There is a peculiarly British art, some might say, of preserving all that is best in our past, and making it stylish and relevant for the present. It is something that our fashion designers have done famously well – selecting a timeless trench coat, for example, or a pair of Wellington boots, and showing why they should be objects of desire for a new generation – and our heritage interiors brands do this equally well. A case in point is the 163-year-old Sanderson fabric and wallpaper house, whose distinctive florals and botanicals have a long and distinguished history, but whose creative and original approach makes them perfect for a modern interior.
So just how do you take a century and a half of history and make it cool? It only requires a brief glance at Sanderson’s latest campaign, shot by the wonderfully creative Damian Foxe, to grasp the concept. The acclaimed photographer and editor has taken a trip through Sanderson’s archives, layering pattern on pattern in dramatic style and showing how closely the worlds of fashion and interiors intersect. Quintessentially English and rooted in the past these patterns may be, whether they are gloriously blooming chintzes or delicate chinoiserie motifs, but arranged with boldness and flair in this way, they take on new and fresh life. Inspired by Damian’s images, we have extracted a few lessons in how to combine historic design with daring originality.
‘Stapleton Park’ (pictured above) is a fabric that immediately demands attention, its large-scale bunches of roses, foxgloves, cornflowers and hydrangeas tumbling across the surface in joyful bouquets. Hand-drawn for Sanderson’s fabric collections in 1990, it instantly recalls the English countryside and a thousand comfortable, chintzy country-house sofas at the same time. Yet in this reimagining, it is the centrepiece of a dynamic decorative scheme, providing the backdrop and the dress (hand-crafted from strips of wallpaper) that model Amber Rose Witcomb is wearing. The key to its success is that it is boldly combined with other floral patterns in a burst of pink, purple, red and green. Another appealing pattern, ‘Rose and Peony’, in which these English blooms feature more densely, and the elegant ‘Chinese Lantern’, in which delicate fuchsias stand out against a pale pink background, help to showcase the beauty of ‘Stapleton Park’. Even looser and more informal is the trailing design of ‘Aril’s Garden’, an indienne-style pattern of stylised flowers, insects and birds. It may seem a bit daunting to combine so many different florals in one room, but keeping the colour scheme consistent and the motifs varied makes it seem perfectly possible.
While these irresistible florals are especially associated with Sanderson, Damian’s campaign shows us how a considered use of more graphic patterns can elevate and enhance them. In an image formed by a riot of blue and white pattern (pictured above), we particularly love the charming meanders of ‘Oxbow’ on the wallpaper and curtains – this is an incredibly versatile design that would coordinate beautifully with almost any other of the prints in the collection. Stripes are also a star when it comes to bringing freshness and cleanness to a scheme. Sticking to the same colour palette, we see the candy-cane effect of ‘Pinetum Stripe’ and the larger woven ‘Valley Stripe’ adding a contemporary edge. Anyone who wishes to layer pattern on pattern could take a tip from these well chosen accents.
These images show how Sanderson’s design legacy can be constantly refreshed and revived by new perspectives, and the inspiration does not end with the new campaign. In the above bedroom, which effortlessly blends patterns and colours, the winding tendrils of ‘Aril’s Garden’ on the wallpaper create an eye-catching backdrop, its red flowers neatly picking up on the more graphic, small-scale ‘Truffle’ that has been used to upholster the buttoned headboard. Meanwhile, the larger scale of ‘Ancient Canopy’ is ideal for a distinctive blind, and stands out well against the pale ground of the wallpaper. The combination of different scales is a clever way to bring a varied range of patterns together without any one individual design overwhelming the others. Many of these may be traditional prints with a long heritage, but they are perfectly ready to make their way into the future.
Anyone who is hoping to bring these decorative schemes into their own houses would be well served by an attentive look at this exciting new campaign, which turns such an innovative and curious eye on what Sanderson has been doing so well for more than a century and a half. With one foot in the eccentrically eclectic past and one foot in the creative future, it is just the inspiration we are looking for this year. And it just so happens that Sanderson is currently offering the chance to win a very generous £500 worth of fabric and wallpapers – the perfect starting point for the transformation of your interiors this season and beyond.
Enter the competition here before July 31, 2023 to be in with a chance of winning.
