Tag: Wallcoverings
Still Life
Still-lifes of Chinese and Japanese ceramics abound for wallcoverings, a look that takes one of the most traditional of all decorative objects and turns it into a something more playful.
The Wild Things
There’s an air of surrealism and fantasy to some of spring’s collections, with mythical creatures, motifs from nature recoloured in edgier shades and unusual juxtapositions of form. Clarke & Clarke’s Wilderie collection, available from Harlequin, satisfies anyone with a taste for this particular breed of maximalism.
Journey to Japan
Quiet luxury, wabi sabi, and craftsmanship perfected over centuries: the design traditions of Japan are at the forefront of spring’s new collections.
Right Here, Right Now with Tim Walters
The managing director of George Spencer Designs on his unique stable of design brands, new collections for spring 2020, and why there's room for expansion.
In the Making
Focus/19's aim is to bring people closer than ever to the heart of a design story – and live demonstrations of artisan skills are the perfect way to deepen understanding and knowledge. The new Morris & Co showroom hosted block-printing sessions all week, with anyone invited to take part and create their own wallpaper (pictured top); decorative artists from …
The Nature Cure
Direct access to a green space has been proven to soothe the body and boost the immune system – but it's even claimed that looking at an image of nature can help. The next best thing to the great outdoors might be this panoramic 'Amami' wallcovering, part of Villa Nova's Ostara collection at Romo. Bold brushstrokes have been scaled up …
Strokes of Genius
Pierre Frey maintains its daring approach to design with an exciting collaboration with French artist Christian Astuguevieille. Known for his furniture and sculptures wrapped in rope and cord, he has brought his dynamic energy to the Coquecigrues collection of bold fabrics and wallpapers. Many designs feature Astuguevieille's free-flowing ink brushstrokes – his "imaginary writing" – augmenting archive designs. 'Fontaine at Animaux …
Wild Appreciation
Flora and fauna have long been ubiquitous in interiors, but it's nature's most spectacular and exotic creatures that are currently leaving the biggest footprint. Whether it's big cats prowling through lush jungle foliage, monkeys perched in trees or parrots in flight, these animal-themed designs are about pure escapism, transporting us to far-flung places. Classic animal prints such as cheetah and …
Home Heritage
Renewed interest in heritage from a younger generation of decorators means that the past has never seemed so forward-looking. Inspired by a mix of innovation, tradition and British daring, interior designers are creating eclectic schemes that mix historical references with bold modernity – reflecting changing lifestyles but keeping one foot anchored in tradition. All this is helping to invigorate those brands …
An Archive Reinvented
Cole & Son has returned to its roots with its Pearwood collection, a rich homage to 19th-century British design. The portfolio of 10 wallpaper designs draws on the company's block print archive, while incorporating contemporary design and bold colour palettes. The name is inspired by the fruit wood used by Cole & Son founder John Perry to make the original …
Making Themselves at Home
Adding to the potent mix of brands at Focus/19, there are a raft of guest pop-ups augmenting the home-grown talent. Companies of international standing, many of which can't be seen anywhere else during the London Design Festival, are exhibiting a breadth of products, from lighting to furniture, fabrics and paint. Based in the North Dome, Christopher Farr (pictured top) teamed up …
Well Camouflaged
Go wild with Arte's ‘Grant’ wallcovering, which features a dazzle of zebras tessellated amid black-and-white stripes. It’s part of the Wildwood collection, where a menagerie of other animal- and nature-themed designs can be discovered, in a variety of unusual materials, from woven paper to hand-cut cork inlaid with foil. Arte, Second Floor, Design Centre East
New Viewpoints for Velvet
Soft, tactile and colourful, velvet has ascended to the top of the textile trend list – perhaps because in our 24/7 frantic world, we are craving an inviting and nurturing retreat. Combine with high sides and rounded edges in furniture and soft carpets underfoot to create a cocoon of cosiness. Brands are responding to the demand for velvet by coming up …
A Force for Good
San Patrignano is an Italian craft workshop with a difference, rehabilitating young people with addiction problems and teaching them traditional skills, from weaving to leatherwork and carpentry. The not-for-profit's magnificent wallcoverings are a notable success story, and Paolo Moschino for Nicholas Haslam Ltd is bringing them to the UK, including this ‘Boiserie Quercia’ design, which has been digitally printed from …
Keep it Natural
Embrace the bounty of the earth, from the rattan revival to wood, sisal and stone, to bring an authentic yet refined element to a space. Layer fabrics in cotton and linen for an informal yet chic look that is suitable for all seasons, and appreciate the crafted nature of hand-woven materials that add additional texture. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ‘Amasura’ wallcovering …
Another Dimension
