TIME TO REFINE The spring wallpaper and fabric collections offer a fresh spin on classic English interiors.

Time to refine

The spring collections offer an opportunity to reconsider classic English interiors, with new takes on timeless patterns in a refreshing palette of colours and layers of texture

The plethora of beautiful new fabrics and wallpapers are the perfect excuse for giving classic English interiors a stylish update. This season sees pattern, colour and textures all celebrated in tempting designs that hark back to timeless prints brought up to date with a new vibrancy. Claire German, CEO of the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour, home to many esteemed design houses, says, “There is a strong sense of creative confidence across the new season collections, with a bold experimentation around colour and abstraction.” German highlights nature as an inspiration for pattern, “with a keen focus on botanical prints. There’s an emphasis on simple native species and the beauty of the garden.” There is something, too, for those seeking plainer yet still luxurious designs, with a quieter focus on fine natural materials to offer sumptuously tactile textiles and innovative wallcoverings.

COLE & SON

Ardmore-Jabula is a fun collection from Cole & Son, capturing the animal kingdom and African landscapes in vibrant designs full of exuberant character certain to impress in a hallway or a cloakroom, if not in a larger space. The abstract Zulu Terrain (below) is a calmer affair – particularly in neutral tones. The shapes evoke feathers, trees and undulating hills, and though rich in detail, provide a gentle backdrop in a classic setting.

ABOVE Wallpaper, Waterlily, Midnight, £59 a roll, Wedgwood by Clarke & Clarke LEFT Wallpaper, Zulu Terrain, Slate & Duck Egg, £114 a roll, Cole & Son BELOW Wallpaper, Eversley – Jade Rose, Cinnamon Tobacco, Verdigris, from £115 a metre, Parker & Jules OPPOSITE Mia linen in various colours, £88 a metre, Manuel Canovas

CLARKE & CLARKE

A celebration of the archive and heritage of iconic British brand, Wedgwood, Clarke & Clarke’s launch of nine fabrics and 10 wallpapers sees an exciting blend of colour, pattern and historic inspirations. We particularly like Waterlily (above), which celebrates the quintessential design created by Wedgwood in the 1800s and thought to have been inspired by John, Josiah Wedgwood’s eldest son, a keen horticulturalist and founder of the Royal Horticultural Society. Temper the tropical feel with a few classical touches or add more vibrancy with lively pink accents. Or opt for a lighter colourway for a fresh, crisp look.

PARKER & JULES

For lovers of chintz, the Eversley design from Parker & Jules provides a pared-back, graphic yet ultimately delicate depiction. Launched as a wallpaper at the end of autumn 2021, it is to be released as a fabric on oyster linen, heavy linen and velvet in mid-March.

GP & J BAKER

Inspired by the English countryside in spring and summer, the Ashmore collection has a perfect synergy with an English country home. Delicate roses, leafy branches, painterly birds and blowsy peonies combine in a delicate, soft palette for a romantic, yet refined look. Managing and creative director, Ann Grafton tells how the collection would suit a quintessential English aesthetic: “The Ashmore collection perfectly captures the timelessness of country interiors where rush matting, chalky painted furniture and antique finds meet casually mismatched china and glassware, pretty floral prints and crisp vintage linens to create romantic, airy rooms.”

ABOVE LEFT Curtains, Broughton Rose, £98 a metre; chair, Weathered Linen, £115 a metre; and cushions and swatches, all from the Ashmore collection, GP & J Baker BELOW Curtain, Toile Chinoise, £85 a metre; chair, Aublet, and cushion, Cardot, both £79 a metre, all Nina Campbell at Osborne & Little RIGHT Cornubia wallpapers, from £109 a roll, Morris & Co

MORRIS & CO

We loved Ben Pentreath’s previous collaboration with Morris & Co, Queen’s Square, which saw classic designs reimagined in autumnal colourways. Cornubia completes the story with a fresh, lively palette of spring and summer colours. The well-preserved Arts and Crafts estate Porth-en Alls on the Cornish coastline provided a starting point for the palette, and Pentreath also drew on historical family connections to Cornwall and a love of the beautiful landscape to create the colours. The yellows are echoes of the daffodils and gorse flowers, vibrant turquoise blues of the ocean and greens of the luscious grasses. All combine to bring fresh new life to iconic designs such as Honeysuckle, Marigold and Willow Bough – a perfect opportunity to redecorate with an old favourite, or a fresh new introduction to heritage designs.

