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The new year promises to bring an abundance of handmade and bespoke fabrics, wallpapers, and rugs in a slew of new vibrant patterns and textures
Written by Melissa Feldman
Decorex, the annual interior design trade fair held in London each fall, showcases everything from furniture, lighting and accessories to floor coverings, but textiles are the heart of this world-renowned exhibit. The best designers come equipped with their latest techniques, weaves, patterns and color schemes and never cease to impress. This year attendance was up by 9 percent, with a record total of 9,889 visitors, including journalists, interior designers, buyers and exhibitors. Coinciding with Decorex was Focus, another of London's important interior design show which was hosted by Chelsea Harbor, the British capital's equivalent of Los Angeles's Pacific Design Center or New York's D&D Building, where elite manufacturers and designers swung open their doors to visitors from the trade who arrived from far and wide.
Almost half of the 260 exhibitors displayed a stunning variety of textiles, including fabrics, wall coverings, curtains, rugs and trims. The stars of this year's show were undoubtedly the wallpaper introductions, which ran the gamut from fabulous to froufrou. Sixties-era pop imagery and nature-themed motifs predominated. Though we have our favorites, like new kid on the block Georgia Horton for her hand-painted wallpaper collection and Nina Campbell, the unofficial grand dame of Decorex, for her ever-fabulous furniture, accessories, and luxe textile offerings, the best stand trophy was bestowed upon the wondrous wallpaper maker Fromental.
Whats Next in Textiles
Spina is a partnership between designers Robbie Spina and Joe Zito, who are known for their lavish fabrics and accessories. They introduced their Kokeshi Collection, inspired by Japanese dolls from the Tohoku region of Japan. The charming pattern was translated into print and jacquard fabrics, tableware, lighting, cushions, tiebacks, tassels and rugs.
Nina Campbell launched her sumptuous fabrics and wallpapers for Osborne & Little, including her Sylvana Collection, which is sprinkled with swan, weeping willow, grass and blossom motifs. Shown here is Arboretum, one of her stunning wallpapers patterned with oversize leaves and Salix, a pink leafy fabric pattern made of viscose, polyester and linen.
When it comes to bold and graphic textiles, Andrew Martin, is the king of Brit pop. The stand was filled with psychedelic patterns and Union Jack motifs, as well as luxurious velvets and "picture show cushions" of 1950s pinup girls. Shown here: the Claudius sofa, upholstered in the Fab Four Multi fabric depicting the Beatles in their Sgt. Pepper glory days.
London-based artist Georgia Horton launched a whimsical new wallpaper collection at this year's fair. Her designs, which Horton describes as "somewhere between organic and architectural," included Ribbon & Hues (shown) from the One Collection, with nine patterns in four colorways.
In 2005 designer Tim Butcher (an alumnus of De Gournay, the quintessential chinoiserie wall covering maker), and his wife, Lizzie Deshayes, founded Fromental to offer their first collection of hand-painted and embroidered silk wallpaper. The couple's new line includes this paper painted in freehand with flowing, calligraphy-style brushstrokes. The pattern, called Prunus, is printed on mulberry-pulp paper that is embroidered and hand-painted with natural dyes.
Brit design duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby have created a collection of playful rugs featuring animals for the Rug Company; it includes Snake and Butterfly Pink (shown here), fashioned in hand-knotted Tibetan wool.
The Rug Company also offers Helen Amy Murray's Star Silk carpet (shown here), which was inspired by Indian carvings. The hand-knotted carpet is made from wool and carved silk to create a tactile raised surface.
Hyde House, a British furniture maker specializing in contemporary bespoke pieces, presented a collection done in collaboration with 55max.com, which offers works by more than 30 international artists and photographers, as well as iconic shots from the renowned Getty Images library, all of which can be customized for use on wallpapers, fabrics and blinds. Kate Martin's sensuous photograph Suck This, which depicts open lips, is the basis for the upholstery on these bar stools.
Multitasker William Yeoward designs his own line of exquisite crystal, lamps, accessories and fabrics. Here, a Versus chair is upholstered with his Louisette Olive velvet and shown with one of his handmade cushions.
Rebecca Aird and Peter Thwaites collaborate on their Rapture and Right collection of hand-printed fabric and wallpaper. Because their cloth is woven in the United Kingdom and hand-printed in their studio, they can rightly boast that it is 100 percent British. The Doves pattern is hand-printed on linen and comes in seven colors.
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