A new showroom at Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, Lincrusta's deeply embossed wallcoverings can look dramatically different according to which paint effects are used to finish them, lending the collections a bespoke capability: the ‘Villa Louis’ design pictured was reintroduced after it was used in the restoration of the historic mansion of the same name, in Wisconsin. This pedigree is typical of …
Eye Opener
Iksel – Decorative Arts is known for its panoramic wallcoverings but its portfolio includes some compelling repeat designs, too. These two new patterns ('Eye of the Princess', top, and 'Plump Tulips', bottom) were inspired by the textiles of the Ottoman empire. Thanks to digital printing, the scale can be custom-ordered to suit a room’s particular needs. Iksel – Decorative Arts, Second …
Fade In
Time-worn materials are a recurring theme this season. Surfaces made to look faded, patched or rubbed away signal a need for cocooning comfort and informality, and make an interior feel as if it has naturally evolved over time. Creating these lived-in-looking surfaces is a feat in itself: Tufenkian Artisan Carpets' 'Frieze' rug (pictured top) uses a mixture of wool, bamboo and …
Face Value
The embodiment of bohemian 20th-century France, Jean Cocteau was a distinguished artist as well as a writer. Lelièvre Paris has created a collection of wallcoverings based upon his original works, including ‘Cap D’Ail’, pictured, based on his 1960s Greek-inspired ceramics of the same name. Cocteau said that “pour exprimer son âme, on n’a que son visage” ("we have just the …
In the Green
One colour dominates this season's palette. Watch as shades of green – from leaf and olive to teal and jade – take root, offering a deeper connection with the world around us. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: ‘Fontaine et Animaux Baibouillage’ wallcovering (FP568003), Pierre Frey. ‘Landmark Pure’ exposed thermostatic shower set, Samuel Heath. Paint on frame: 'Poison’, Zoffany. ‘Satara’ rug, emerald, Jacaranda …
The Master’s Hand
Piero Fornasetti is referred to as the "designer of dreams", and his visual universe of surrealism-tinged illustrations is instantly recognisable.
Design Legacy
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Bauhaus art school – a landmark that many view as the true birth of modern design. Several brands are celebrating with collections that show how its influence still shines today. Arte's 'Odeon' wallcovering (pictured top) has a bold pattern with blocks of circles that's based on a functional and …
Blue Mood
With its painted watercolour motif, this ‘Inverness’ wallcovering by Peter Fasano is catching the eye of tastemakers who stand at the crosspoint of tradition, colour and the thrill of the unexpected. The brand was founded in New York City in the 1970s and today its fabrics and wallpapers are all hand-dyed and printed in Massachusetts. They're available at Tissus d'Hélène. Tissus …
Exotic and Exuberant
Exuberant archival patterns are omnipresent this season. Take Braquenié’s Comptoir d’Orient, which is described as "an ode to exoticism," the 18th century mania tor design from the Ottoman Empire, India, Persia and China. The fabrics feature a riot of flowers across silks and embroideries, with the patterns replicated across wallcoverings as well: by mixing them up, playing with scale and …
A Deep Dive
Iksel – Decorative Arts' latest scenic wallcovering transports anyone who views it to a watery world of fish, shells and coral. Painted in incredible detail and then scanned in at ultra-high-resolution, 'D-Ocean' took 15 artists about eight months to complete and a further two months to join together digitally. "It's been something that's been buzzing in my mind for a …
Look East
In our daily lives of information overload, design can help us escape. There is a cosmopolitan charm to design this season with a shift from the subdued to more expressive patterns that have a playful, visual language and a strong narrative. Design houses have long been inspired by different cultures and far-flung locations. For spring, many have looked east. Pictured …
A Legendary Winner
Interior design firm Gunter & Co is the winner of London Design Week 2019's 'Legends' initiative, for which showrooms have teamed up with leading creative figures to remodel their window displays, using classic vintage photography as their inspiration. Iconic Images, whose archives include the work of Norman Parkinson, Terry O'Neill and Milton H.Greene, provided the photography – and Irene Gunter …
Rules for Breaking
Known for its exuberant approach to print and pattern, Scottish brand Timorous Beasties was ahead of the maximalism curve when it was founded in 1990 – and having had a cult following ever since, it has now taken up residency for a pop-up on the Third Floor of the Centre Dome. Its giant digital prints and subversive takes on classic …
Rock Star
Take inspiration from the natural beauty of age-old geology. This ‘Carrare’ wallcovering from Lelièvre Paris resembles richly veined polished marble, while a mother-of-pearl sheen further enhances the pattern. Lelievre Paris, First Floor, North & Centre Domes
Learn Your Scales
Fathom the depths to discover design that incorporates watery motifs such as scallops and scales. Jean Paul Gaultier's 'Ecailles' wallcovering (pictured top) from Lelièvre Paris looks convincingly three-dimensional thanks to the metallic thread that edges each individual scale, while lacquered furniture from US brand Oomph (pictured centre), available from Nina Campbell, includes the 'Capri' vanity unit with its layers of …
