Behind the Designs: The Story of Our First Wallpaper Collection

As our Co-Founder and Creative Director Sue Jones explains “We’ve long thought about creating a collection of OKA wallpaper, but we wanted to get it right. Harnessing the same design ethos that goes into everything we create, from expert craftsmanship to enduring design, I’m proud of these first three designs, which celebrate our most iconic patterns in various colourways.”

Each design carries a story, reflecting the places, traditions and motifs that have quietly shaped OKA’s aesthetic over the years.

Areca

Nature has always been a rich source of inspiration for our design team. The Areca print draws on the sculptural forms and vibrant hues of palms, evoking sunlit landscapes and the intricate detailing of a traditional Indian Tree of Life.

Digitally printed onto smooth, tactile non-woven paper, Areca retains a subtle stripe element within its pattern. Hannah Wilson, our Senior Textile Designer, says: “Areca has a natural stripe element within the pattern. It was important to work with that and celebrate it, while also creating an all-over design that would sit beautifully across a wall.”

Ocellus

The starting point for the Ocellus design was a small piece of cloth discovered by our team. From this fragment grew a repeated peacock feather motif, originally realised in velvet embroidery as the standout detail. For wallpaper, the balanced pattern sits against a richly textured ground, creating a design that feels both bold and refined. Ocellus brings the depth and drama of a textile to the wall, making it versatile across different spaces.

Ghini

Ghini started as a cushion design inspired by the traditional wooden printing blocks of Jaipur. Much of the handmade character of the original textiles comes through in the wallpaper, preserving the irregular charm and warmth of hand block printing.

While the original textiles were realised in in vivid blues and reds, the wallpaper introduces a broader palette - Warm Red, Dune Green, Oatmeal, Warm Celadon and Air Force Blue – allowing the design greater flexibility across interiors.

Bringing Iconic Prints to the Wall

Together, these designs tell a story of travel, craftsmanship and a love of decorative tradition. On the wall, familiar motifs take on a new presence, allowing pattern, colour and texture to take on a more central role within the spaces they inhabit.