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'The circus’s job is always to bring joy, and that is absolutely what we are doing this year.' We were delighted to catch up with Lil Rice at the end of May. Lil made her Giffords Circus debut back in 2011, but more recently she has taken the reins of the circus from her beloved aunt Nell, who passed away in 2019. Giffords is back on stage with this year's show, The Hooley, which promises a spellbinding evening of Celtic magic produced by Lil herself.
Q: So, this year's show is well underway. How is it going and how are you feeling?
A: It’s going really well! We’ve had a really good reception and really good reviews so far. We’ve had full audiences, as much as that is possible with social distancing and a reduced capacity. It’s been great but it’s been very wet… we've had two weeks of rain!
Q: The circus as a concept goes back a long way and there are so many examples all over the world. What do you think defines Giffords and makes it different from the rest?
A: I think we are actually as traditional as a circus gets in many ways. Although, lots of UK circuses now don’t have horses and domestic animals in them because of the way it's gone with animal rights. That’s one of the things we’ve really pushed – to keep domestic animals in the show. Another thing that sets us apart from other circuses is that we have a very strong theatrical theme. We have a big script and we have characters, rather than people just coming in and doing their acts. We also do all the costumes ourselves and change people’s acts. In a lot of circuses, people will arrive with their own music and their own costumes and that will all be put together. We do all that here; we put new music to their acts, we redesign their costumes, we give them new characters.
Nell asked me years ago, when she first got ill, to come and live with her just in case... I think she knew really - better than any of us - what was going to happen.
Q: We have to mention the enormous legacy of your aunt, Nell, who started Giffords. Do you feel her there with you on stage and do you feel pressure to do it justice?
A: Oh… yes. Before I’m about to go on and do a horse number, I feel her there with me very strongly. I do feel a huge amount of pressure to do that new act at a later age. I’m doing that for Nell because she ran the horse department and it's now my responsibility. I’ve had to learn how to do that in two years so that I can keep the horse element in the show going without her. I feel a huge amount of pressure, but it’s also a huge honour. Nell asked me years ago, when she first got ill, to come and live with her just in case. I obviously didn’t think she was being serious at that point, but I think she knew really - better than any of us - what was going to happen.
Q: Do you get nervous before you perform?
A: I don’t know, I don’t get too nervous, but as a performer, I think it’s quite odd if you don’t get nervous at all because that adds to the energy on stage. I don’t get sort of cripplingly nervous anymore. I used to, to the point of bargaining with whoever’s up there before I was due to go on, saying ‘please let there be a storm, a hurricane!' But I don’t feel that anymore, I think maybe the pressure of producing too has meant that performing is just a joy now. The producing is the scary part – the responsibility of that.
The circus has always been a place you can go to to escape the world, to escape the mundane, to escape the normal and usual routine.
Q: What's your personal favourite act in this year's show?
A: Ah… well there are two. First of all, the duo hoop men who are in the show. I think they are so unbelievably beautiful and it was incredibly brave, brilliant, and ground-breaking from Cal to have that male relationship in a show in rural Gloucestershire. (Cal McCrystal directs the show). It's also got to be Nancy’s hoop act because I feel Nell’s presence very clearly at this moment in the show. Nancy’s been doing it for years and Nell always loved it. So yes, the hoop boys and Nancy’s hoop act are my top moments really!
Q: As we emerge out of a very weird period worldwide and you take the Giffords baton as it were, what do you feel the role of the circus should be in our lives now and in the future?
I think the circus has always been a place you can go to to escape the world, to escape the mundane, to escape the normal and usual routine. Coming out of Covid, that is especially needed! What Cal and the whole team have done is created a completely magical world where you can go and escape and not have to live in the Covid apocalyptic world that it feels like at the moment. The circus’s job is always to bring joy, and that is absolutely what we are doing this year.
Q: Do you enjoy being based in Stroud? Are you at home in the countryside?
