THE DESIGN ARCHIVES

The Design Archives owned by Sharon Crowson, is a London based boutique interiors brand specialising in printed textiles and wallpaper. The designs are inspired by historic documents taken from the Crowson Archive, the legacy of her distinguished textile printer and collector father, Derek Crowson. The brand under Sharon’s direction, remains constant in its commitment to embracing a classic heritage of pattern and texture, while injecting a contemporary twist through her signature taste in colouring and an inventive use of scale, bringing to life some of the archive’s most beautiful designs.

Each stand alone collection has a specific aesthetic and style. The best selling Shala collection includes three vintage designs from the historical archive. The collection includes the eponymously named Shala based on a classic Indian floral motif, a large scale floral chinoiserie with sweeping botanical notes called Exotic Fruits, and Albertina which is a classic French toile design. Last year the brand also launched The Birchgrove Collection, its first dedicated group of wallpaper designs to add a new offering alongside its bespoke fabric backed papers. New for 2023 is Samarkand, a vibrant and eclectic fabric collection comprising of printed archival designs inspired by traditional ikat and hand woven kilim textiles, which will be previewed this spring at London Design Week.

Over the last five years the archive has provided an invaluable source of inspiration for Sharon, and mindful that she wanted to capitalise on this rich and diverse collection, she embarked on an ambitious project creating The Crowson Archive. “We curated and digitised the entire collection of over 5000 designs which has been a massive labour of love but so satisfying” explains Sharon. The archive can now be accessed by anyone who registers on the dedicated site, providing an incredible source of inspiration of styles, from 18th century Japanese prints, through to French chinoiserie and modern 1960s abstract designs.

The Details

The Design Archives, Worlds End Studios, 132-134 Lots Road, Chelsea

London SW10 0RJ

Tel 020 7349 7018

Open Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm info@thedesignarchives.com thedesignarchives.com & crowsonarchives.com

The Design Archives has exciting ambitions for the future, with a recent move to a larger and more spacious showroom at Worlds End Studios on Lots Road in Chelsea, where it now also hosts bespoke curtain pole and finial makers Todd Knights. Sitting alongside a number of other top textile showrooms such as Ian Mankin and Fox Linton, Worlds End Studios provides a creative and desirable destination for designers and retail customers to visit.