Interior trends come and go but one motif that perennially (forgive the pun) reappears is the beauty of a garden in full bloom. Endlessly reinvented by designers, florals, fruit and foliage in all their colours and shapes can be both surprising yet reassuringly familiar.
This season we’ve noticed a revival in unapologetically chintzy design across all mediums – from fabric to furniture and ceramics – with blowsy blooms bringing a joyful maximalism to the al fresco table.
First up is the collaboration between Cutter Brooks and Chatsworth, the historic Derbyshire home of the Devonshire family. The capsule collection, titled ‘Ivy Print’, includes home accessories, soft furnishings and sleepwear based on a historic 1850s chintz unearthed by Laura Burlington in the attic textile archives at Chatsworth House.
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Featuring a delicately hand-blocked ivy motif, it forms part of a legacy of prints created over centuries and was used across Chatsworth and other historic homes on curtains and upholstery. She turned to friend and collaborator Amanda Brooks, founder of Cotswold-based shop and lifestyle brand Cutter Brooks to bring the print into the 21st century.
‘Amanda is so good at working with pattern, and I invited her to come and view the archive to see if she wanted to work with a fabric from it. We both instinctively loved the ivy print’ says Laura. Working with small artisan suppliers in India and the UK, Amanda oversaw the block-printing process to bring the versatile ivy pattern to life across sustainable organic cottons and linens on cushions, table linens, wallpaper and more.
From Chatsworth to Chelsea, where The Conran Shop decided to mark the biggest moment in the horticultural calendar, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, by inviting Zoë De Givenchy to help them create a floral fantasia in their Sloane Square flagship store.
The installation, ‘La Douce France’, was designed by Mark Upstone, Head of Creative at The Conran Shop with Zoë, founder and Creative Director of Z.d.G, a brand synonymous with the finest artisanal French objects for the home and table. Nestled within the lush wildflower meadows were tables set with pieces from Z.d.G’s new tableware collection featuring delicate floral faience (a glazed ceramic) designs.
Zoë says ‘The collections we are showing at The Conran Shop are truly a floral feast – from the ‘Picardie’ collection so-named for the region’s famous abundant village gardens, to the ‘Brindille’ which is a sprig design from Provence.’ The delicate illustrations are hand-painted by master craftsmen, the relaxed, free style making them almost seem to be growing across the ceramics.
Meanwhile, Daylesford Organic has joined forces with artist Hugo Guinness to create The Wildflower Collection, a bespoke range of tableware and linens in crisp blue and white that pays homage to the English countryside and summertime.
Lady Bamford says the collection was inspired by ‘blue skies over our wildflower meadow at the farm; a vibrant natural tapestry that includes cornflowers, poppies, flax and blue vetch. Not only is the meadow beautiful and fragrant, it is an important part of Daylesford’s traditional, organic agricultural practices, feeding the bees and other pollinating insects that support our entire food system.’
Whether this summer turns out to be golden or a complete washout, bring the spirit of the season to your table with these pieces that capture the beauty of the natural world.