A: I absolutely love the countryside. I grew up in Norfolk and Nell was always trying to make me move to Stroud. I then lived in London... I’ve lived all over, Glasgow, Oxford - all over the place. Stroud is definitely where I feel most at home other than Norfolk. It’s a lovely place, everyone’s friendly, there are amazing markets and it has a great community feel.
I was told a lot along the way that I was too old, that I had started too late, that I was never going to be quite good enough to make it anywhere… I'm glad that has turned out to be wrong!
Q: You might assume that anyone involved in the circus is naturally an extrovert. Does that apply to you, or is the Giffords Lil different to your off-stage self?
A: No… no, I am an extrovert through and through. I can’t sit still, I have to be doing. I am quite bossy and very noisy. What Cal does amazingly is he brings out people’s true characteristics. Circus artists aren’t necessarily actors, so he finds the nuances and extremes in people’s own real characters and preys on those. He has done that with me since 2019 as well as this year. I am definitely quite a lot like what you see in this show. Also, if you’re doing a dangerous trick you do have to kind of slip out of character to concentrate!
Q: It’s so impressive that you have taken on all of this responsibility and are doing such a great job. What are you most proud of?
A: Ah, I don’t know. Prior to this, I feel most proud that I stuck to doing circus. I was told a lot along the way that I was too old, that I had started too late, that I was never going to be quite good enough to make it anywhere… I'm glad that has turned out to be wrong! I’m really proud of myself for pushing through that but I’m also really grateful to Nell who kept pushing me. She was the one that said ‘go on, off you go to the circus, you’ll be really good at this.’ So yeah, I owe a lot to Nell and to my mum.
I so want to talk to Nell about everything, so I'd LOVE to have dinner with her right now.
Q: So, except for the return of the circus of course, what are you most looking forward to in this post-lockdown world?
Honestly, I’m most looking forward to having a dinner party or a house party and being able to have my friends round! I love hosting people. I’ve had a very nice time with my boyfriend Dave, and one of our best friends Ols Halas who is the Giffords chef, in the circus restaurant. I’m bored of bubbles now though and most looking forward to going to parties!!
Q: On that note, who would be your dream dinner party guest?
That is a really good question. I mean at the moment, it would be Nell. I so want to talk to her about everything, so I’d LOVE to have dinner with her right now.
Book your tickets for The Hooley on the Giffords website.
You can read all of our Q&As over on L-Shaped.
"You create an interior as an expression of joy, then when you are in need of joy you can immerse yourself in the interior to lift you back up." Tim Butcher and Lizzie Deshayes of Fromental have been creating bespoke wallcoverings for 16 years. We chatted to the inspiring duo ahead of the launch of their new sister company, Studio by Fromental.
Q: You can find Fromental wallcoverings in some very cool locations. What project are you proudest of?
I think it's got to be the lobby of The Goring Hotel. It was such a personal piece. The Goring has a wonderful balance of classicism and eccentricity and we hope we managed to capture that in the design. The wallcovering shows an Arcadian landscape peopled with walruses, banqueting pigs and other hidden creatures.
Q: It looks like you have been busy over lockdown. Tell us about the launch of your new brand Studio by Fromental and how it came about.
A: We believe that walls are surfaces for decoration and self-expression — art needn’t be framed. That being said, we understand that commissioning a truly bespoke wallcovering can be daunting, so wanted to use our skills and knowledge of the craft to create wallpapers that have a similar bold beauty but are easier to purchase and use.
Our intention for the new diffusion line is to empower more people to be brave with their walls and express themselves creatively.
Every element of a Fromental project is bespoke, whereas Studio designs are supplied as ‘ready to hang’ sets of four panels. Each design is based on an original, hand-painted artwork which is then hand-finished to order. This method honours Fromental’s craft and finesse and works beautifully with the papers and textured grounds we print on.
Q: Studio contains nine new designs, with 38 possible colourways, Where do you get the inspiration from?
A: As designers, we take our inspiration from all around us. We visit galleries and exhibitions and we have a deep love of the history of the decorative arts. This continual research into pattern and process informs all of our creations.
