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From the early years of the twentieth century until well into the 1930s Paris was the epicentre of a design movement that aimed to redefine the decorative arts in a very modern and particularly French way. The passing of time has done nothing to diminish its allure. Chris Yeo delves deeper.
Now, as we know, the French have a long and proud history in the decorative arts – they virtually invented the idiom – but, more than any other, there’s one style that encapsulates le style Francais. You might know it as Art Deco. The French called it Moderne. Ah, Art Deco. Just mention it and images of sleek ocean liners, peopled by impossibly beautiful characters wearing Cartier jewels and sipping Manhattan cocktails spring to mind. Or maybe it’s the futuristic styling of Max Sterm’s Metropolis or even the gaudy delights of the Odeon cinema – those streamlined and chrome-plated ‘peoples’ palaces’ that brought Hollywood glamour to the depression-ravaged masses of the 1930s. Art Deco emerged as a style for the new century and an ever-changing, fast-paced world of motor cars, air travel, flappers, and syncopated jazz. It’s the style of the Chrysler building, of the Zigfeld Follies and, as it happens, Victoria Coach Station; an intoxicating mix that continues to beguile us as much as it did in the Roaring Twenties.
Has there ever been a style more luxurious, glamorous, more imitated and, perhaps, less understood? Let’s start with the name. ‘Art Deco’ was actually only first coined in the late 1960s as a sort of two-hander to Art Nouveau which had preceded it. Also, far from being a single recognisable style, there were, in fact, many different strands, depending on when and where it popped up.
Italy, Sweden and, of course, America all had their own particular ‘takes’ on it. But nowhere did the style emerge more coherently than in France. Many books will tell you that Art Deco first surfaced at the Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, the world expo held in Paris in 1925. Except that it didn’t. The Moderne style actually began to appear in France much earlier, around 1910 and was well into its stride by the time of the exhibition.
So, having de-bunked a couple of myths, let’s look at what is it that makes French Art Deco, sorry, Moderne, so distinctive. It’s all down to time and place. The French interpretation of the style was extremely luxurious, relying on rare and exotic materials like Macassar, ebony, lacquer, shagreen and mother-of-pearl, to give a sheen of glamour. As the centre of the world’s luxury goods market, Parisian designers were well-placed to take advantage of the readiness of these materials and could also draw on the world-leading expertise that Parisian craftsmen had in working them.
So much for place, as for time, le Style Moderne sought inspiration not from the modern industrial world, instead, it looked back in time to the world of Marie Antoinette and the French aristocracy. For a style so synonymous with the twentieth century, the French Moderne style is firmly rooted in the grand traditions of the 18th Century ancien régime – the political and social system of France before the revolution of 1789 – and its time-honoured traditions of apprenticeship and guild training.
During the 18th Century, France established itself in the forefront of the luxury trades, producing furniture, porcelain, glass, metalwork and textiles of unsurpassed refinement and elegance with Paris becoming the style capital of the western world. The ebenistes of Paris became the acknowledged masters of furniture making in Europe, supplying the homes and chateaux of the French court and aristocracy.
Some of the most beautiful and refined furniture ever made, displaying the highest level of artistic and technical ability, was created in Paris during the eighteenth century. Rather than breaking with tradition, the great designers of the 1920s saw themselves as inheritors of a grand tradition stretching back over two centuries. Tradition, however, was not the only source of inspiration. So too were the exotic, avant-garde trends in the fine arts and fashion. The vogue for exoticism developed following the arrival in Paris of the Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev and his dance troupe, the Ballets Russes, in 1909, with its wildly atmospheric and outré productions. Léon Bakst’s design for Schéhérezade (1910), for example, featured lavish orientalist sets and costumes. The unexpected colour combinations, vivid patterns and louche furnishings – billowing curtains, low-slung divans, piles of tasselled pillows – were immediately imitated in stylish interiors by Paris artist-decorators.
Paris in the 1920s had an abundance of places where objects in the Moderne style were sold and displayed, mostly galleries, showrooms and shops on the more voguish Right Bank of the city centre. What were called Ensemblier showrooms, such as those of Emille-Jacques Ruhlmann, Süe et Mare and Martine, not only displayed individual pieces for sale but presented fully furnished interiors that suggested the range of what the ensemblier could produce on commission. At the more accessible end of the market, the four big Paris department stores established specialised decorating departments and many speciality shops, including Jean Luce, La Crémaillère and Le Grand Dépôt, which sold a wide range of glass, ceramics, linens and other utilitarian and decorative goods. It was as if Moderne had entered the DNA of the French capital.
For those in search of the Moderne style, Paris is, of course, a mere hop and skip over the channel but for a taste of the style that’s a little closer to home, Eltham Palace near Greenwich is a capsule of 1930s Parisian-inspired sophistication. Stephen and Virginia Courtauld of the eponymous textiles dynasty bought Eltham with its semi-ruined medieval Great Hall, moat and bridge, and rebuilt it as a dazzlingly sophisticated semi-rural hideaway. The saloon is a vast Moderne interior, lined with Australian black bean wood panelling, topped with a dome and finished off with a vast, circular, abstract carpet, the effect is like entering the First Class Lounge of a 1930s liner. Not that everyone felt that at the time: one editorial in The Times likened it to a cigarette factory.
The stock market crash of 1929 saw the optimism of the 1920s gradually decline. By the mid-1930s, Art Deco was being derided as a gaudy, false image of luxury. Despite its demise, however, Art Deco made a fundamental impact on subsequent design. Art Deco's widespread application and enduring influence prove that its appeal is based on more than visual allure alone.
Vive la France!
Click here to visit our lookbook 'Iconic Geometry' for our take on an Art Deco inspired interior.
Or click here to shop our full collection of Art Deco pieces.
There is a wonderful team of people behind the scenes at Lorfords, many of which you don't get to see. What better way to introduce them than with their top picks in our Lorfords Christmas Gift Guide! From thoughtful gifts to extra seating, we're getting you ready for the festivities.
Toby Lorford, Director
Toby's top picks include a striking 19th Century Italian enfilade of a bold architectural design and a beautiful pair of 19th Century Tuscan wall sconces, decorated in traditional cream and gilt.
19th Century Italian Painted Enfilade
Pair of 19th Century Tuscan Wall Sconces
Alice Hagues, General Manager
Alice's top picks include a classic 1930's design Lloyd Loom sofa in original French grey paintwork and a stylish Modernist textile screen in the manner of Edward Bawden.
Carly Watkins, Marketing Manager
Carly's top picks include a large black-and-white image of a Roman emperor in the style of Timney Fowler and a pair of Art Deco armchairs which have recently been reupholstered in an attractive monochrome colour palette.
Large Contemporary Image of a Roman Emperor
Pair of French Art Deco Armchairs
Heidi Hadfield, Sales Manager and Accounts
Heidi's top picks include an iconic wicker Harley Davidson motorcycle designed by Tom Dixon and a charming pair of carved oak cherubs dating to circa 1880.
20th Century Tom Dixon Wicker Motorcycle
Pair of 19th Century Carved Cherubs
Robert Evans, Logistics Manager
Rob's top picks include a luxurious blue velvet armchair paired with the perfect Christmas afternoon set-up; a fabulous brass drinks trolley and a Parisian-style silverplate cocktail shaker.
Late 19th Century Blue Velvet Armchair
20th Century French Brass Drinks Trolley
Large Parisian Style Silverplate Cocktail Shaker
Jane Body, Sales
Jane's top picks include a comfortable English Country House chaise longue with hidden storage and a charming 20th Century feather-filled carpet cushion.
