Tag: Wallcoverings
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 …
Follow the Shoal
Shoal is making a splash in the Centre Dome. The aerial installation is a vision of wonder beneath the waves, featuring lively groups of paper fish darting amid colourful coral. More than simply a way of showcasing the latest wallcoverings, the installation celebrates wider themes – the bringing together of design lovers in a singular, unique location like no other, …
Table Talk
Newly expanded in time for London Design Week 2019, the Second Floor Café in Design Centre East is now a richly decorated space that demonstrates the craftsmanship on offer from many of the showrooms. Glossy dark teal tiles from Artisans of Devizes contrast with Watts of Westminster's florid 'Wolterton Verdure' digitally printed wallcovering, while smart brass lighting comes courtesy of …
A New Tide
Fox Linton's showroom has undergone a shining transformation, with new brands introduced alongside its own fabrics and wallcoverings. Among its own collections is ‘Springtide’, the company's first double-width wallcovering; its subtle pattern mirrors the intricate markings on coastal rocks and cliffs left by waves over time. The showroom is now host to two more compelling brands, with statement lighting from …
Fresh and Vibrant
Lively, large-scaled and just a touch fantastical, Zimmer + Rohde's new 'Wonderland Wall' wallcovering sums up the energetic mood pervading interiors. The pattern of leaves and seedheads with darting dragonflies has been incorporated in to the walls of the South Dome Deli, London Design Week 2019's all-day dining destination. Its menu of modern, global flavours is just as colourful and …
Exotic Enlightenment
The late 18th century was the golden age of chinoiserie wallcoverings, and its designs continue to be in demand today. Watts of Westminster sourced its 'Walzin Chinoiserie’ from the archives of the Château de Walzin, a picture-perfect Belgian castle; a combination of highly detailed imagery and a clever use of proportion gives it a beguiling narrative, with flowering trees and …
The Hot Hybrid
Japandi is a term coined to describe a hybrid between Japanese and Scandinavian influences: a little rustic, but also effortlessly elegant, without being too grand. Scion has named its latest collection after this fusion of styles, launching fabrics and wallpapers that are playful yet charismatic. They celebrate the Japanese wabi-sabi approach to having things 'perfectly imperfect', with accentuated brush marks, ikats and embroideries …
A Bigger Picture
Pierre Frey's Galerie collection focuses on panoramic wallpapers, their larger format allowing for some highly statement-making walls that act as a window on to another world. Stylistically they are incredibly diverse, with the common thread of artistic expression – there are bold contemporary paint splashes in 'Karma' (pictured), Rococo exuberance in a reproduction of a Boucher painting from 1758, and …
Out of the Dark
Birds, beasts and botanicals pop out from their dark backgrounds in these three new wallcoverings. Their moody palette brings drama and glamour to an interiors scheme, creating a sense of fantasy that's straight out of a fairytale. Arte has worked with Dutch design company Moooi to create a collection called Extinct Animals: each animal is featured in its own dedicated wallcovering, …
Fantasy Island
Villa Nova has launched Picturebook, its first children’s collection, thanks to the contribution of three leading illustrators: Frann Preston-Gannon, Christopher Corr and Yuval Zommer. This ‘Island Hopping’ design by Christopher Corr translates on to fabric the artist's work in gouache on handmade paper, and reflects his love of vividly capturing his travels. All three illustrators' collections also encompass wallcoverings, cushions, rugs, murals …
More is More
As the late Postmodern architect Robert Venturi once said: "less is a bore". These days, highly individual interiors keep adding, layer on layer: artfully clashing patterns, unusual surface finishes from flocking to foil, and an abundance of finishing touches such as trimmings, lamps and decorative objects all contribute to a feast for the senses. Create an environment that surprises and …
Bring the Joy
From coral, blush and emerald to sherbet lemon, burnt orange and cerulean blue, colour palettes are joyful, sophisticated and unexpected this season. For inspiration, look to French design house Le Manach, now owned by Pierre Frey, which has had a confident approach to colour ever since its founding in 1829. This spectacular ‘Taraz’ wallcovering is based on a fabric from …
In Praise of Peggy
Part of the same artistic circle as Eric Ravilious, Edward Bawden and Enid Marx, painter and designer Peggy Angus has a distinctive style that has been rediscovered in recent years. Her role as a teacher also made her an influential force in 20th-century design, beyond her own work. Blithfield has added to its wallcoverings and fabrics featuring her lino-print designs, …
Time to Shine
Lacquered and other high-gloss surfaces add lustre and incredible depth to interiors, often providing a powerful shot of colour, too: if any finish summed up bold and confident decorating, it would be this one. Traditional lacquerwork is time-consuming and undertaken by skilled artisans, but gives unmatched results: head to Nina Campbell to see the work of US brand Oomph, which …
Sylvan Scenes
Botanical motifs are starting to make their escape from the jungle: instead of lush tropical settings, it's the northern hemisphere that's providing the inspiration. Ferns and pines are the leading motifs – a tie-in with wider trends in gardening, where Scots pine and other conifers are once more becoming hip after a long time languishing in unfashionable gardens. Sanderson's Elysian collection …
