We began Galbraith & Paul in Philadelphia in 1986 as an artisan’s studio that designed and made lighting with handmade paper. Our papers were an adaptation of traditional Japanese hand papermaking techniques, which we combined in with printmaking methods, to create translucent patterned papers for lampshades. The lampshades sat atop a wide variety of lamp base materials and finishes that we designed and made here in Philadelphia.
10 years later, we discovered hand block printing, another ancient craft that originated more than 2000 years ago, and everything changed. Our love of fabric and furnishings, as well as a new passion for hand printing turned the direction of our studio toward this traditional craft, which we have adapted into something more painterly, personal and modern.
Our studio is the soul of our business, and our team is the beating heart, artisans working together to create fabrics and wallpapers with a subtle and elegant spirit all their own. Our love of process shines through what we do – from designing our patterns, to making our blocks, to creating and mixing our own colors, along with our innovations of traditional block printing methods. The community that’s created around this work is what drives us.
With everything we do, we strive to meet the highest standards in design and craftsmanship. We’re dedicated to the studio workshop tradition evolving in original and unexpected ways. We care about the process of making as much as the product. We hope that when you look at our products, the love for what we do shines through.