20th Century English Country House Chaise Longue
20th Century Feather Field Carpet Cushion
Tom Valentine, Sales
Tom's top picks include a wonderful untouched George III secretaire estate cupboard and a superb English club fender of large proportions.
George III Oak Secretaire Estate Cabinet
Large 19th Century Club Fender
Hattie Icke, Logistics Coordinator
Hattie's top picks include an original 19th Century French carpet sofa from the Napoleon III period and a charming pair of silverplate Mr and Mrs napkin rings in their original box.
19th Century French Carpet Sofa
Pair of 20th Century Madame and Monsieur Napkin Rings
Kate Williams, Sales and Stylist
Kate's top picks include a wonderfully shaped two-seat sofa featuring a scalloped back, enclosed sides and sloping armrests and a fabulous pair of 20th Century clam shells.
Pair of 20th Century Clam Shells
Eleanor Buonaparte, Dealer Liaison and Stock Coordinator
Eleanor's top picks include a 20th Century lacquer and gilt Chinese screen, depicting cranes and gold-painted bamboo to the reverse, and a stunning 19th Century drop-end red Chesterfield sofa.
20th Century Chinese Lacquer Screen
Stephanie Ashby, Photographer
Steph's top picks include a fine early 19th Century complete circular tree seat from the Regency period, and a late 20th Century print of Liz Hurley by John Stoddart which rests on a stylish lucite and brass display tripod with adjustable blocks.
Regency Circular Wrought Iron Tree Seat
20th Century French Lucite Easel
Late 20th Century Liz Hurley Print by John Stoddart
Sophie Jones, Marketing Assistant
Sophie's top picks include a 19th Century French chaise longue in pink velvet and a beautiful framed black and white French scenic wallpaper depicting an attractive lakeside scene.
19th Century Upholstered Pink Banquette
Piers Ingall, Stock Vetter
Piers' top picks include a fabulous pair of Italian marquetry and ormolu bedside tables and a truly outstanding 19th Century folk art diorama model of Tower Bridge, London.
Pair of Italian Marquetry Bedside Tables
19th Century Model of Tower Bridge
Dave Jeens, Restorer
Dave's top picks include a 20th Century coffee table with a drawer and its original key, a lovely example of an early 20th Century Edwardian elbow chair and a stylish 20th Century opaline glass table lamp.
Small 20th Century Coffee Table
Giant Mid-Century Style Opaline Glass Table Lamp
Jordan Anderson, Logistics
Jordan's top picks include an elegant French Meridienne sofa and in the spirit of the World Cup, a pair of 19th Century medici lions.
19th Century French Meridienne Sofa
19th Century Carved Pair Medici Lions
Chris Butterworth, Logistics
Chris' top picks include a lovely buttoned and tufted sofa of small proportions and a wonderful large-scale French zinc clock face in its original iron frame.
Small 19th Century Swedish Buttoned Sofa
French 20th Century Zinc Turret Clock Face
Cody Roberts, Logistics
Cody's top picks include a lovely English golden oak occasional table with a single drawer and a superb pair of French 18th Century Louis XV bergéres.
19th Century English Golden Oak Occasional Table
Pair of French 18th Century Louis XV Bergeres
Edward Bulmer Natural Paint has recently opened the doors to its first flagship store in London. The pioneering paint company have long been admired in the pages of the interiors glossies, on the walls of beautiful homes and of course you will have seen how we at Lorfords use their exquisite colours.
Edward and the team are delighted to now have a ‘home’ in the design hub on Pimlico Road. More than just a ‘paint shop’, not only can you browse their range of colours on a huge colour wheel, Edward Bulmer Natural Paint is championing sustainable interiors, hosting exhibitions with creatives and exclusive, curated events.
Unsurprisingly the showroom is a colourful display of the natural paints throughout. Edward chose to paint the façade in his favourite deep, rich orange ‘Malahide’, paying homage to the area’s history. This eye-catching deep orange exterior, brilliantly inspired by Orange Square, where the showroom is located on the corner of Ebury St and Pimlico Road.
“Bringing further colour to orange square, we look forward to providing help with all things colour and paint in the heart of London’s greatest design quarter.”
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Autumnal Palettes – Embrace Orange Tones
Orange tones, Edward says ‘are having a revival – with distinctly nostalgic notes, Malahide fuses modern with timeless so effortlessly.’
Deep, magnetic and exotic all rolled into one colour, it certainly stops people in their tracks as they walk by the showroom. @Farstud.o also uses our ‘Malahide’ with ‘Jonquil’ (pictured to the left), creating a tonal yet fresh and light palette, as a more peachy scheme.
If you are thinking about where or how to use ‘Malahide’ in your home, Edward suggests it to be a great spot ‘to cheer up a boot room or a dark passageway, especially with a two-tone scheme or dare we mention – a feature wall’. With Edward going on to say one special rule for this orange colour… ‘Don’t paint sparingly – if you use it, mean it. You won’t regret it.’
Malahide as featured in a Lorfords Antiques and Lorfords Contemporary photoshoot.
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Exhibitions at Edward Bulmer Natural Paint
The Edward Bulmer Natural Paint showroom will also be hosting a series of exhibitions throughout the year where they will be sharing some of their favourite sustainable, like-minded brands. From art exhibitions and installations to curated collections, talks and exciting pop-up events; there is going to be something for everyone.
The brand aims to champion smaller sustainable brands and artists by providing a platform in the heart of London to help them tell and sell their stories. Current brands on show in the shop are Haines Collection and Hum London lamp shades and the plastic-free wall murals from Beautifully by George.
The Autumn line up at Edward Bulmer Natural Paint is not one to miss with events during London Design Festival 17th – 25th September, leading British landscape artist Pete Beckett, Edward’s own book launch ‘The Colourful Past: Edward Bulmer and the English Country House’ and a Christmas shopping pop-up with Sharland England and Louise Roe.
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Edward Bulmer Natural Paint at London Design Festival
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of London Design Festival, Pimlico Road is very much on the map as one of the design districts for the week-long celebration of all things creative and design. Edward Bulmer Natural Paint will be hosting an immersive and quite extraordinary exhibition from some leading young artists using waste to make art, including waste paint!
The Crossover Project brings three creative industries together to collaboratively tackle waste in a bid for a circular economy. Harnessing waste from design and fashion brands, the project is connecting artists to this waste who will work with these unfamiliar materials, transforming them into bespoke artworks and diverting them from landfill.
Alongside the exhibition, there will be lampshade upcycling workshops with artist Jemima Sara and the founder of Haines Collection, Jules Haines. With a further talk at the showroom in the evening, where Edward Bulmer will host a talk with journalist and co-founder of The Crossover Project Roddy Clarke, Aurelia Isliyme and Jules Haines.
If you'd like to join Edward Bulmer Natural Paints for their workshops or talks then book via the links below - spaces limited!
Workshop – Thursday 22nd September 10-12pm
Workshop – Thursday 22nd September 2-4pm
Talk – Thursday 22nd September 6pm
Stay connected with Edward Bulmer Natural Paints
Visit their website and sign up to their newsletter, follow them on Instagram, pop into their London showroom or give them an email or call!
Website: https://www.edwardbulmerpaint.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edwardbulmerpaint/
New London showroom: 194 Ebury St, London SW1W 8UP
Email: info@edwardbulmerpaint.co.uk
Call: 01544 388535
Outrageous and witty, the Rococo movement’s flame burned brightly in the middle decades of the 18th Century. Chris Yeo looks at one of history’s most exuberant styles and poses the question: are you a Roundhead or a Cavalier?