The debut collection for the brand is called 1st Edition. Each design within the collection has its own individual style - its own story to tell. We drew inspiration from a breadth of art forms, so two threads run through the collection. One is our ongoing exploration of stylised floral motifs, with a strong influence from Asian arts and culture. Another is experimenting with abstract architectural forms and texture.
Some examples to illustrate this:
‘Flock’ is a bold scale scene of cranes dancing across the room. Designed by Emma, this pattern is a modern take on the Rinpa School style.
Inspired by the leather inlaid bookbinding of Georges Cretté in the 1930s, Andrew composed the powerful architectural piece that is 'Deco Arches'. This arresting pattern recalls the era's modernist style, fine craftsmanship and use of rich materials.
'Edo Springs' is a painterly mix of delightful shades, which ensure that this abstract floral pattern is both balanced and bold. The design itself is a contemporary rendition of a classic Japanese screen with trailing flowers climbing the walls.
Q: Do you have a personal favourite in the new collection?
A: It is always difficult to choose a favourite, and this often changes over time depending on the spaces used and the architectural surroundings, but if we must -
Tim - 'Bamboo Lights.' There is an inherent challenge in designing something abstract and minimal because there is a deceptive simplicity to it which can easily slip into something very pedestrian. Andrew, who designed Bamboo Lights, has managed to create a design that is simple yet versatile, abstract but still has character, graphic but with a real sense of movement and flow. Our US team seem to particularly love it!
Lizzie - 'Coquilles.' I love the simplicity and elegance of this design. The shape and texture bring to mind wonderful Deco era tiles. Scale and proportions really attract me in wallpapers, and Coquilles is skilfully designed to balance both perfectly.
Q: How was Fromental born?
A: We launched Fromental in 2005 with the simple aim to make the world’s most beautiful wallcoverings. Our more audacious aim was to create the defining decorative arts of our time. Lizzie was and is an accomplished craftsman and she had developed a series of designs that offered a 21st Century slant to traditional scenic papers. I had been working with classical chinoiserie papers for several years and was working closely with artists in China. We established our own studio and Fromental began.
Our artists are trained in the traditional skills and styles of Chinese painting, paper-craft and embroidery. We were the first to introduce traditional embroidery into wallcoverings, fusing two ancient crafts for a new medium. Over the years we have worked to move beyond the forms of traditional figurative styles to create more conceptual designs.
One of our most satisfying collaborations was with Lalique. The Hirondelles pattern incorporates iconic crystals into the painted and embroidered silk. The three-dimensional embellishments and the prismatic play of light are unique in the history of wall surfaces.
Q: How do you see your brand evolving, both now and in the future?
A: We have never considered ourselves followers of trends or followed traditional launch cycles. Our philosophy has always been to launch a design when we feel it is relevant. We are restless and simply want to continue our exploration of materials, techniques and patterns to always produce something new and surprising.
We work very closely with the designers who use our wallcoverings and this establishes a creative relationship. This has naturally lead to collaborations. We love the creative energy generated by these projects, where both parties learn from each other. So, we definitely envisage more of those.
One of our most satisfying collaborations was with Lalique. The Hirondelles pattern incorporates iconic crystals into the painted and embroidered silk. The three-dimensional embellishments and prismatic play of light are unique in the history of wall surfaces. To be able to work closely with such a decorative design icon was incredibly inspiring. It was fascinating to learn more about René Lalique the man, and to work side by side with the generations of craftsmen behind their production. It was clear that René Lalique combined art and industry through relentless creativity – that was a real inspiration for what we want to achieve through Fromental.
Q: Your designs are bold and vivacious. Why are colour and texture important in an interior?
A: At best an interior is an expression of our own unique personality. To me, colour, texture and pattern are the languages of that expression. Combing these elements can create further resonance and energy between the elements. This can amplify and add nuance to the language. When you create an interior that expresses this personality and mood, it becomes a great gift that reflects back this mood when you need it. You create an interior as an expression of joy, then when you are in need of joy you can immerse yourself in the interior to lift you back up.