NINA CAMPBELL

Eastern influences are a regular feature of Nina Campbell’s designs, tempered in colourways suited to an English palate. A standout piece is Toile Chinoise (left), a delicate yet modern incarnation of a toile with chinoiserie depictions of a garden, painted in watercolour. It pairs beautifully with other designs featuring bamboo and leafy fronds, or for a more classic look it can be matched to smart plains, checks and stripes in complementary colours.

WARNER HOUSE

With an extensive archive to draw upon, Warner House always delivers beautiful new incarnations of classic designs with a range of influences. Director, Lee Clarke, discusses the choices made for the latest offerings: “Carefully selected from our archive, the new collection seeks its inspiration from the decadent patterns of the Ottoman Empire, scenic Mughal designs and ninteenth-century chintzes. Reimagining these patterns in new colourways has brought a timeless, romantic feel to the collection. Lavenham is one of my personal favourites, combining classic elements of nineteenth-century English chintz with modern florals and a scrolling stripe trail.” Available in an array of colours, we particularly like the plums and pinks which are beguiling, yet smart paired with deep hits of navy blue.

GEORGE SPENCER DESIGNS

Coral Reef fabric by George Spencer Designs offers an array of neutrals, with a few deeper splashes of russet red or navy blue perfect for a mellow, relaxed mood. The delicate coral pattern is unobtrusive yet alluring and ideal as cushions but also a charming choice for an armchair or window seat, ideally overlooking the sea. Coral Reef, £136 a metre, George Spencer Designs

MANUEL CANOVAS

From ornate Fabergé eggs to beautiful hot air balloons, the spring collection from Manuel Canovas has a playful aspect. An uplifting mix of colour and pattern matched by vivid, saturated plains (see opening page) gives it a wide appeal to those who want to be a little more daring. We love the idea of using a quirkier pattern – such as the air balloons – in panelling; it adds a note of fun to a refined scheme, whilst retaining the elegance and gravitas of period features.

ABOVE Wallpaper, L’Envol, Jade, £158 a roll; curtain, Agathe, Celeste, £120 a metre, both Manuel Canovas BELOW Chair and blind, Tabley, Spice; curtain, Lilou, Merlot; cushion, Giverney, Rouge; and swatches (from top): Pavone, Pastel; Tabley, Mulberry; Lavenham, Rose, all £65 a metre, all Warner House

Always reliable for quality plains and textured, innovative weaves, the latest offerings from Mark Alexander do not disappoint. Mark Butcher, head of Mark Alexander, discusses the importance of linen, which features in many guises across the collection. “Linen works across seasons; it’s one of the most durable fibres and has such diverse characteristics from very clean, long-staple, wet-spun yarns, to beautiful, dry, slubby ‘vintage’ looks. Versatile and so very covetable, linen is also environmentally conscious, clever and, above all, elegant.” These beautifully made fabrics offer a timeless appeal that works for a calm, chic look or to pair with patterned pieces for contrast.

ABOVE Left-hand sofa, Patina, Sage, £117 a metre; right-hand sofa, Flanders, White Sand, £130 a metre; pouffe, Patina, Sage, and throw, Patina, Verde, both £117 a metre; cushions in Flanders or Patina, all Mark Alexander RIGHT Selection of Serrano Linen, from £99 a metre, and Danube linen, from £39.90, all Linwood

LINWOOD

Sometimes less is more, and in the case of fine linen, layering soft natural tones and tactile textures is all that is needed to create subtle impact. A sustainable choice, Linwood’s luxurious linens have been woven in a range of weights and styles, offering a versatile and subtle way to add texture in upholstery and curtains.