The British, as we are always told, are a reserved people. Along with fish and chips, our stiff upper lip is what we’re most famous for. I must admit that whenever I hear this, I have to remind myself that, within this sweeping statement, they’re talking about me. I don’t know about you but I’ve never considered myself the shy and retiring type, if anything, I’m a bit of a Cavalier. A what, I hear you ask. Let me explain. According to a particular school of thought, we Brits divide into two camps – Roundhead and Cavalier. Students of history will know that these were the opposing sides in the English Civil War – the Parliamentarians aka Roundheads were known for their spartan tastes – banning Christmas carols and anything that looked even remotely pleasurable while, on the other side, the Cavaliers revelled in all that life had to offer and showed it with their big hair, Saville Row tailored uniforms and their all-round flamboyance and love of the good things in life. We have a saying that if someone has a ‘cavalier attitude’ it means they don’t care (like that’s always a bad thing). If ever someone accuses you of that just tell them to stop being such a Roundhead.
Anyway, so the theory goes, these opposing traits have become key aspects of the British character, battling for supremacy in every walk of life like it’s 1642 all over again. As a design historian, one of the things I love is being able to make connections between man-made objects and the wider world. I think, down the centuries, this Roundhead versus Cavalier tension has played out in the way we decorate our homes. Roundheads are all about straight lines and classical order, while Cavaliers are more laissez-faire and letting things go curly. Normally it works pendulum style – think of the florid excesses of High Victorianism being stamped out by William Morris and his smock-wearing acolytes, or those ‘Form Follows Function’ Modernists showing Art Deco exactly what it could do with its decorative flourishes - but occasionally those two forces fight it out at the same time. With this in mind, this week we’re taking a look at the curious affair that was English Rococo.
Rococo, it’s a word you’ll have heard before but what exactly was it? Quite simply, the most self-consciously decorative – cavalier - of all decorative styles. Developed in Louis XIV’s (it was known as “the French taste” in this country) it was the dominant style in northern and central Europe during the first half of the 18th century, affecting all the arts from furniture to fashion and sculpture to ceramics. The word rococo actually began life as a term of ridicule in the 1790s, when the style was already dead and buried. It sounds Italian but actually derives from the French rocaille (pronounced 'rock-eye'), describing the shells and rocks which were used as decoration in shell-rooms and garden grottoes.
There’s nothing straight about Rococo, it’s all about the curve. Flowing lines became obligatory. Think twirly-whirly, think wedding cake decoration, sinuous C and S-scrolls, garlands, ribbons, shells and sea monsters. Familiar objects lose their well-known outlines and, to quote the Bard, suffer a sea-change, into something rich and strange. In Rococo’s surreal world everything swirls, moves and writhes. Designers plundered the natural world for inspiration; crabs, eels, and crustaceans happily rub along with seaweed, mermaids and river gods. Rococo’s essential motif was the cartouche – an amorphous, unformed shape that was somewhere between a jellyfish and the human ear, which could be moulded into any shape. From this basic motif the great French ornemanistes – like Nicolas Pineau, who could take a console table and turn it into an all singing, all dancing gilded extravaganza – produced their extraordinary designs.
Across the channel, the British were grinding their teeth. Paris was the undisputed centre of European fashion and the French luxury trades set trends for all the other European nations. Despite being almost constantly at war with France throughout the 18th century, those thrifty Anglo-Saxon Protestants still craved the exquisite sophistications of the enemy. Rococo arrived in England just at the point when things were getting more square and architectural. Since the 1720s when Lord Burlington had led a campaign to revive the classical splendours of Palladio and Inigo Jones, the Palladian movement had been the dominant force in design. The watchwords were symmetry and balance and, as styles go, it was sober and serious – Roundheaded, even. For some, Rococo’s arrival was looked upon rather like the arrival of a flu pandemic. Frothing with indignation, one commentator had this to say:
They heap cornices, columns, cascades, rushes and rocks in a confused manner, one upon another; and in some corner of this confused chaos, they will place a cupid in great fright, and crown the whole with a festoon of flowers.
The Rococo first inveigled its way into England via the fashionable dining rooms of the aristocracy. Gastronomic success rested not only on the best ingredients, but also on the service, the convivial atmosphere, and the visual interest of the table and eating room. By the 1740s, the best dining tables were groaning with a prince's ransom of rococo silverware: a still-life centre piece or a branching epergne holding flowers and fruit surrounded by a flotilla of tureens, condiment sets and candelabra. The greatest Rococo silversmiths were Paul de Lamerie and Nicholas Crespin (who once found the perfect Rococo shape in a turtle’s shell and so mounted it in silver and turned it into a punch bowl) both of whom specialised in elaborate tableware that were swirling rocaille masterpieces, which must have ruined the taste of the soup for more Palladian-minded diners.
The outstanding English interpreter of Rococo was Matthew (or Matthias) Lock. He was a designer and cabinet-maker who had workshops in Tottenham Court Road but about whose life we know virtually nothing. Lock was an outstanding draftsman who, probably more than anyone else, understood the French style giving it his own, very English, twist. In his fantasy world – best seen on his mirror frames – a riotous assembly takes place; friendly goats confront surprised foxes; monkeys precariously perched monkeys blow bubbles; squirrels admire spring flowers; Chinaman in coolie hots and drooping moustaches cling to trees, the roots of which dissolve into icicles; all among a riot of fountains, shells and running water.
So did, England ‘go Rococo’? Well, for the answer to that, look around. Visit France, or southern Germany, or Austria or northern Italy and you’ll be tripping over Rococo palaces, churches and townhouses, try looking for the same in this country and your search will be in vain. The truth is Rococo made only a brief stay as a fashionable style and only touched the smart and the grand, even then, mostly in the form of small objects – vases, candlesticks, soup tureens, mirrors - rather than whole interiors.
As styles go, Rococo was elegant and charming but insubstantial. This was to sow the seeds of its downfall since it showed a lack of reverence for classical architecture which became unacceptable to the new generation of Rome-inspired architects, like Robert Adam who openly despised it. In fact, what was called Rococo in England bore little resemblance to the rich, creamy, wedding-cake heights it achieved in Europe. Done properly, Rococo was smart, urban and sophisticated it was also expensive and hard to master. Rococo designs demanded that each craftsman be also an outstanding artist as well. That was asking too much. John Betjeman, the great architectural historian, said that political history explains the style’s failure to launch. Because of the Civil War and gradual reform of Parliament, the aristocracy took a greater interest in politics here than on the Continent. Rococo required commitment and we were just too busy with other things. Perhaps it was a victory for the roundheads after all.
Styles never quite come to a full stop. In the early 19th Century the rococo impulse was revived under the flamboyant Prince Regent. Its last hurrah was at the turn of the century with Art Nouveau, when it made a flamboyant if brief return. While the austere geometry of modernism governed much of design thinking during the twentieth century, designers continually returned to organic, natural curves as a source of inspiration in the 1950s, and the psychedelic 1960s.
Fantastical, daring, highly decorative and never, ever sensible, it’s almost impossible not to be charmed by Rococo. There again, as a Cavalier, I suppose I would say that.
The 20th Century was an era of innovation and flair in the lighting sphere. Two post-war periods saw an influx of new materials as well as a desire to move away from traditional designs. This was the age of the Sputnik pendant, stunning Murano glass lamps, and a host of other revolutionary lighting designs.
Humans and lighting
For most of our history, we relied upon daylight, moonlight, and dubious candles to get by. Gaslight arrived in the 19th Century, but it was reserved for commercial and industrial settings at first and had its fair share of drawbacks.