New trends emerge as a reaction to the oversaturation that went before. So, after any period of beige minimalism, people are keen to explore pattern and colour and wallpaper is a great way of doing that.
Q: Each bespoke Fromental design is handmade at great lengths. Why are these long and laborious processes worthwhile?
A: Our clients are looking to create unique interiors. Not only do we want to produce something you won't see anywhere else, but also something with a very personal story. Working with these hand-made processes means that we are free from the usual constraints of production and this enables such a bespoke design service.
We have become known for our elaborate and hand-embroidered designs. Our artists spend up to 600 hours elegantly painting and stitching individual panels. I really do believe that when you have an item that has so much personal focus and attention, so much application of skill, the material is imbued with the quality of the craftsmanship in a way that is palpable. There are no shortcuts to achieving this.
Q: Wallcoverings were a staple of the 18th Century and were once considered 'out of fashion.' What do you think is driving their renewed popularity?
A: In our more recent history wallpapers did become unfashionable for a short time in the 90s, but these trends are cyclical. New trends emerge as a reaction to the oversaturation that went before. So, after any period of beige minimalism, people are keen to explore pattern and colour and wallpaper is a great way of doing that. Maybe starting with one wall but as people have become more confident, wallpaper has gone from strength to strength.
It is always important to remember that no ‘trend’ is ever all-encompassing. Designers with bold visions were using maximalist patterns during any period where the ‘norm’ was minimal.
The fact is that wallpapers are the perfect medium to put your own personal stamp into your interiors. There are few ways of creating such a strong statement in any interior than with the use of a strong wallpaper.
Q: Some of your most beautiful wallpapers are in the chinoiserie style, which we often see in our furniture and decorative antiques. How can chinoiserie work in today's homes?
A: Chinoiserie – that wonderful hybrid of European and Far East design – transcends fashion. It brings exoticism, colour, pattern and movement to a room of any size or style of architecture, which is why it has never been out of style. The themes found within chinoiserie designs, such as panoramic garden landscapes, ornate florals and delicately drawn birds, harness the restorative power of nature. These themes resonate strongly today with our sense of wellbeing.
Chinoiserie wallpapers are often used on all four walls, which creates that wonderful immersive feeling. It is also a versatile canvas – you can add contrasting elements for an ultra-modern interior or complementary furniture and accessories for a more classic look.
Q: What is your favourite room in the home? Why?
A: Tim - my favourite room is one I do not have. But I think imaginary rooms are important. In Bleak House Mr Jarndyce introduces his ‘Growlery’; “When I am out of humour, I come and Growl here… When I am deceived or disappointed, and the wind is easterly, I take refuge here”. I shall have my own Growlery one day and I know exactly how I shall decorate it.
Lizzie - The studio. In the words of Virginia Wolf, it is a room of one's own.
When selecting colour and pattern you need to make choices that are bolder than you may immediately feel comfortable with so that you are not underwhelmed by the result.
Q: We're all feeling very familiar with our own homes after the last year. How can people escape a design rut?
A: In our experience, the familiarity of their four walls has inspired people to change their décor. In the last year, we have had time to focus on that in a way that is seldom possible.
Events and venues we would normally frequent for our cultural fixes and inspiration have been closed. However, in this void, the design community has stepped up with talks programmes and virtual presentations. So, in fact, the interested consumer has had more inspiration at their fingertips.
Of course, book your tickets once the galleries, museums and exhibitions re-open. We know we will be!
Q: Your designs are wonderfully decorative - would you say you both have a maximalist approach to interiors?
A: We do love the more is more approach to decorating! We feel that, when selecting colour and pattern, you need to make choices that are bolder than you may immediately feel comfortable with so that you are not underwhelmed by the result. However, we would not describe our own homes as maximalist. Yes, every surface is filled with textures and pattern but we have created a space which is not overly layered. There is a richness to the result but I would say it is somehow more naturalistic. Even the patterns have a quality akin to organic materials rather than bold graphics.
