About Fromental

Fromental is a London-based atelier producing hand-painted, hand-embroidered, and bespoke wallpapers. Founded in 2005 by Tim Butcher and Lizzie Deshayes, the brand has built a reputation for technical and creative excellence — silk-ground papers, embroidered ranges, and large-format scenic murals that are commissioned room by room.

The papers are collected by international interior designers, hotels, and private clients. They are also among the most install-sensitive wallpapers produced today: the silk and embroidered ranges in particular require environmental control and adhesive precision that general decorators do not routinely deliver.

What Makes Fromental Different to Install

Silk-ground papers

Silk is moisture-sensitive. Humidity in the room during install can mark the silk permanently. Adhesive bleed through to the front of the panel cannot be corrected. The decorator's hands and tools must be clean to a level above standard wallpaper work.

Hand-embroidered ranges

The embroidered papers are three-dimensional. Handling the panels at corners and around switches, sockets, and tight spaces requires care — embroidery snags. Adhesive grade and panel-by-panel sequencing change vs flat printed ranges.

Bespoke commissions

Each commission is matched to your room at the design stage. Panels arrive numbered for sequence. Hanging a panel in the wrong place breaks the composition.

Lead Times

Stock paper grounds: 2–4 weeks
Hand-painted commissions: 10–14 weeks
Silk-ground commissions: 12–16 weeks
Hand-embroidered bespoke: 14–20 weeks, sometimes longer

We schedule wall preparation to complete just ahead of paper arrival so panels are installed onto a fresh, fully cured surface.

The Install Process — Our Approach

1. Consultation visit

We visit the property, review the room and the commission with you and your interior designer. Wall condition, humidity, ambient temperature, lighting, surrounding architectural detail — all assessed at this stage. Site notes shared with you and the designer.

2. Written prep specification

We produce a written prep specification document covering skim coats (where plaster needs them), lining paper grade, primer, sealant, and environmental requirements during install. Shared with you and your designer ahead of any wall work commencing.

3. Wall preparation

Carried out and fully cured ahead of paper arrival. Walls inspected at completion with you / designer present before any panels are unboxed.

4. Environmental check on install day

Temperature 18–22°C, humidity 45–55%. We measure on arrival. If conditions are out of range, we delay the install rather than risk silk marking — particularly critical for silk-ground commissions.

5. Dry positioning

Panels unboxed at the install location (not in transit). Identified by sequence number. Positioned dry against the wall to confirm pattern flow with you and the designer.

6. Install

Brand-specified adhesive mixed and applied. Panel by panel, sequenced installation, drop-matched and pattern-matched. Standard install run: 3–5 days for a typical dining room or principal bedroom.

7. Sign off

Inspected together under daylight and lamp light. Final touch-ups (Fromental supplies touch-up paint with most commissions). Designer walkthrough. Photography with client permission.

Wall Preparation Specification

What we typically specify for a Fromental install:

Sound, dry plaster — no cracking, blowing, or significant unevenness. Re-skim where required.
1700-grade lining paper hung horizontally across all surfaces receiving the paper. Joints staggered. 48-hour drying minimum.
Brand-approved primer (Fromental specifies per ground type).
Sealed surface ready for the adhesive grade matched to your commission.
Temperature and humidity within working range during install — heated and stable. Critical for silk grounds.
Adjacent woodwork, coving and trim either complete and decorated, or scheduled to follow install (not preceding it).
Dust sheets and floor protection in place across the room and adjacent circulation areas.

Environmental Control on Silk Installs

This deserves its own section because it's where most Fromental installs go wrong.

Silk grounds react to humidity. If the room humidity spikes during install (steam, weather, contractor work elsewhere in the property pulling moisture into the room), the silk marks. The marks are permanent.

What we do on silk installs:

Measure humidity on arrival each morning. Delay if out of range.
Coordinate with any other contractors active in the property — silk install days are silk install days only.
Avoid wet trades elsewhere in the room or adjacent rooms for 48 hours either side of install.
Use dehumidifiers if site conditions require them — particularly in newer properties where plaster moisture may still be present.
Mix adhesive precisely to brand specification — no improvisation on adhesive water content or grade.

Working with Interior Designers

Most Fromental installations come through designers. We're set up for designer-led projects:

Concept-stage site walkthroughs at no charge — to advise on what the room can take and what prep will be needed
Written prep specifications shared with you and (typically) the client's contractor or project manager ahead of wall work
Scheduling aligned with the wider project
Dust-controlled working in occupied properties
NDA-friendly conduct
Photography for our portfolio and the designer's, with client permission
Daily clean and full clean at job end

Costs

Fromental is commission-priced. Indicative numbers:

Hand-painted paper grounds: £700–£1,400 per panel
Hand-painted silk: £1,200–£2,500 per panel
Hand-embroidered ranges: £1,800–£3,500+ per panel
Bespoke commissions: Project-priced
Typical dining room installation: Paper £14,000–£38,000, install £3,000–£5,500
Typical principal bedroom: Paper £12,000–£30,000, install £2,800–£5,000

Installation costs depend on room dimensions, ground type, panel count, prep scope, and access. We provide a written fixed-price install quote following the consultation visit.

What to Ask a Fromental Installer Before You Hire

How many Fromental installations have you completed? How many on silk?
What's your approach to humidity control on silk installs?
Will you produce a written prep specification document?
What public liability insurance do you carry? (£5m minimum.)
How do you coordinate with the rest of the project team?
Can you show photographic examples? (With permission of previous clients.)
What's your fixed-price scope? (Hourly or open-ended is the wrong model.)

Our Fromental Installer Service

We install Fromental across the Cheshire / South Manchester corridor — Wilmslow, Alderley Edge, Hale, Bowdon, Didsbury, Altrincham. Working directly with interior designers and private clients. See our Fromental installer service or request a consultation.

Fromental Specialist Installer in Manchester & Cheshire