The greatest revolution in domestic lighting came in the 1870s. Joseph Swan and Thomas Edison invented the first commercially viable incandescent light bulbs. These offered a much cleaner and safer solution than gaslighting. The National Grid rose to the challenge of roll-out, and by the end of the 1930s the number of homes wired for electricity rose from 6% in 1919 to 2/3s.
The spread of electricity in the early 20th Century set the stage for some of the most ground-breaking lighting designs in history. Today, lighting is an essential element in the interior tapestry, both in form and function. Layers are key to this, and vintage lighting, with its brilliant spectrum of design styles, can fulfill any brief.
Vintage task lighting
Lighting, perhaps more than any other interior feature, will always need optimal function as well as good looks. A major functional breakthrough came in the development of task lighting in the early 20th Century. Task lighting is designed to aid specific activities, from reading to sewing. It encompasses floor lamps, table lamps, and desk lamps. The last of these has a particularly fascinating history.
Like all great designs, social context played a big role in the development of task lighting. An early entrepreneur in this field was Curt Fischer, who ran a German metal workshop. His company, Midgard, invented its first lights in 1919. These lamps were informed by an acute study of human behaviour. Midgard was deeply inspired by Bauhaus principles and vice versa. Throughout the 20s and 30s, the driving force behind task lighting was factories and workshops. As the 20th Century progressed, they found a whole new relevance through emerging corporate work culture.
The Anglepoise effect
The ergonomics behind early designs responded to common human problems. Slouching over a desk for long hours has long presented side effects. With their articulated arms bending – quite literally – to the user’s will, early task lights addressed this issue.
Despite plenty of experimentation during the early 20th Century, it was one George Carwardine who invented the desk lamp as we know it today. Far from a lighting designer by trade, Carwardine specialised in car engineering. Upon observing the suspension mechanisms in vehicles he worked on, Carwardine realised the same could work for lights.
By using a new sort of spring and pivoting arms, he achieved balance without the need for counterweights. He patented the new helical spring in 1932, but he chose to outsource production to the company that supplied his springs. So, Carwardine worked on new designs whilst Herbert Terry took over the manufacture, and the Terry Anglepoise lamp was born.
The first Anglepoise model, 1227, became available to the general public in 1935. The outbreak of WWII helped rather than hindered them, as they marketed it as the ideal blackout lamp for keeping light localised. Herbert Terry continued to adapt to the zeitgeist throughout the 20th Century. For example, during the 60s and 70s the company produced lamps in an array of vibrant shades.
Setting the standard
These early designers and manufacturers were so successful that most later desk lamps have looked very similar. Articulated lamps are still much sought-after, especially in the current mode of home working. It wasn’t always about creating the most focused light possible, as Hans-Agne Jakobsson proved. The renowned Swedish designer mastered anti-glare, diffused and muted lighting. We consider these same qualities indispensable in our interiors today.
Italian vintage lighting
Whether you’re looking for a workshop lamp or a statement chandelier, vintage lighting is such a large pool that you cannot go wrong. If you’re after artisanal beauty, there’s one country that gets it right every time. This feels like an apt moment to quote our interview with Toma Clark-Haines, the Antiques Diva. ‘Lighting is the jewellery of the room and sets the vibe of a space. When it comes to lighting, it’s got to be Italian.’
It's not hard to see why Toma covets Italian lighting. Italy was home to the likes of Gio Ponti and Gaetano Sciolari during the 20th Century. They also had one major asset when it came to lighting design: the glassmakers of Murano. When this stunning hand-blown glass met with stylish Mid Century forms, the result was breathtaking.
Successful designers such as Gino Sarfatti treated lighting as an art form, producing reams of lamps in his lifetime. You appreciate these pieces as an art form before even thinking of them as a light, but function was never sacrificed for style.
Lamps by the likes of Carlo Nason, the famed Murano glass artist, shatter the boundaries of traditional lighting. Colour is the most mesmerising feature in any Murano glass lamp, with a dazzling array of vibrant shades.
As always, Italian manufacturers played a key role alongside these individual designers. Mazzega, for instance, started out in 1946 and still operates today under the grandson of founder Angelo Vittorio Mazzega. The company, then and now, works with the very best international lighting designers – all in the medium of gorgeous Murano glass. When you hear Mazzega, their chandeliers made up of densely packed leaves of Murano glass often spring to mind.
Vintage lighting legends
Explosive talent ricocheted through Europe and America in this period and shook the design world. Interior rule books were torn up and rewritten more frequently than ever before. Again, more often than not the most iconic designs speak to their historical and social context. You can almost map social developments through just a few distinctive lights and their makers.
The Sputnik chandelier
The fabulous Sputnik chandelier was influenced by a fascination with all things space-related in the Mid Century. Its origin is disputed due to the many interpretations of this pendant light, but the very first came from Gino Sarfatti – the Italian modernist designer.
As with George Carwardine, Sarfatti was not a destined lighting designer. He was an aeronautical engineer by trade but seized the opportunity for extra income when his family fell on hard times. Sarfatti called his designs ‘rational’ lights, in reference to their efficiency and simple aesthetic.
The Sputnik, with its branches pointing in all directions, was a very successful experiment in directional light. Its metal form gives it an industrial edge, but it somehow feels glamorous at the same time. This seminal design is named after the Soviet Union’s first-ever satellite, launched in 1957. Sciolari was among the designers who designed their own version of this classic.
Singular design houses shifted seamlessly with changing tastes throughout the century. A good example is Maison Jansen, the Paris-based favourite of royals and elites. They spanned traditional Louis XVI, Art Deco, and modernism in over 100 years of operation. In the 70s, their iconic palm tree and ananas floor and table lamps revived Hollywood Regency glamour with brilliant results. These brass lamps with their natural themes are still in high demand today for bringing exotic luxury to a space.
Poul Henningsen
At the other end of the spectrum, the lighting designs of Poul Henningsen are the definition of Scandi restraint. The Danish designer's motivation was akin to that of the Arts & Crafts movement – to improve people’s lives through design. His three-tiered shade designs reduced glare and distributed a soft glow throughout the room.
His first pendant, the PH lamp, was produced in 1926 by Louis Poulson and met with global acclaim. Henningsen designed his first PH Artichoke for a modernist Copenhagen restaurant in 1958. This stylish spiky pendant remains a firm favourite amongst collectors.
Shop the look...
The 20th Century saw perhaps the most extensive and successful range of lighting designs in history. The lighting produced in this period is indispensable to our interiors, whatever your personal taste.
The designs covered in this article don’t even scratch the surface of vintage lighting. However, they do give some idea of its sheer quality and range. Shop all our 20th Century lighting on our website, as well as our whole collection of Mid Century design.
Spark your imagination with our lookbook, ‘Iconic retro lighting‘
Read more on lighting...
The English country house is one of the most enduring and celebrated styles in the interior design lexicon. This scheme is hard to pin down because it doesn’t follow a fixed set of rules. Nonetheless, its powerful influence is blatant at every turn - whether you are conscious of it or not.
The country house interior is full of paradoxes. It feels quintessentially English, yet an American developed the scheme. The country house style is far from limited to England and celebrates cultures all over the world. Even the term ‘country’ house is no longer defining. In our recent interview with Turner Pocock, the interior design duo observed that this style is now as sought after for decorating London townhouses as it is for country piles.
Country house rooms are vibrant yet refined. They are curated yet lawless. Spaces look beautiful, yet they are inviting and comfortable. These wonderfully juxtaposed layers define the English country house interior.
A new English style is born
Grand English interiors often feel as old as time, which is an integral part of their charm. It is one of this scheme's great ironies of this scheme, then, that the style was only formally realised in the early 20th Century. The new approach to interiors glorified an old rural golden age and was the culmination of interwar sentiment. The bare bones of the style date back further, of course, with Georgian interiors laying the foundations. The stage was already set, but we owe one American lady an enormous debt for bringing the country house style to the fore.
