Disney’s films have enchanted millions for a century and, to celebrate that milestone, Disney Home has this year collaborated with Sanderson Design Group – a company with its own proud heritage – on a new collection of fabrics and wallpapers featuring Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Snow White and friends.
The relationship between the two firms dates back to 1928, and in the early 1930s Walt Disney himself commissioned the English design house to produce a range of children’s wallpapers at its Perivale factory, followed by fabrics printed in Uxbridge. The collection cleverly reimagines these original designs.
‘We found a box of photographs featuring Disney film stills, original artworks and a catalogue of Sanderson’s nursery designs; these inspired our designers to create a new collection for the 21st century,’ says Sanderson’s archivist Catherine Sidwell.
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A huge amount of work went into capturing the spirit of each character: ‘We tried to keep as close to the archived documents as possible, down to the characteristic misalignment of a Mickey sketch,’ explains design director Claire Vallis. ‘It is instantly recognisable and had to remain, so we did a lot of redrawing.’
For some of the rediscovered patterns, new uses were easy to decide – ‘Bambi felt like a fabric from the very beginning,’ Vallis states. ‘The beautiful Sanderson floral, peppered with the young deer hidden amongst the woodland flowers, is such an enchanting design, perfect for a powder room or bedroom.’ It’s her personal favourite: ‘so nostalgic and iconic!’
Sidwell’s preference is for Alice in Wonderland – a childhood favourite. ‘I love John Tenniel’s original illustrations,’ she explains, adding, ‘I enjoy hosting tea parties outdoors, so the pattern would make a great tablecloth! I’d also like to line the inside of my wardrobe with the wallpaper so, when I open the doors, I can revisit that fantasy world.’
‘We remained true to the classic Disney palettes and infused them with our iconic Sanderson shades,’ explains Vallis, who points to mouthwatering colour names like ‘Gumball Green’,‘Lemon Sherbet’ and ‘Sugared Almond’. ‘These archive colours are very much back in vogue again, so our 1930s-inspired choices feel fresh and relevant but still reflective of a bygone era.’
If home is a sanctuary, it makes sense to fill it with much-loved familiar figures who feel like old friends, whether that’s a flying elephant or a sticky-fingered little bear. ‘This whole collection is about discovering the unexpected through exploration – as textile designers, we really feed off that possibility,’ says Vallis. ‘How will people interpret these designs in interiors? It’s so exciting to imagine.’ sanderson.sandersondesigngroup.com