Q: We have loved working with Fromental in the past. If you could pair one piece from our website with one of your new designs, what would they be?
A: A few choices!
I love smokework and think this cabinet would be beautiful with Coquilles in Lettered olive.
https://www.lorfordsantiques.com/american-18th-century-painted-chest-on-stand-cb0910096
This fabulous Scandinavian cupboard with Edo Springs in Celadon rose. This definitely appeals to the maximalist in me …!
https://www.lorfordsantiques.com/scandinavian-cupboard-bk2510801
We also love this Amalfi headboard by Lorfords Contemporary with our Rocaille design in col Belvedere.
https://www.lorfordsantiques.com/the-amalfi-studded#
Read all of our Q&As on L-Shaped.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.’
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.
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.
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.
Mirrors have always been a symbol of status and luxury. Antique mirrors, with their charm and opulence, constantly inspire modern interior design trends.
Mirrors were not always the clean reflective glass they are today. Nature provided the first concept of reflection in pools of water and later in polished stones of volcanic glass. The Romans created the first primitive looking glasses, usually in the form of a hand held mirror.
As soon as they were invented, mirrors were associated with vanity. The ancient myth of Narcissus falling in love with his own reflection in the water is often seen as a moralising tale of human arrogance.
In the dark ages, the concept took a back seat as economic and cultural advancement slowed. These captivating objects couldn't stay away for long and came back with full force in the 17th Century, when the free-standing mirror arrived. From this point on, mirrors were an established tool and integral part of home décor.
Venice led the way to create what we recognise as a mirror today. The craftsmen of Murano were considered master glassmakers and for centuries Venetian mirrors were the height of luxury. Their method evolved with time, experimenting with tin, silver and mercury amalgams and even rock crystals.
The Venetian government held the secrets of their success close to their hearts and leaking trade secrets was punishable by death. For over 150 years, Venice was Europe's leading exporter of the beautiful objects.
Of course, this monopoly couldn’t last for long and in France Louis XIV hired a rival band of glassmakers. The result is clear in the magnificent Hall of Mirrors at Versailles. 357 mirrors in one corridor was the ultimate display of economic propensity and French craftsmanship.
It wasn’t all beauty and glamour however, and serious health problems became associated with crafting mirrors. Louis XIV’s glassmakers began to die from health complications, most likely because of the heavy metals and toxic fumes they worked with. Medical understanding was limited, so Venice and France each thought that the other was trying to sabotage them.
As well as being physical demonstrations of wealth and status, mirrors have many other connotations. They have long been associated with magic and illusion. The looking glass was an object of fear and longing, with a hypnotic effect on the beholder. Although superstition has waned, the allure of mirrors hasn’t.
It is a well-known trick of the interior design trade to use mirrors to maximise space. Small rooms benefit from carefully placed mirrors which reflect the light. Placed between or opposite windows, they really are a saving grace.
Toby Lorford sees mirrors as an integral part of the home: 'mirrors fundamentally change not only our perception, but also what we physically see by increasing light levels in a room.'
Mirrors and lighting are the ultimate combination to unlock your interiors. Consider wall lights or candle sconces either side of a large antique mirror to create atmosphere and illumination. If you really want to make a statement, it doesn't get much more opulent than a large gilt-framed mirror underneath a crystal chandelier.
An antique mirror is the perfect piece for an otherwise contemporary interior, because they are a simple way to introduce individuality and depth.
There are a huge variety of antique mirrors, reflecting the craftsmanship and tastes of years gone by. From the gentle femininity of Venetian mirrors to monarchial crested styles, incorporate a piece of history into your home.
Convex mirrors saw a resurgence of popularity at the beginning of the 19th Century. In pairs, convex mirrors are a great source of symmetry. They are small and neat, reflecting light outwards. A wonderful anecdote suggests they were first invented so that butlers could keep an eye on the progression of guests at dinner.
For a grander statement, consider investing in an overmantle mirror which will transport you back to the dining rooms of Regency England. Serve modern-day needs with traditional shapes, such as free-standing cheval mirrors or elegant dressing table mirrors.
