MG EXPERIENCE LUXURY
MG EXPERIENCE LUXURY
Below: A range of lamps with patterned shades are shown from Pooky Lighting. Right: Design firm Salvesen Graham added a decorative map of London to an eclectic room with British themes.
DEFINING BRITISH DESIGN Blacker says layering color, con- trast, pattern, and texture in British design is a common theme. “While it is impossible to pigeon- hole British design in a single sentence, the general British aesthetic has always been to embrace pattern and print and to combine it in a warm, traditional environment,” he explains. The layers create a “personal, often eccentric and joyous interior.”
Left: Floral wallpaper from U.K.-based Morris & Co. celebrates the British countryside. Right: In two different spaces, designer Courtnay Tartt Elias adds patterned fabrics with British flair.
orange, and fuchsia, alongside abstract motifs for a groovy-yet- glam aesthetic. “David Hicks’ bold color choices and use of geometric patterns in flooring have undoubtedly influ- enced American design, especially his Hicks’ Hexagon,” Tartt Elias says. “His use of color and mix of antique and modern furnishings, as well as patterned flooring, is quint- essentially British. I love the deeply layered feeling his spaces invoke.”
“My greatest contribution as an interior designer has been to show people how to use bold color mix- tures, how to use patterned carpets, how to light rooms, and how to mix old with new,” the late designer wrote in his 1968 book David Hicks— Living with Taste . A tour de force in the design world, Hicks was the king of blending styles and periods, often incorporating a symphony of vivid colors, such as canary yellow, fiery
“I love the layered look while working with antiques or one-of-a-kind items,” says Maryland designer Kelley Proxmire of English period furniture. “These unique pieces often give the room a special, welcoming, homey look—perhaps a sense of family and history.” William Morris—the British textile designer, artist, and father of the Arts and Crafts movement—was perhaps one of the most influential figures in English design and decoration. Beginning in the 19th century, this period was one of reform, one intended to revamp decorative arts and nurture designers as craftspeople. His timeless patterns reflect vines, leaves, flowers, trees, and animals in English gardens. Venerable textile brand Sanderson & Co. produces William Morris’s archive-inspired work through Morris & Co. Besides textiles, the botanical patterns can be found on bedding, dinnerware, and other home goods. Tartt Elias recently turned to Morris & Co.’s new out- door line to rework her home’s exterior space. “I remain drawn to his interpretation of flora and fauna, whether in small or large patterns,” she explains. “How he repeats the patterns across a fabric or wallpaper is pure artistry.” Fast forward to the 20th century, and numerous British designers influenced America’s home-decor scene. One is English design icon David Hicks, who brought his British eclecticism to the U.S., curating Manhattan apartments in the 1960s.
“People want their homes to feel warm and cozy and lived in.” COURTNAY TARTT ELIAS
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