Osborne & Little
| Traded as | Osborne & Little |
|---|---|
| Industry | wallpaper fabric, interiors products |
| Founded | London, England (1968) |
| Founder |
Sir Peter Osborne Antony Little |
| Headquarters | London, England |
| Website | www |
Osborne & Little is a British manufacturer and retailer of upmarket wallpaper and fabrics. It was established in 1968 and now has showrooms worldwide. It was among the brands included in the Victoria and Albert Museum's British Design 1948–2012: Innovation in the Modern Age exhibition in 2012.
Osborne & Little was established by Sir Peter Osborne (father of Conservative Party politician George Osborne) and his brother-in-law Antony Little. The company's shop, in the King's Road, Chelsea, put it in the heart of Swinging London.
Little was the designer – he had been responsible for Biba's distinctive black and gold logo – and created most of the company's early ranges. Hand-printed papers were inspired by everything from the designs of Aubrey Beardsley to the Brighton Pavilion Its success in reinterpreting classic designs in new ways during the 1970s and '80s meant that Little soon presided over a large design team. In the book Twentieth Century Pattern Design, Lesley Jackson described the brand as distinctive for its bold reinterpretations of traditional patterns, adding: "historical references tend to be lateral rather than literal".
The company took over Isabel Tisdall's Tamesa Fabrics in 1985 and later acquired the distribution rights to Lorca fabrics and Liberty Furnishings. It has a longstanding association with interior designer Nina Campbell, distributing her collections. The company has a wholly owned US subsidiary and showrooms across Europe, in addition to retailing via UK stores such as John Lewis. Its high-profile clients have included Bill and Hillary Clinton, who used Osborne & Little designs in their private apartment at the White House.
The company was formerly listed on the , delisting in 2003; it had a turnover of almost £33m in 2011, with a quarter of this coming from sales in mainland Europe. Little retired from the business in 2005 and Osborne remains CEO. Former Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne retains a shareholding in the company.
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