Wallpaper was invented in China and dates all the way back to the Qin dynasty. The earliest examples were made using rice paper. Rice paper was later replaced with wallpaper made from linen fiber, which was easier to paint and print designs on.

In 1675, a Frenchman and engraver named Jean-Michel Papillon made the first repeating designs that matched on both sides. It not only repeated, but also was continuous from one sheet to the next. Papillon is known as the inventor of wallpaper as it is known today.