At Fritz Porter, we’re always drawn to brands that carry both artistry and heritage — pieces that feel deeply considered, storied, and timeless. That’s exactly what led us to Bruce Fine Papers, a family-run British wallpaper company dedicated to preserving the centuries-old craft of hand block printing.
Founded in England and still produced using traditional techniques, Bruce Fine Papers creates wallpapers with remarkable depth, texture, and character — each one printed by hand using methods that date back over 400 years. We recently spoke with Naomi Bruce, Director & Master Printer, about family, travel, heritage craftsmanship, and the enduring beauty of block printed paper.
Your entire family is involved in the business, what is that like?
N: Most people wouldn't enjoy working with their husband, but we get on really well and it helps that we take on very different roles within the business. But as a family we find it an important way of keeping in touch, especially as both of my children have now moved out of our family home. How many other parents can find themselves in the same position where we still get to see each other 5 days a week, and keep in touch with each others lives, as they build their own with their partners. We are also all very different individually and bring different aspects to the business, which means all decisions are decided between the four of us.
You have a literal passion for hand block printing, why is it important?
N: As a family we have a big passion for history. Alex was interested in wallpaper due to his dad, who worked as a wallpaper consultant for high-end companies, and he appreciated that block printed papers had a better texture and tactility to them than other mediums, despite being increasingly harder to find, and therefore wanted to devise a way to keep this craft going.
Block printed wallpaper, is the original way which wallpapers have been produced since the start, over 400 years ago, and it's an important part of British manufacturing heritage which has sadly slipped onto the endangered list of heritage crafts; with ourselves as one of the very few companies still producing it today. It's a piece of history which deserves to be preserved.
Does the Bruce family have a pet?
N: Yes. Alex and I have two terriers, a border terrier called Winnie who is our resident workshop dog, and a lakeland terrier called Stan, who also comes to the workshop a couple of times a week, but prefers his own company! Ellie also has a mad show cocker spaniel, called Ottie, who likes to create chaos when she visits twice a week.
Do you have a favorite place to travel to and why?
N: Yes, this would be Singapore. My father was an officer in the Royal Navy, so we moved around a lot in my childhood, with Singapore being the place of my birth, although we didn't spend very long there before moving on. Now it's a place we try to travel to regularly. But we enjoy travel, and like to visit a lot of places, and experience different cultures - whilst keeping an eye out for any new wallpaper inspirations, of course.
Featured Wallpaper: 'Singapore Flowers', an original Bruce Fine Papers design that has been inspired by 18th Century Asian wallpaper design and Naomi’s own fond memories of early life living in Singapore. Drawing upon botanical buds and fronds, traditional elements of historic Asian design, ‘Singapore Flowers’ is a contemporary take on a classic pillar of wallpaper history produced as a hand block print.
Any movies we might know where your papers have been used?
N: Our Georgian Knot wallpaper appears in Love Actually, when Hugh Grant starts his dancing in Downing Street. There are others, but a few we can't mention for confidentiality agreements. But Love Actually is our favourite appearance, especially as we do actually have our Moreland Damask wallpaper in the real Downing Street!
There’s something incredibly special about preserving a craft that has existed for centuries — especially in a world increasingly driven by speed and automation. Bruce Fine Papers brings a sense of warmth, depth, and human touch that simply cannot be replicated. We’re honored to welcome their collection into the Fritz Porter showroom and excited to share these storied papers with our community.