JAMES HARE

Creative director of James Hare, Saffron Hare reveals, “Our new Campden collection aims to weave together fabrics that work in both town and country settings. We’ve combined the cool, warm neutrals of a town palette with a lively and colourful country palette and used a lot of natural fibres in this new range.” The dual inspirations, the Regency era houses of Campden Hill, London and the pretty Cotswold market town of Chipping Campden, give this collection a broad appeal. Choose from leafy motifs and pared-back chintzes to contemporary geometrics and an ornate suzani silk stripe.

LÅNGELID / VON BRÖMSSEN

Whilst we love to champion home-grown products, we could not resist the beautiful wallpapers designed by Långelid / Von Brömssen and printed by Ulricehamns Tapetfabrik. The Heritage collection combines influences from folklore and “Grandma’s garden” with a naïve charm, in a blend of ditsier scales and larger repeats in a gentle palette.

ARTE

Arte’s innovative approach to wallcoverings always tempts and excites. Sculptura is inspired by traditional plasterwork. Using strips of plaster arranged to create organic geometric patterns with uneven plasterwork-type textures in assorted colours make for an interesting, subtle choice for walls. For a more prominent piece, a complementary pictorial design, Rovine (right), celebrates fine plasterwork in its completed state with a panoramic mural of Romanstyle columns and arches for a striking touch of neo-classicism.

ABOVE LEFT Curtain, Ashbee, Natural, £115 a metre, James Hare ABOVE RIGHT Wallpaper, Herons, Trench Coat, £99 a roll, Långelid / Von Brömssen at Ulricehamms Tapetfabrik LEFT Wallpaper, Rovine, £379 a panel (2m x 3m), Arte

ROMO

A multi-faceted offering from Romo sees six distinct collections launched. “The six new collections offer a compendium of exquisite design, irresistible qualities, and inspiring colour palettes,” says Romo’s director of design, Emily Mould. “Decorative fabrics and wallcoverings take inspiration from an eclectic mix of cultural influences and late-nineteenth century prints, offering a glimmer into the grandeur of stately homes of the past, reimagined in a distinctly Romo style.” We particularly like Sayuri (right), with its sophisticated depictions of bamboo, ferns, and trailing flowers in delicious deep teals. Lighten the mood with pale pink on furnishings and keep woodwork sleek in a similar shade of blue-green for a streamlined approach that allows the wallpaper to shine.

OSBORNE & LITTLE

The new collection from Osborne & Little is a diverse offering with plenty of botanical influences. Here we focus on the luscious Trebah Velvet and discover the design process. “We were inspired by the beautiful valley gardens and coastline of Cornwall,” explains Johanna Bright, head of design. “The change of scale within the Trebah Velvet design creates a playful perspective, where a freshwater stream cascades through the landscape to meet the sea. The surrounding fields are abundant with wild flowers and cedar trees, and in the distance we discretely painted Pendennis Castle. The design has been painted with intricate patterns similar to hand-stitched quilts.” Trebah Velvet, £149 a metre, Osborne & Little

ABOVE Wallpaper, Sayuri, Hunter, £TBC; armchair, Forenza, Tapestry cotton velvet, £69 a metre; cushion, Kara, Silver Blue, £131.50 a metre, all Romo BELOW Curtain in Banjara, £175 a metre, Footstool, Nizhoni, £150 a metre; Cushion, Bandha, £95 a metre, all William Yeoward for Designers Guild

DESIGNERS GUILD

William Yeoward’s Banjara is a collection inspired by the English desire for travel and bringing things home to create a globally influenced look. Prints, weaves and embroideries are brought together with a distinctive English feel, with an exotic twist. The skills and craftsmanship of other countries are also celebrated – hand-loomed and -embroidered pieces sit alongside printed incarnations of ikat weaves. The blend of different cultures makes this collection easy to layer for achieving that curiously English eclecticism. n