Nancy Lancaster and the Colefax effect
In the 1940s, an American heiress was busy forging valuable connections in Britain. Nancy Lancaster was a prolific socialite who felt such a strong affiliation with England that she renounced her American citizenship in 1948. It was in this same year that she bought Colefax & Fowler, London’s leading interior decorating studio at the time. Together with John Fowler, Nancy began to spread the country house style through English interiors.
Lancaster herself inherited several properties that she wanted to respectfully maintain but also move on to suit her own tastes. Her innate flair for interiors became obvious through her work on her homes, those of friends, and those of Colefax clients. Nancy seized old English tropes and injected fun and imagination into them. Design movement was one of her key principles. For her, it was important that a room felt lived in and had space to evolve. This timeless feel became absolutely integral to the country house look.
Nancy Lancaster was not the architect of the English country house style. In fact, there wasn't one. Rather, numerous factors contributed to the style's evolution over centuries. The heiress, however, was the major facilitator needed to bring the style to the fore. Her key contribution was making the English home comfortable. She brought American luxuries like carpeted floors and central heating to grand old mansions, without detracting from their authentic value.
Colefax & Fowler shot to new prominence under Lancaster’s direction. She and John were a design force to be reckoned with and the company’s reputation flourished. Colefax & Fowler decorated Chequers and the Audience Room at Buckingham Palace, to name a few iconic interiors.
Key ingredients in the country house style
This interior style does not abide by any fixed rules and celebrates individualism. However, a certain essence makes the scheme feel familiar and recognisable. Comfort and easy living are integral; not only should a country house interior appear lived in- it should also BE lived in. The result is inevitably slightly dishevelled which is very much part of the charm- something John Fowler called ‘pleasing decay.’ Perhaps the reason this approach to interiors remains so unerringly popular is its forgiving nature. The house should feel like a home as opposed to a showroom. Parties, children, and dogs are all welcome.
Pull up a seat
Classic deep-seated upholstery of the sort that rose to prominence in the 19th Century is front and centre of country house interiors. Antique frames from the Queen Anne, Georgian and Victorian periods still appeal today, often upgraded with fresh upholstery. More is more, and you needn't limit upholstery to living areas. A cosy armchair in the bedroom provides a classic country home feel. In general, a range of seating of all shapes and sizes is key to crafting a welcoming space.
Classic antique pieces are the bread and butter of an English country house interior. Commodes, chest furniture, large cabinets, and other such timeless pieces provide useful storage and a traditional look. Layering time periods is key, and antiques will take pride of place in any successful scheme to make it feel established. Indeed, inherited possessions were at the core of these interiors when they first emerged. Country house interiors shouldn't feel like a showhome where you have carefully planned and sourced. Acquire pieces that you love and when it comes to styling them mismatching will only add to their charm.
Bookcases often form the architecture of a country house living or drawing room. Whether it’s a majestic breakfront piece, built-in shelves, or a matching pair of low-lying cabinets, bookcases are indispensable for achieving this look. Besides providing a beautiful piece of furniture, having treasured books and collectables close at hand and on display gives the country house its lived-in look.
Embrace the quirky, niche, and eccentric
Certainly one of the best things about the English country house style is its room for personality and eccentricity. Nancy Lancaster herself saw this as crucial: 'One needs light and shade because if every piece is perfect the room becomes a museum and lifeless.' Indeed, the origins of country house style were in florals, chintz, and china. For some, these details now feel dated and passé. However this is an unapologetic style, and there is plenty of room for ‘Granny chic.’ We all have antiques or collectables that we love in spite of them being a bit ‘kitsch.’ Souvenirs from our travels, our grandparents’ silver, Staffordshire pottery, an old family portrait… this maximalist interior scheme embraces it all and is better for it.
Much of the success of this scheme is in the details. Whether it’s a ball and claw foot, a fabulous gilded frame with the red bole showing through, or the blue and white patterns of a ginger jar, these decorative and intriguing accents draw the eye and make a space feel exciting.
Colour and pattern
The English country house style is far from drab and dreary; it is actually often daring and eclectic. When Nancy Lancaster bought a set of rooms above Colefax & Fowler on London’s Avery Row in the 1950s, John Fowler encouraged her to paint the drawing room bright yellow. The famous ‘Yellow Room’ set the tone for grand living rooms and is far from dull. Floral fabrics, plentiful wall art, and opulent chandeliers all complement the yellow beautifully. Colour has always been at the heart of the English country house style and it is becoming even more prominent in today's interiors.
Statement antiques, upholstery, bright colours, and due prominence to books and collections. The final key ingredient in this scheme is textiles. Not only do they bring colour and pattern to rooms, but textiles also give the English country house its crucial homely feel.
Rugs, runners, and carpets are vital for rooms with wooden or stone floors. There’s an increasing urge to bring far-flung destinations into our homes at the moment and fabrics are a brilliant way to achieve this. Our collection includes Swedish flatweaves, beautiful kilims, and vast carpet rugs.
Bedrooms ought to be the most comfortable and welcoming spaces in the home. Soften a traditional four-poster bed with antique linens galore- maximalism is the only way with furnishings. Pillows, quilts, bedspreads, and throws will make a bedroom feel charming and loved. Blending plenty of materials helps to achieve the layered tapestry that typifies an English country interior.
Make the English country house style your own
Contemporary designers have grabbed the reigns of the English country house style and are steering it in a new direction. The essence of the style will likely stand forever, but it's sufficiently versatile to welcome new interpretations. These adaptations and variations on this scheme reflect the powerful appeal of country house interiors and the desire to make them work with modern requirements.
Those who wish to live a less cluttered life can pare this style back and go for fewer but just as impactful pieces. When styling a smaller house or apartment, colourful paint, gallery walls and sconces will bring character whilst saving space. However, don’t fear large statement pieces either because playing with scale can transform a space. When it comes to bringing colour and vibrancy, the outdoors is your untapped resource. Bringing foliage and flowers indoors has a transformative effect on an interior.
Whilst grand English houses may have provided the original canvas for this style, today it is achievable in pretty much any home. This versatility is a testament to the design ideals at the heart of the country house style. It encourages fun and colour, it mixes historical pieces with new influences, and it reflects our human nature to seek joy and comfort.
Get inspired with our lookbook, 'Life well lived.'
The Arts & Crafts movement touched every corner of the design world. From furniture to textiles to jewellery, designers adopted a holistic approach to manufacture. At the very heart of every surviving piece is the craftsman himself.
Another cog in the machine
Vintage engraving from 1860 of a jacquard weaving machine.
By the end of the 19th Century, the industrial revolution had utterly transformed Western society. Industries boomed as new technologies emerged, and handicrafts dwindled. Vast factories emerged to accommodate these changes, and productivity and efficiency were the new watchwords.
The industrial revolution brought many elements of our lives today into fruition. In lots of ways, this was a momentous step forwards. Society underwent a dramatic change and standards of living improved for many. However, it was not so for those on the frontline of machine-led production.
The underbelly of factory work was tedious, gruesome, and dangerous. Unskilled labour was in high demand because the process required scores of workers to perform repetitive tasks. Certainly, the skilled craftsman conceiving, designing, and producing a piece became mere nostalgia.
The counter-revolution
Fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of man go together.
For some thinkers, critics, and designers, these developments were unsettling. John Ruskin was a vocal art critic in the second half of the 19th Century. He claimed a link between poor design standards and poor social health in England. Ruskin suggested a return to handicraft: 'fine art is that in which the hand, the head, and the heart of man go together.' This idea that art serves a moral purpose would later become a fundamental principle of the Arts & Crafts movement.
