Sanderson Fabrics
Sanderson has been part of the English home for over 160 years, and no one does the classic English floral better. Founded in 1860 and still printing its fabrics in Britain, it holds a Royal Warrant and is the founding name of Sanderson Design Group. Studio 198 supplies Sanderson fabrics worldwide, from the hand-drawn florals and botanicals the brand is famous for to its woven textures, velvets and embroideries. This is heritage design, made properly, that has never really gone out of fashion.
The Sanderson Story
Arthur Sanderson started the business in 1860, importing luxury French wallpapers to London, and it grew into one of the most recognised decorating names in the world. Fabric came a little later, from a printing works set up in 1919, and it has been central ever since. What sets Sanderson apart is the archive: a vast collection of designs, logbooks and printing blocks going back to the nineteenth century, which the studio still draws on today. The brand has held a Royal Warrant since 1924, and received a new one from King Charles III in 2024, a hundred years on. It is the founding brand of Sanderson Design Group, and it was Sanderson that bought Morris & Co back in 1940. The fabrics are still designed and printed in the UK, at the Standfast & Barracks works in Lancaster.
The Home of Iconic Florals
If you picture a Sanderson fabric, you probably picture a flower. The brand made its name on the English floral, and the classics are still in production: Chatsworth, the design that defined the Sanderson look in the 1950s, Chelsea, the perfect rose bouquet, Rose & Peony, Stapleton Park. These are hand-drawn, garden-inspired patterns with a warmth that printed-by-numbers florals never manage. It is not all chintz, though. Sanderson keeps the range moving with collaborations, with the National Trust, with couturier Giles Deacon, and a collection drawn from the gardens at Highgrove, so the same floral instinct turns up in fresh, modern colourways as readily as heritage ones.
Sanderson Upholstery Fabric
On furniture, a Sanderson upholstery fabric brings pattern with genuine heritage to a sofa, an armchair or a headboard. The printed cottons and linens are the classics, and there are heavier woven versions, velvets and embroideries for pieces that need more substance or more wear. Ask for the Martindale rub count on the specific cloth, since the range runs from decorative prints to hard-wearing weaves, and for contract and hospitality work confirm the fire rating to Crib 5 (BS 5852). A Sanderson floral on a well-made chair is one of those things that simply looks right.
Sanderson Curtain Fabric
Sanderson curtain fabric, in printed linen and cotton, hangs in soft folds that show a floral at its best, filtering light and warming the room. The big garden prints frame a window with a settled, country-house feel, while smaller repeats and the plainer weaves suit a lighter, more modern treatment. Line the curtains for formality and to protect the print from strong sun, and the same fabric reads richer and heavier.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Sanderson known for?
The classic English floral, above all. Founded in 1860, holder of a Royal Warrant and the founding brand of Sanderson Design Group, Sanderson is known for hand-drawn floral and botanical prints, like Chatsworth and Chelsea, drawn from a nineteenth-century archive and still printed in the UK. It is the definitive English decorating brand.
Are Sanderson fabrics made in the UK?
Yes. Sanderson designs and prints its fabrics at its own works in Britain, at Standfast & Barracks in Lancaster, which is part of what keeps the quality and the colour so consistent. It is one of the few heritage houses still manufacturing at home.
Are Sanderson fabrics suitable for modern interiors?
Very much so. A single Sanderson floral against plain, contemporary decor looks fresh rather than fussy, especially in the brand's brighter modern colourways. The trick in a modern room is restraint: let one pattern lead.
Are Sanderson fabrics durable enough for upholstery and busy rooms?
Yes, the heavier weaves and performance-minded lines take daily use well; check the Martindale figure for the piece and the setting. For a hard-working sofa, choose a weave over a delicate print, and we will confirm the durability and any fire certification you need.
Order Sanderson Fabrics from Studio 198
Browse the Sanderson fabric collection online, or tell us about the project. We ship worldwide Including EU, UK, USA , Middle East and China
