About
A History of Jean Monro
Jean Monro is rooted in a tradition that stretches back a full century. Her mother was among the most distinguished society decorators of her era. Based in Chelsea and moving in the finest social circles, she and her daughter Jean gained privileged access to some of England's greatest private houses. In attic rooms and forgotten corners, they discovered something remarkable: wallpapers and chintzes from the 18th and 19th centuries, out of print, unrecorded, and all but lost to time.
Rather than allow these patterns to disappear, they began quietly reproducing them, first for the houses themselves, then as a growing archive kept for their own decorating commissions.
Into the
World
In 1981, Jean Monro took a defining step. She began printing these archive designs and making them available, carefully and selectively, to a wider public. Working with the foremost design studios of the day (at Warners and Bakers), she developed colourways with scholarship and feeling. A collection was born.
The first design offered to the trade was the Polyanthus and, even then, the values that define Jean Monro today were firmly in place. When approached by a mid-range hotel chain seeking thousands of metres, Jean declined without hesitation. It was not, and never has been, a collection for every context.
As the new century arrived, chintz fell sharply from fashion. Where other houses adapted, diluted, or quietly set their archive aside, Jean Monro held firm. The collection was maintained in full, its integrity entirely intact, its character undimmed. It was a period that tested conviction, and conviction prevailed. The designs that felt unfashionable then are among the most sought after today, and the reputation Jean Monro built by simply refusing to compromise has proved more enduring than any trend.
A New Chapter
When Jean stepped back from the business, she was courted by several prospective buyers. After a number of evenings spent in conversation in her chintz-lined flat behind the King's Road, she chose Turnell and Gigon Group, and it is understood that the Group would be a worthy guardian of what she had built.
Under Turnell and Gigon Group's ownership, the collection moved to Chelsea Harbour, where it was established in its own dedicated showroom in the Design Centre. The archive was deepened and the brand's reputation continued to grow with quiet confidence.
Where we are today
Jean Monro now has a dedicated area within the Turnell & Gigon Ground Floor Showroom of the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, where the collection is presented alongside some of the finest decorative textile brands in the world.
Beyond London, Jean Monro has found an increasingly devoted following internationally. In the United States in particular, the collection has seen remarkable growth, supported by our distribution partner Fabricut, whose reach has brought Jean Monro to a new generation of designers across North America.
Yet for all that has changed, the essence of Jean Monro has not. It remains exactly what it has always been: a living archive, tended with care, offered to those who appreciate it.
What we offer
Jean Monro offers one of the most distinguished collections of historically grounded decorative textiles available to the interior design trade. The collection encompasses:
Chintz and Printed Fabrics
Archive-based floral prints, faithfully reproduced from 18th and 19th-century originals. Rich in colour, precise in pattern, and endlessly adaptable within the finest interiors. Among the most cherished and widely specified designs in the collection.
Hand-Block Printed Fabrics
Among the most remarkable textiles we produce. The Hollyhock, for instance, requires 146 individual block impressions per repeat. Lucy's Roses and Rose and Fern are among the most intricate hand-block prints in existence.
Collaborative Collections
Jean Monro is home to a number of distinguished design collaborations, including the Nicky Haslam Collection and the Woodland Animals collection. Each is offered as part of the Jean Monro family, while retaining its own distinctive identity.
Wallpaper Collections
A considered collection of wallpapers, printed to order in the United Kingdom. Designed to complement the fabric collection and to stand entirely on their own, in rooms of every period and character.
Who we are
Jean Monro is not a large company, and it has never wished to be. It is a house built on conviction: that some things are worth preserving exactly as they are; that beauty does not require a trend to justify itself; and that the finest interiors are made by people who understand the difference between what is fashionable and what endures.
We work exclusively with the professional interior design trade. These designs were made for great rooms, and they deserve to be placed with knowledge and care.
Our team brings together deep expertise in archive textiles, colour, and the specific demands of working with historic material. We are proud of what we do, and we are proud of how we do it.
Visit us
The Jean Monro showroom is located on the ground floor of Turnell & Gigon at the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, one of London's most distinguished addresses for interior design.
We welcome visits from interior designers and decorators by appointment. Our team is on hand to guide you through the collection, discuss archive material, and assist with sampling and specification.
Address
Jean Monro at Turnell & Gigon Ground Floor, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 0XE
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 5.00pm.
Trade Accounts
Jean Monro is available exclusively to the professional design trade. We welcome enquiries from interior designers and decorators who share our appreciation for the finest historic textiles. Please register your interest and we will review your application.