Let's go back to 1851, the year of the highly anticipated Crystal Palace exhibition in London. This exhibition celebrated the finest corners of Victorian design and pieces from as far away as India. It was a majestic display of talent and wondrous furniture, but it also exposed the excesses of industrialisation. A nauseating range of revival styles was on display, and much of it was heavy-duty furniture that was rich with ornament. It was no coincidence, then, that the following years of the 1850s sowed the seeds for a different sort of revolution.
The pre-Raphaelite brotherhood
Excitement about machine-led production side-lined the decorative arts, and discontent mounted. The antidote to this artificial excess was a return to medievalism. The gothic was a popular Victorian revival style, and reformers hailed 16th Century methods. In his 1851 text, The Stones of Venice, John Ruskin praises gothic architecture and saw its roughness as evidence of the craftsman’s personality and freedom.
Pugin was another gothic advocate, and he believed in the importance of a piece's construction. He was in favour of exposing joints and other methods in the manner of a Medieval carpenter. This school of thought found its voice in the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, formed in 1848.
Among the group's members were Dante Gabriel Rossetti, William Morris, and Ford Madox Brown. The Pre-Raphaelites opposed the High Renaissance, which they saw as frivolous and insincere. Instead, they sought moral seriousness and integrity, and this group was in many ways a precursor to the Arts & Crafts movement.
Madox Brown was one of the first to transfer the group’s shared ideals about design into furniture. He shared Pugin’s vision of flat surfaces and linear profiles that had more in common with Medieval carpentry than refined 18th Century cabinet-making.
Arts & Crafts established
Arts & Crafts societies sprung up to centralise this growing group of individuals. The biggest of these, the Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society, was formed in 1888. This society held regular shows up to and beyond its 50th anniversary in 1938. They gave the decorative arts a stage and spread the beauty of Arts & Crafts. In 1960, the society merged with the Cambridgeshire Guild of Craftsmen to form the Society of Designer Craftsmen which is still active today.
There was a strong sense of community amongst these different organisations. 'The best tastes are to be found in those manufacturers and fabrics wherein handicraft is entirely or partially the means of producing the ornament.' These words of Richard Redgrave, a prominent reformer at the London School of Design, describe their shared sentiment. Significantly, many of the early members of this movement were architects. This meant that they held a shared interest in the gesamtkunstwerk- the 'total work of art.' For example, Charles Voysey was foremost an architect and then a major contributor to Arts & Crafts furniture and textiles.
Exhibitions put Arts & Crafts on display for all to see and escalated the movement. Journals such as The Studio helped to spread the word internationally. America's own movement was well underway, but with a slightly different approach. Unlike UK reformers, US practitioners were indifferent to the machine. They saw it merely as another tool at the craftsman’s disposal and necessary for commercial success. Under Gustav Stickley the American 'mission style' emerged. The mission style used sturdy oak and promoted democratic values, but Stickley was more than happy to use machinery to produce the furniture.
William Morris
Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.
Although he was already a prolific designer, William Morris only became fully involved with Arts & Crafts later on. Nonetheless, his influence was monumental and he played a central role at the beginning of the Arts & Crafts heyday in the 1880s. His focus was on a return to small-scale workshops, whereby the craftsmen involved could oversee the design process from beginning to end. The Medieval Guilds inspired Morris and offered a model for the personalised craftsmanship that he craved.
As an upper-class man himself, the impact of the factory system on the working classes shocked Morris. He drew on Ruskin’s teachings and shared his nostalgia for a pre-industrial world. Morris loved nature, and flora and fauna are front and centre of the 50+ wallpaper designs he produced over his career. The designer realised that to live in his perfect home, he would have to design every aspect of it himself. His famous Red House embodies his trademark quote: ‘Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.’
Arts & Crafts design principles
Designers wanted to create furniture that was useful to ordinary people and free from fussy decoration. Nonetheless, this movement was about reviving the decorative arts and aesthetics were still important. But crucially, designers did away with the ‘artificial’ ornamentation that had been front and centre of the Great Exhibition.
The Arts & Crafts umbrella was wide-ranging, but the majority of designs are united by a few simple features. Tables, chairs, and cupboards would have rectilinear shape and rely on simple vertical forms. The construction was a return to basics and most joints exhibit mortise-and-tenon or dovetail joinery. Arts & Crafts practitioners were unconcerned with hiding hinges or other aspects of a piece's mechanism. The movement proved that practical and aesthetic elements could happily coexist in design.
19th Century engraving showing the interior of the Crystal Palace in London, UK, which housed the Great Exhibition of 1851.
Substance over style
Craftsmen preferred darker woods, such as stained oak. They would use the wood itself as an aesthetic factor, with the grain, flecks, and rays often on display. It was not always solid wood, and some craftsmen took a more decorative approach than others. Some pieces might exhibit veneers and intricate carvings, but these elements never sacrifice the piece's utilitarian value.
The ‘through tenon’ provided another decorative touch, whereby the tenon extends through the mortised piece and projects out of the other side. Craftsmanship itself is visible in the end product of an Arts & Crafts piece, in a way that had formerly been lost to the machine. ‘Truth to materials’ was the mantra, and the results had a sense of integrity.
Upholstery would involve leather or simple cloth, in order to keep the overall look as plain as possible. Hand-sanding and pigment-staining gave pieces of furniture the best possible finish. Hand-rubbing exposed the different layers in the wood and began a piece's journey to having a wonderful patina.
The Arts & Crafts legacy
In the cities, Arts & Crafts gathered momentum through exhibitions and print promotions. Soon, the philosophy turned into commercial success. Designers forged good working relationships with manufacturers who could sell their wares. William Morris set up Morris & Co in 1875. The major Oxford Street store stocked other designers too, and they also sold through Liberty and Heals. Suddenly, the Arts & Crafts movement was reaching a much wider audience and it moved into the mainstream. It was the dominant design force in Britain up until the 1910s, and its influence spread across Europe, America, and Japan.
At the turn of the 20th Century, Arts & Crafts migrated out of the city and into the countryside. Lots of the designers celebrated simple rural ideals and the rolling hills naturally held great allure. Workshops sprung up across Britain, and many designers settled in the Cotswolds. These workshops became their own schools of sorts and each had its own take on design.
Sturdy structure, compelling patina, and timeless aesthetic appeal. These are just some of the qualities offered by Arts & Crafts designers. From cupboards to metalwork, every piece has the social history of this movement behind it. We are privileged to have the Arts & Crafts legacy around us in the Cotswolds. Our dealers are always sourcing Arts & Crafts gems so that we have wonderful pieces in stock. Our collection includes big names and makers, from iconic Heal's pieces to Gordon Russell's fantastic works. Visit our lookbook, 'Truth to Materials,' to explore a sample.
'Work from home.’ It’s the phrase that has defined the last ten months or so of our lives. Whether or not home has always been the natural habitat for your work, many have rushed to transform part of their house into a workspace. The Lorfords collection is full of unique pieces that will bring your dream Mid Century Modern home office to life.
The psychology of our interiors
Studies show that the more personal control we have over our office space, the happier we are. The ability to get creative with our workspace and have our favourite furnishings close at hand is a silver lining of the current circumstances.
One of the biggest challenges of staying at home has been drawing a line between work time and our personal lives. This gives you all the more reason to invest in your office space and create an environment you want to spend all day in, before returning to those parts of your home that you associate with relaxing.
Calm, uncluttered surroundings encourage efficiency and productivity. This can be difficult to achieve at home, but by dedicating a space for work you are halfway there, and Mid Century Modern design will do the rest.