A sunburst mirror is a wonderful statement piece to bring memories of warmer climates into your home. The sunburst motif originates from the Catholic Church during the 17th Century, but supposedly it was Louis XIV- 'The Sun King'- who invented the mirror itself.
Shape is just one aspect of the allure of an antique mirror and the glass itself is often a major attraction. Unlike the almost glaring clarity of a modern mirror, antique mirrors have a mellower, slightly grey tone to them.
Increasingly, contemporary companies are recreating foxed glass mirrors. This effect happens when hand-silvered glass has deteriorated or lost its clarity over time. The result is a more muted reflection, often with distressed patterning.
Instead of detracting from the appeal, foxed glass actually has a softer effect than modern glass and creates more visual texture in an interior. Use foxed glass for kitchen panelling or in a bathroom for a touch of vintage luxury.
If you stroll through our hangars at Babdown Airfield, you will catch sight of yourself more than a few times. We pride ourselves on our collection of antique mirrors, which is always expanding. Whatever your interior design needs, you are bound to find the right piece in one of our showrooms.
Toby Lorford explains why you need look no further than Lorfords: 'From 18th Century to contemporary art mirrors, from small convex mirrors through to three- metre- high styled pieces... we have over 500 mirrors in stock at any one time for you to choose from.'
Our website makes it easy, with all our mirrors in one place and categorised by different styles. If you're overwhelmed by choice, visit our lookbook, 'Hall of Mirrors,' so you can sample some of the pieces in our collection.
Howard & Sons was established in 1820 by John Howard and the family business became an iconic name in Victorian England. Their beautiful pieces are still recognised as leading examples of upholstered furniture today and have inspired many bespoke copies.
Howard & Sons was curated for the top end of the market, satisfying demand that was not being met by other upholstered furniture at the time. The company's enduring popularity, resilient throughout the furniture depression of the early 20th Century, testifies to the excellence of their furniture.
Today, we exalt them for their armchairs and sofas. However, Howard & Sons started out as a cabinetry company, operating out of workshops in the Whitechapel area. John Howard's first venture into upholstered furniture started with a workshop on Red Lion St.
The company's most famous residence was at Berners Street in London, where they would eventually occupy numbers 25, 26 and 27. Many of their pieces are therefore signed, 'Howard & Sons, Berners Street.' They became a limited company in 1899 and won their first royal warrant in 1901.
The company began gathering accolades which raised their profile and secured them private clients. They won a prize at the prestigious Crystal Palace Exhibition of 1862 for their suite of library furniture. Their success was not only at home, winning two golds and a silver at the Paris exhibition of 1900.
Their warrant allowed them to supply royal residences with upholstered furniture, alongside other grand venues such as The Savoy Hotel. They also collaborated with Gillows, who were seen as leading cabinet makers in Victorian England.
Howard & Sons ceased trading for a period in 1947. Seven years later, the house decorators Lenygon and Morant Ltd described themselves as 'Makers of Howard Chairs and Sofas.' The Howard name fell silent once more, but the branding carried such power that Howard Chairs Ltd was established in 1967. Today, Howard Chairs Ltd is based on Lyme Street in London, producing furniture following the original patents and designs.
The Howard & Sons name quickly became synonymous with durability, comfort, and beautiful design. The names attributed to their furniture models, such as the Bridgewater and Portarlington, still incite longing today.
These pieces are so coveted, regardless of their exterior condition, because of the renowned craftsmanship and timelessness of their designs. The most iconic Howard & Sons pieces are deep-seated and low, the cushions filled with a feather and down mix.
In 1866, George Howard patented the 'Elastic Seat', which revolutionised upholstered furniture. The coil springs allow for movement up and down as well as side to side, making for a much more comfortable seat.
Howard & Sons used the siège de duvet upholstery scheme, giving their easy armchairs and sofas a supreme comfort that was simply not being matched by competitors.