Indienne Style
Anna French's Palampore has won Homes & Gardens' best wallpaper collection in its 2018 awards celebrating the best of design. The range is named after the intricate fabric panels from India that played a key role in the chintz-mania of 17th- and 18th-century Europe. These exotic, Indienne-inspired designs, available from Jacaranda Carpets, include charming tree of life, batik and paisley motifs on …
A Story to Tell
Zoffany's Darnley collection draws on the evergreen country-house aesthetic. This elegant ‘Stand Wood' wallcovering, designed by renowned mural artist Melissa White, also picks up on the increasing importance of narrative in design: capturing the feel of an aged artwork, signature brushstrokes add interest as a mythical story unfolds. Other reinterpretations of country-house classics include 'Darnley' based on a design from …
Surveying the New World
Pierre Frey's Arapahos collection trains its eye on the New World, through the lens of the Western genre, explorers' notebooks – and a dash of fantasy and pop. Its free-form interpretation of Native American culture includes embroideries with geometric patterns, jacquards, stripes and prints, in a palette of 'traditional' ochres and blues as well as more contemporary shades such as …
Leaves & Flowers
Flowers and foliage are bold and bright – ready to be mixed and matched for a scheme that explodes in to life. From left to right: ‘Soft Sandy Silk’ rug (101736A) rug, Stark Carpet. ‘Violante Lodo D’Oria’ vases, Miles x Bookshop. ‘Trivento’ bath and ‘Florin’ taps, Victoria & Albert Baths. ‘Delphine’ rug, Topfloor by Esti. ‘Eaton’ small ottoman (1M061) upholstered in …
Aux Joy
New to George Spencer Designs is Aux Abris, a boutique design studio set up by interior designer Karen Robert. It specialises in wallcoverings printed on distinctive textures such as grasscloth, raw silk, canvas and woven Japanese paper. This Garden of Eden set of silk panels is pictured in colourway 'Eve' – and naturally, there's a companion called 'Adam', in a more …
Modern Masterpieces
Fine art is the nucleus of inspiration for so much of the best design – whether it responds to the stylistic traits of the painters of the past or involves creating sculptural furniture and objects that are just as expressive as something from a gallery. In addition, designers are working with an increasingly sophisticated client base who see art as central …
Right Here, Right Now with Peter Gomez
Zoffany's head of design Peter Gomez explains how the latest collection took its design cues from five-star hotels.
Mother Nature
Bring nature indoors with birdlife – feathers, eggs and all – and other native creatures. A soothing palette of duck egg, turquoise and soft grey brings calm, serenity and comfort. From left to right: ‘Gesso’ vase with handles and ‘Gesso Seated Bird’, both Julian Chichester. ‘Deco Monobloc’ lever basin mixer, silver, Perrin & Rowe. ‘Satin Nickel' finial (F298), McKinney & Co. …
Everyday Nomadism
There are always new cultures and regions to explore via the medium of design, and the vogue for all-embracing interiors that take their inspiration from every corner of the world shows no sign of slowing down. There is a sense of freedom in playing around with traditional motifs – as Pierre Frey says about its latest, New-World-inspired collections, "this tribute …
A Tropical Country Garden?
Botanical motifs are a decorating mainstay, but it's the way they are interpreted that varies from season to season. This spring's florals are bigger and bolder than ever. Lush, tropical-inspired prints are sticking around, but they've become more refined and grown up – think sophisticated swaying Hollywood palm trees with a hint of metallics. Graphic retro patterns also come to …
In the Mood for Missoni
The instantly recognisable textiles of Italian brand Missoni have been translated into vinyl wallcoverings, newly available at Brian Yates. Alongside the famous Missoni zig-zags, the collection includes a subtle mini chevron and plenty of florals, including 'Anemones' (pictured, top); some cleverly mimic an embroidered finish. The Brian Yates showroom launched the collection with a collaged moodboard that took up a …
Elle Decoration approved
Arte has launched an exciting collaboration with New York's Flavor Paper. Known for its subversive, pop-art-inspired and generally out-there patterns, Flavor Paper's capsule collection includes 'Snake Bit' (pictured), which updates the traditional horse-bit pattern with a tangle of venomous beasts; 'Sharp Descent', a rain of highly dangerous objects such as scissors and broken bottles; and 'City Park', a damask featuring …
In the Pink
Queen of the colour wheel, pink symbolises hope and empowerment – but it's also offering lessons in versatility when it comes to interiors. From calm, muted tones that segue into lilac to bubblegum shades that revel in an exuberant colour-clash with other brights, pink has lost its association with girlish prettiness and is embracing a new-found sophistication. Pictured from top …
Right Here, Right Now with Simon Rawlings
The creative director of David Collins Studio is launching a collection of fabrics and wallcoverings for Baker, and says that "Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour is something that I have always aspired to be a part of."
Tailored to Fit
Tailoring doesn't just belong in the fashion industry. A profusion of classic fabrics that could easily make the leap on to the pattern-cutter's table have arrived, with textured weaves, dogtooth, herringbone and smart checks. The trend also goes beyond fabrics: seek out details that have a natural affinity with tailoring, such as herringbone patterns for tiles and flooring, and furniture …