It can be easy to feel as though you are ‘playing office’ whilst working from home, so it’s important to get creative with your space and invest in it. Stylish and useful furniture is conducive to your productivity, as well as your happiness.
A la mode
Media and popular culture have made Mid Century design an object of fascination. From the smooth teak and glass of the Mad Men office to the contemporary prints and low chairs of Miranda Priestley’s office in The Devil Wears Prada, the understated glamour of a Mid Century Modern office is well-known.
The post-war period was a new age of prosperity, and many migrated to urban and suburban areas. After the horrors of war, there was a desire for more human, organic and natural design. Inspiration was sought from America and Scandinavia, and designers eagerly embraced new materials like plywood and plastic. Manufacturers had machinery and mass production at their disposal, so luckily many fantastic pieces survive today.
Furnishing newly built homes and smaller living spaces saw design take on new priorities, and functionality was a top priority. Designers didn’t skimp on style, however, and the iconic designs they brought to life have timeless appeal.
Mid Century designers
Designers of the Mid Century Modern period wanted to make furniture accessible to everyone, not just the very wealthy. The contributors to this new democratic style were many, including Arne Jacobsen and Harry Bertoia. Ray and Charles Eames were the design power couple of their day, and it's their executive desk that graces Don Draper's office in Mad Men.
Far from dull, design in this period was full of juxtapositions. Designs were extremely varied, and you might struggle to spot what a marshmallow sofa and a teak sideboard have in common. However, there were certain principles that united these designers in their plight: fine craftsmanship, quality, and chic style.
The straight-lined silhouettes of Mid Century Modern furniture make it the perfect choice for an office. Manufacturers of the period, such as Herman Miller, focussed in on office furniture and produced desks, chairs, and savvy storage solutions. George Nelson was a key mover and shaker in Mid Century Modern design. His iconic Storagewall design captured attention far and wide and he is credited with designing the first L-Shaped desk.
Redefine 'office'
There’s more to working life than a desk and a chair. Nobody wants to work amongst empty cups of tea and a teetering stack of paperwork, but many of us do. It may be a cliché, but it’s difficult to argue with the concept of ‘tidy desk, tidy mind.’
It's often unrealistic to reimagine a whole room of the home in one style, but a few key pieces will transform a space. Credenzas and sideboards were already furniture stalwarts, but they were revolutionised in this period. Fitting unobtrusively against the wall, they provide storage and a surface for display. Most importantly, a sideboard or low cabinet means you can keep stress-inducing clutter out of sight.
When it comes to designing an office space, the mood can tend towards the clinical. Mid Century Modern is the perfect antidote to monotony because designers reinterpreted basic furniture with innovation and creative flair. Designers made chairs that were lower and broader, often supported on splayed UFO-style legs. They made many office-style chairs, with reclining and swivel functions. You've got your pick when it comes to desk chairs and should indulge in a big upholstered armchair for when you need a break.
Lighting was the major triumph of Mid Century design, and designs are famous and sought-after today. From practical floor lamps to Sciolari's spectacular sputnik light, lighting is the ultimate flourish for a 20th Century home office. Maison Charles’ iconic palm standard lamps demonstrate how natural forms were embraced in this period, and they make a great statement in an office setting.
Punchy Mid Century modern accents
20th Century design was far from solely utilitarian. Designs from this period were full of creative flair, and this should be reflected in a Mid Century Modern office. This was the heyday of faux tortoiseshell, glass, contrasting woods, bright colour, and abstract art. Adorn a brass and glass coffee table with a lucite magazine holder, or fabulous colourful glasswork by Val Saint Lambert.
There’s no point in working in a space that won’t inspire creativity and progress. Surround yourself with fabulous contemporary art and sculpture that makes you feel content and calm. Colour and character are key to boosting your mood in a long working day. This was an age of bold and pioneering design, and by surrounding yourself with examples of it you encourage the same in your work endeavours.
Whatever your personal style, there is something to love in this spectacular period of design. Mid Century Modern pieces have the power to transform a space into the perfect home office. For further inspiration, have a browse of our lookbook: Office Envy.
Did life exist before Mad Men?* It’s a question I’ve been pondering a lot since the peerless series faded to black for the final time (*answer: yes, but it didn’t look as good).
Critics may have focused on the internal machinations at the Sterling Cooper ad agency but, as we all know, the real star of the show was the sumptuous mid-century styled sets: Gorgeous eyefuls of caramel coloured interiors with sleek, sensuously curved furniture and desk lamps that deserved their own mini-series. Has there ever been a tv series so determined to make the viewer drool with couch envy? Of course our love of all things mid-century was already well established by the time Don Draper sparked up his first Lucky Strike. Hard to believe that it’s twenty years since furniture of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s came in from the cold and started making serious headway in the style supplements and salerooms. Fashions come and go; nowhere is this more true than in the conjoined worlds of antiques and interiors, but, two decades on, mid-century is still here, stronger than ever. It remains the chic-style option it always was and, no longer hobbled by its former retroassociations, Mid-Century has taken its place alongside Art Nouveau and Art Deco as an established epoch in 20thcentury design history. Before you embark on a full Mad Men inspired home makeover, here’s my guide to the essentials of mid-century furniture, a style that remains as fresh and innovative in 2016 as it did half a century ago.
What do we mean by mid-century?
As the name suggests, the style dates from the middle decades of the 20thcentury, roughly from the mid-1940s to the late 1960s. Rather like Art Deco, the name was coined long after the period in question. When it first emerged, our parents and grandparents knew it as Contemporary, and as a decorative style it influenced everything from the shape of a sofa, a vase or a coffee pot to the pattern on a tablecloth. It was youthful, stylish and bang up to date, and that was exactly what people wanted. Every style comes with its cultural baggage and mid-century speaks of an era of confidence, one which looked ahead optimistically to a bright future of ever increasing economic prosperity with more money and leisure time to relax and enjoy life. Mid-century interiors were all about chic style and ease of living, and this was also reflected in the furniture. Small wonder it appeals to us so much today.
Deciphering the mid-century style can at first seem something of a challenge. Certainly not all modern furniture from this period will be in the mid-century style. Plastic inflatable furniture from the 1960s, for example, is definitely not mid-century (it would be an example of Pop design, in case you were wondering). As an
illustration, let’s try this: At first sight a Danish rosewood and leather dining chair by Neils Moller seems to have very little in common with an American high-gloss white fibreglass Tulip chair by Eero Saarinen, yet they’re both hailed as mid-century design classics. So what’s going on? Well, I’d say what unites these seemingly unrelated chairs boils down to three things: simple, modern elegance, functional comfort and fine craftsmanship. In my view, it’s the mix of those three essential elements which is the hallmark of mid-century design. Mid-century designers had a dictum: Form follows function, in practice this meant no excess decoration or unnecessary flourishes. In less capable hands it’s a mantra that might have resulted in some very boring furniture. Fortunately for us, the generation of designers who followed it was one of the best the design world has ever seen. With the possible exception of the Regency period in the early 19thcentury, perhaps no other point in history has produced quite the same number of top calibre artists and designers as the 1950s and ‘60s: Charles and Ray Eames, Robin Day, Eero Saarinen, Harry Bertoia and scores more. Unlike the Regency period, however, when only the wealthiest could afford the best furniture, mid-century designers were driven by a mission to bring good design to the many rather than the few and embraced mass-production with the result that their designs are still relatively plentiful today and Amen to that. But the mid-century movement is more than a mere roll-call of designer names (nice though that is). The philosophy of good design available to all, which those great designers championed, was taken up by manufacturers at the more affordable end of the market, with many smaller factories producing good quality, well designed furniture within easy reach of the middle class. The names of most of these designers have mostly been lost to history but today, these pieces can be picked up at reasonable prices while still ticking all the boxes for style and quality.
