who had pioneered the development of linoleum floor coverings during the 1860s. Lincrusta was an instant success, replacing painstaking artisan plasterwork and appealing to Victorian England’s tastes because of its beauty, practicality, durability and sanitary properties. Lincrusta designs quickly found their way into notable buildings throughout the world. Absolutely unique and exceptionally beautiful, these wallcoverings remain unsurpassed for their deeper emboss, exquisite detail and enduring strength.

A natural product, made from linseed oil, Lincrusta is still manufactured by craftsmen in the UK, using the original recipe and process and to the same exacting standards.

It is supplied in its natural nude color, providing a textural blank canvas onto which you can project your own style, to create a truly unique look.

The patterns within the collection take inspiration from a variety of sources: from the classical architecture of ancient Greece and Rome to cutting edge contemporary influences, including the beauty of nature and key periods in history from the Renaissance to the Edwardian era.

The unrivalled depth of these embossed wallcoverings allows them to be decorated using a variety of different paint effects and colour combinations. You could choose a flat, neutral scheme or opt for a contrasting metallic color to add a luminous edge. The options really are limitless. Whatever you choose to do, you’re sure to create an original.

A world of options

With compelling contrasts in paint effects and texture, Lincrusta looks stunning from every angle.

This is where traditional character meets contemporary style. Try a fashionable high gloss finish or opt for soft highlights in welcoming neutrals: go for full-on opulence with solid metallics or choose a distressed finish and detailing in rich, bold shades.

By painting Lincrusta, there are countless ways you can add even more impact to the design. Be extravagant, be expressive; whatever you do you’ll create a look that’s unique and distinctive.

Not just reserved for living rooms and bedrooms, this versatile product is at home in all rooms. Its durable nature means that it is perfect for high traffic areas such as hallways, kitchens and family rooms. It can also be used in bathrooms and wet-rooms (excluding shower cubicles).

It can enhance a myriad of surfaces including ceilings, furniture, doors, bars and looks great on a curved wall.  

Sustainable by nature

Sustainability doesn’t just mean how it is made (and there is no doubting Lincrusta has some good credentials) but how it is used.

When decorating today we are conscious of the three Rs – repairable, re-usable, re-modelable.

In a world of the three Rs this is a product to cherish that becomes part of the fabric of the building. The beauty is that whenever you want to transform your room, you can change the color or indeed create a whole different ambiance by adding different paint effects that reflect the light in a unique way.

Restoration

In the restoration of period properties only the original will do. With over 140 years history, not all Lincrusta designs are still available, so the company has developed restoration kits to provide a solution. Trained installers take an impression of the original design that is in need of repair and replicate it in other areas with a seamless finish.

Star of the silver screen

Throughout its history Lincrusta has adorned the walls of prestigious establishments from the Titanic to the White House. It appears in some magnificent interiors from luxury retail boutiques, hotels and restaurants around the world to impressive movie sets, such as Anna Karenina, Sherlock Holmes and George Clooney’s Tomorrowland, to mention a few, and most recently making its stage debut in the acclaimed new staging of musical Cabaret.