What Zuber & Cie does

Zuber & Cie is a French luxury wallpaper, fabric, leather, and paint manufacturer headquartered in Rixheim, Alsace, in a former commandry of the Teutonic Knights where it has operated since 1797. Recognized as the oldest surviving wallpaper manufacturer in the world, the company produces panoramic scenic wallpapers, decorative papers, upholstery fabrics, printed and embossed leathers, and ornamental elements, with 80–90% of production still conducted by hand using 150,000 antique woodblocks (carved 1797–1830) and 130,000+ historical documents, both protected as French Historical Monuments. Its proprietary techniques include woodblock printing, Gaufrage embossing, trough stripe printing (Tire Ligne, patented 1843), velour/flock printing (patented 1852), and seamless colour gradient printing (Irisation, 1819).

Zuber sells exclusively through owned showrooms in Paris, London (Chelsea Harbour), and New York (operated via wholly-owned subsidiary Zuber Inc.), targeting luxury interior designers, decorators, architects, heritage property restorers, museums, and art collectors. The business model is project-driven, quote-based, and unit-priced by the meter or roll, with custom and made-to-measure services for high-end residential, commercial, and restoration projects. There is no disclosed revenue, no public listing, and the firm operates as a closely-held SAS with €463,932 in share capital, distributed across a workforce of 11–50 employees. Distribution relies entirely on direct showroom relationships and word-of-mouth within the design community, with no public pricing, no e-commerce transactions, and no digital marketing presence beyond a content-led corporate website and video library.

Name

Zuber & Cie

Legal name

Manufacture Zuber & Cie

Website

https://zuber.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1790

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Zuber & Cie is the world's oldest surviving wallpaper manufacturer, producing hand-printed luxury wallpapers, fabrics, leathers, and paints using 18th–19th century techniques and heritage-protected woodblocks for designers, heritage restorers, and collectors via showrooms in Paris, London, and New York.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Decorative Wallcoverings

NAICS

Paint and Coating Manufacturing (32551)

SIC

Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950), Leather & Leather Products (3100)

akta.pro primary industry

Colored, Art & Premium Paper Manufacturing (IMAMAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Decor & Laminating Paper Manufacturing (Furniture, Flooring, Impregnated Papers) (IMAMAEAE), Architectural & Decorative Paints (IMAEAHAA)

Keywords

• Wallpaper manufacturing
• Scenic wallcoverings
• Upholstery fabrics
• Leather wallcoverings
• Heritage craftsmanship

Headquarters

HQ city

Rixheim

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Wallpaper Sales: Sale of block-printed, reedition, and other wallpaper collections. Products sold by the meter or in rolls. Includes scenic wallpapers, wallpaper collections, friezes, borders, and ceiling papers.
2. Fabric/Upholstery Sales: Sale of traditional printed fabrics including silks, linens, satins, organzas, and velvets. Available in various materials and prints, sold by the meter.
3. Leather Wallcovering Sales: Sale of printed and embossed leather wallcoverings including Cuir de Venise, Courcelles, Cuirs de Flandres, and Cuir or collections.
4. Custom/Decorative Elements: Custom decorative panels, ornamental elements, dados, hangings, and made-to-measure products tailored to client specifications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Zuber & Cie manufactures and sells traditional hand-printed wallpapers, fabrics, leathers, and paints using antique woodblocks and proprietary decorative printing techniques developed over more than 230 years. Operating from its historic facility in Rixheim, France, the company serves luxury interior designers, decorators, architects, and historic restoration projects through flagship showrooms in Paris, London, and New York.

Product overview

Zuber & Cie is a traditional French wallpaper manufacturer offering a comprehensive portfolio of interior decoration products. The core offerings include Scenic Wallpapers (panoramic block-printed wallpapers depicting landscapes), Wallpaper Collections (various patterns and designs), Wallcovering Collections (fabrics, leathers, and other premium materials), Fabrics for upholstery, Leathers, Ceilings, Dados/Paneling, Friezes/Borders, and Ornaments. The company also produces Custom Decors Collections for personalized projects. Central to Zuber's heritage are its manufacturing techniques: woodblock printing (using 150,000 historic woodblocks), velour/flock printing, colour gradient printing, screen-printing, embossing (gaufrage), trough stripe printing, and reedition printing. The company maintains significant heritage assets including its woodblocks archive and document archives spanning over 130,000 items since 1790.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scenic Wallpaper Collections Hand-printed panoramic and scenic wallpapers manufactured from antique woodblocks, including world-famous historical panoramas such as 'Le Grand Tour de l'Inde' and 'Les Sauvages de la Mer Pacifique'. Sold by the roll/meter to interior designers, decorators, and historic restoration projects.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• de Gournay: UK-founded luxury hand-painted wallpaper manufacturer serving the same high-end residential and commercial interior design market. Directly comparable product category, customer base, and bespoke quoting business model.
• Scalamandre: American heritage luxury fabric, wallcovering, and trim manufacturer (est. 1929) serving high-end residential, hospitality, and restoration projects. Overlaps with Zuber on luxury wallcoverings and historic restoration applications.
• Pierre Frey: French luxury textile and wallpaper maison offering fabrics, wallcoverings, and bespoke services to interior designers. Overlaps with Zuber on luxury fabrics, leathers, and wallcoverings in the same French heritage channel.
• Farrow & Ball: British heritage decorative paint and wallpaper brand with strong direct-to-consumer and designer-channel presence. Comparable as a luxury heritage decorative brand with adjacent paint manufacturing and showroom distribution.
• Morris & Co. William Morris-founded heritage wallpaper and fabric brand, distributed through Sanderson Design Group. Comparable in heritage storytelling, archive-based product strategy, and luxury interior design channel.
• Cole & Son: British heritage wallpaper brand (est. 1875) now part of the Sanderson Design Group. Competes with Zuber in luxury wallcoverings with similar heritage positioning and designer-channel distribution.
• Gracie Studio: American heritage manufacturer of hand-painted scenic wallpapers, the closest direct competitor in scenic/mural wallcoverings. Shares Zuber's emphasis on historic reproductions and museum-quality craftsmanship.

Broad incumbents

• Thibaut: Largest American heritage wallpaper and fabric brand, offering a much broader mass-premium catalogue. Adjacent in product category but operates at higher volume and lower price point than Zuber's bespoke luxury positioning.
• Designers Guild: British luxury home brand offering fabrics, wallcoverings, and paints with broader contemporary ranges. Comparable in designer-channel distribution and luxury positioning but serves a larger and more contemporary customer base.
• Sanderson Design Group: UK-listed parent of heritage brands including Sanderson, Morris & Co., Cole & Son, and Zoffany. Overlaps with Zuber across multiple heritage wallpaper and fabric labels and competes for the same interior designer and heritage-restoration projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zuber & Cie