These cherished pieces have distinctive and elegant arms, which are much shorter than the length of the seat. Their original 'H&S' monogrammed ticking is the most classic, but original Howard pieces feature an array of patterns.
The only way to be sure you have an authentic Howard & Sons piece is a signature. Look out for an Ivorine label on the hessian, or name or number stamps on the castors or inside back leg.
Howard pieces perform consistently well on the market. Their value goes up year on year as we desire their rare comfort and luxury. Should reupholstery be necessary, you have the freedom to choose a fabric that reflects your taste. Acquiring a Howard armchair is always a good investment.
Many furniture companies offer bespoke reproductions of Howard & Sons pieces, or a restoration service. The Howard & Sons name has resonated throughout the interior design industry since its conception, with designers choosing their pieces to elevate a diverse range of interiors.
Choose pristine or newly reupholstered pieces in bright patterning to add a dash of colour to an otherwise minimalist, contemporary scheme. Howard & Sons pieces have a very fresh feel that compliments a range of decorative schemes.
On the other hand, the more 'shabby chic' look of some original pieces will bring charm and comfort to a country home, as well as a trusted furniture model.
Here at Lorfords Antiques, you will find a selection of Howard & Sons sofas and armchairs. We cherish this upholstered furniture for its quality and longevity and continue to source pieces to preserve that legacy.
Lorfords Contemporary produces upholstered furniture in the style of Howard & Sons. Back in 2015, Marco Pierre White asked us to help furnish a historic hotel renovation in Singapore. This began our journey of making bespoke copies of Howard pieces, and we've never looked back.
Inspired by the Howard approach, we prioritise luxury and comfort and use traditional methods and materials as much as we can. Browse sofas, armchairs, headboards, ottomans, and more, which have all been hand-crafted in our Contemporary workshop.
Visit our lookbook, Quintessential upholstery to shop the look or to browse our collection of beautiful antique Howard pieces click below to see what we currently have in stock.
Find the perfect sofa or chair for your home, browse our Howard & Sons collection.
Orangery or Conservatory, you don’t need green fingers to succumb to the charms of a glasshouse, says Chris Yeo.
Spring is here. The clocks have leapt forward and it’s about now that every garden lover starts getting cabin fever. There is only so much peering at snowdrops and admiring frosted leaves one can do before the desire to start living life alfresco sets in. We head outdoors, ready to be captivated by Spring’s sweet breath and then, straightaway, turnaround and head back indoors. It’s just too cold! The turning of the seasonal wheel seems to have been lost on the English weather of late. What with the Beast from the East and the Pest from the West, any attempt to enjoy the outdoor life is likely to be put off by a carpeting of snow and freezing temperatures. Should we be surprised? For a country on the same latitude as Russia, our love affair with the outdoors might be considered more a triumph of optimism over reality. So just how are we supposed to uphold our claim to be a nation of gardeners when our weather is so often less than clement? You could try houseplants but, quite honestly, who wants to cope with a jungle in the sitting room, especially when it involves having to play handmaiden of the leaf shine lotion to a collection of potted dust magnets? Personally, I’ve always liked the halfway house of, to use an old-fashioned word, the glasshouse. After all, who does not long for the warmth of the sun during the darkest days of January, or dream of the tropics in the midst of a frigid February? The attraction of a conservatory or orangery is more than merely bringing the outside inside. It’s an oasis of tranquillity, a space to indulge a passion for dahlias or date palms, and one of the best places on earth to enjoy a glass of something chilled when the temperature outside is a bit too chilly. Glasshouses may do nothing to end a long winter, but, as has been the case for centuries, they bring the scents and sense of the outdoors in, despite the weather.
Conservatory lovers have Tiberius Caesar, Rome’s second emperor from 14 to 37 AD, to thank for the invention of the original glasshouse. He insisted that his favourite fruits be available all year round and set his gardeners to work, clothing cold frames with mica to capture sunlight. The earliest known glasshouses appeared in England in the 17th century, but not to designs that would be familiar to us today. At that time they were merely stone structures with more glazing in them than the buildings nearby and were designed to protect shrubs such as myrtle and bay from the worst of the winter cold.