Where did the mid-century style originate?
After World War Two furniture designers began to move away from the hard lines and polished chrome of pre-war German inspired modernism towards a softer, warmer aesthetic. The great architect-designer Marcel Breuer led the way and others soon followed. The mood was for something more human, more organic and for this everyone looked north. Since the 1930s Scandinavian, especially Finnish, designers had developed a soft modernism, relying on wood rather than metal and drawing on their own native skills in cabinetmaking, producing designs that were simple, understated and elegant. This fitted the mood exactly and Finland, Sweden and Denmark moved centre stage, becoming the benchmark for the best of mid-century style. What we tend to think of as classic mid-century furniture, in rosewood or teak with soft, fluid curves and simplicity of form has its roots in 1940s and ‘50s Scandinavia. It wasn’t just the north that had a part to play in the mid-century look. The 1950s was a time of convergence in design, when Italian, French and British, as well as Nordic influences began to merge together, creating a style that was truly international in its outlook. But at its heart the mid-century style was solidly American. America in the 1950s was the powerhouse economy of the world with previously undreamt of levels of wealth and international influence. A new generation of young designers set out to reshape the look of modern America, pushing the boundaries of furniture design by experimenting with new materials and manufacturing techniques.
Harry Bertoia (1915-78) was born in Italy and moved to the USA in 1930. He studied at the Cranbrook Academy of Fine Arts near Detroit, Michigan and eventually became head of the metal working department at the academy. Bertoia brought a sculptor’s eye to his furniture designs, particularly in the series of wire mesh chairs he designed in the early 1950s. The Bird lounge chair, designed in 1951-2 for Knoll, has been described as looking like a piece of sculpture suspended in space. The chair, which was mass-produced but by hand rather than machine, was made by welding a sheet of metal mesh into shape and then welding it on to the wire legs.
Mid-century designers eagerly embraced the possibilities created by new materials like plywood and plastic. Eero Saarinen (1910-61) was particularly influenced by developments in the field of plastics. His Tulip chair was one of the first chairs designed with a single pedestal base and was revolutionary when it was introduced in 1956. A true Modernist, Saarinen’s chair was a solution to what he saw as the clutter of chair legs under a dining table. A design classic, the Tulip chair anticipates the Pop design movement of the 1960s by a good ten years and is every bit as striking today as it was when it was new.
Although America and Scandinavia drove the mid-century look, other countries produced significant designers whose work is highly desirable today. In Britain, William Plunkett (1928-2013) was a designer with a background in engineering who worked in a highly individual style. Like Harry Bertoia, he combined his engineering skills with a sculptural flair and created a series of elegant metal-framed seating that won many design awards.
An essential ingredient in the mid-century interior was lighting. Lighting has, of course, always had a practical use in the home but was now more closely integrated in the overall decorative scheme. The floor lamp, designed in 1950 by George Rispal is a highpoint in mid-century lighting design. The coolie shade and cylindrical shade provide task and ambient lighting respectively, while the strikingly organic form, inspired by the work of German-French artist and sculptor Hans Arp (1886-1966), means it works as a piece of sculpture every bit as much as a lamp.
Well designed, refined, slick without being cold, at times a little decadent but never camp and very grown up; the appeal of mid-century furniture is highly seductive and it’s easy to understand why, twenty years after its rediscovery, it’s in ruder health than ever.
Does the 1970s deserve to be remembered as the decade taste forgot? Absolutely not, says antiques expert Chris Yeo. It was a time of bold experiments and high glamour.
There is, they say, nothing new in fashion. Is there anything new in design? Whatever your thoughts it can’t be denied that the lure of the past has always been a potent source of inspiration. The Romans took their style tips for everything from togas to temples from the Ancient Greeks, the Elizabethans got dewy eyed over the Middle Ages and the Victorians were besotted by anything Medieval (apart from Chaucer, who was far too dirty for them). Not much has changed except that, latterly, we have tended to take a leaf from the more recent pages of style’s back catalogue. Anyone who was around in the 1970s will remember that the 1950s held a powerful draw and now it’s the turn of the ‘70s itself to be the focus of our rose-tinted spectacles. Ah, the Seventies. They called it the decade taste forgot. Of course, “they” were the 1980s, which, if we’re talking taste, is nothing short of the pot calling the kettle black. But now the decade that brought us Abba, the hostess trolley and the three-day week is being mined by a new generation of tastemakers. Fashion has been nostalgic for the 1970s for the last few seasons, with tinted sunglasses, long floral dresses and straw handbags omnipresent on the high street and catwalks alike. However, when it comes to interior design, it’s been a different story. For years, the very mention of the word ‘Seventies’ was enough to strike fear and loathing into otherwise reasonable, aesthetically broad-minded people and it seems old prejudices die hard. Style pundits from Wallpaper magazine recently collated a shortlist of the most egregious design faux pas of the past half-a-century and guess which decade came top? But look beyond the avocado bathroom suites and macramé plant pot holders and a different picture soon emerges.
Decadence and glamour were the twin beats that throbbed throughout a decade that was bookmarked by Bowie at its beginning and Grace Jones at its end – oh, be still my beating heart! They were the torch bearers of the new mood that thrived in a world filled with the harsh realities of economic uncertainties and political strife. In a decade that saw two miners’ strikes, countless I.R.A. bombing campaigns, runaway inflation and powdered orange juice, what to do but loose yourself in a whirlwind of hedonism? A mood of defiant decadence was abroad, whether it was glam rockers “gender bending” – as contemporary parlance had it – on Top of the Pops or Bianca Jagger riding into studio 54 on the back of a white stallion (because, let’s face it, how else do you let people know it’s your birthday?) In London the mood was encapsulated, branded and retailed to perfection at Big Biba, opened on Kensington High Street in 1973. Biba had started life as mail order fashion outfit but over just a few years had come to dominate the UK fashion scene. Big Biba was the firms last great shout before bankruptcy in 1975 brought an end to its reign of fabulousness. Housed in Art Deco splendour at the former Barker’s department store, complete with live flamingos on the roof garden, Big Biba offered an interior vision that took elements of Hollywood’s Golden Age and mixed it louche colours, peacock feathers and peacock chairs, crushed velvets and Art Nouveau prints. It was bold, daring and worked perfectly a world jointly ruled by Marc Bolan and Pan’s People (ask your parents).
At the same time as Biba was refashioning homes in the UK, Willy Rizzo (1928-2013) was introducing a chic – not to say disco – sensibility into furniture design. Rizzo had started his career as a fashion photographer but, at the suggestion of his friends and clients – the great and the good of fashion and film, he took a sideways step into furniture design. He was soon swamped with orders and requests. Rizzo designed and produced more than thirty pieces of furniture: sofas, consoles, hi-fi furniture, coffee tables and lighting, all of which were handmade. Rizzo’s world is one where coffee tables rotate like a vinyl disc on a turntable and then open up to reveal an integrated ice bucket – perfect for those pre or post-club Campari. He opened boutiques across France and Europe and had points of sale in New York City, Miami and Los Angeles. However, in 1978, Rizzo gave it all up to return to photography, his first love. Rizzo’s furniture design channelled the sophistication of Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, his pieces combining clean, simple lines with bold geometric forms and a delicate handling of materials. The result is classic modernism and very chic.
We’ve included a few iconic items within this blog but please browse our website for many more incredibly cool 1970’s pieces.
Images: Lorfords own & Willy Rizzo