People who live in glasshouses should refrain from throwing stones. They should also brush up on their etymology; is it a conservatory or an orangery? ‘Orangery' certainly sounds like the smarter option, but is there really much of a difference? Well, yes. An orangery looks distinctly different from a conservatory. Typically, its walls, pillars and window frames are more substantial than those of a conventional conservatory. The name reflects their original purpose, which was to protect citrus trees that would be raised in tubs and introduced into the building during early autumn. The origins of the orangery are to be found in Renaissance Italy but it was the growing taste for oranges and other citrus fruits amongst the wealthy of northern Europe that saw their popularity blossom. Fittingly, it was William III – Prince of Orange – who is credited with introducing them to Britain, when he became King in 1689. Initially exclusively built and owned by Royalty and aristocracy, orangeries quickly became a vital ingredient of any garden of taste – a space where horticulture rubbed shoulders with high fashion. People suddenly wanted to spend more time in their plant-housing space and orangeries started to become person as well as plant-friendly. It would not be unusual for plants to be removed during the hotter summer months and the area to be used for social occasions, parties and tea-drinking. Often, designed to imitate Greek or Roman temples, originally, orangeries were built as extensions on large buildings, but as fashions changed, it soon became popular to have them separate from the main house.
When the term ‘conservatory’ was initially coined, like the orangery, it referred to stand-alone structures that were often used to house exotic plants. Gradually the name became attached to buildings which, unlike orangeries, were more glass than wall and - here’s the crucial difference - were more likely to be part of the main house. A combination of the hefty window tax introduced in 1696, and the glass tax introduced in 1746, made even the smallest conservatory remarkable and put glasshouses far beyond the reach of the average country squire. To the majority of the population, it was an object of awe and signified prestige, wealth and power – the Georgian equivalent of a private jet, if you like, but things were about to change. By the 1840s both the glass and window taxes were abolished; making glasshouses affordable to a greater percentage of the population. Not only that, thanks to the Industrial Revolution, the cost of making glass dropped dramatically. New technologies of making plate glass rather than blown glass, resulted in larger, cheaper panes, and coincided with the emergence of cast iron, which was strong enough to carry larger expanses of glass. It was the perfect technological storm and the glasshouse grew and grew, not just in popularity but also size. It also coincided with the introduction of plants from all over the empire collected by a new breed of plant hunters. Travellers and merchants would return from afar with specimens not previously seen in this country. They brought in plants that we now regard as commonplace - such as orchids, lilies and lupins - but back then were heralded as exotic beauties.
The Victorian period was the Golden Age of the glasshouse. This was largely down to one man, Joseph Paxton, a man who did for the glasshouse what Isambard Kingdom Brunel did for railways and suspension bridges. Paxton was the very image of the Victorian polymath, a gardener, engineer, architect, magazine editor, landscape designer and, in his spare time, a Member of Parliament. He blazed a trail in glass architecture. Between 1836 and 1841 he built the Great Conservatory at Chatsworth in Derbyshire, at the time the large glass building in the world. Shaped like a tent, it was 277 feet long, 67 feet high and covered ¾ of an acre. Eight boilers heated the conservatory through seven miles of iron pipe and it cost over £30,000 to build. There was a central carriageway and when Queen Victoria was driven through, it was lit with twelve thousand lamps. Even she was amused, noting in her diary that it was ‘the most stupendous and extraordinary creation imaginable’. The Great Conservatory inspired the construction of conservatories worldwide but it was only the beginning for Paxton. The following decade he was commissioned to design and build Crystal Palace in London – a global symbol of Victorian Britain’s industrial prowess – that covered 19 acres and required 293,635 panes of glass. The Crystal Palace helped popularise the use of glass as a building material, and Victorian Britain went glasshouse mad with homes sprouting conservatories of all shapes and sizes as a result of their owners being wowed by Paxton’s epic creation.
The First World War was a major blow to the glasshouse. Many gardening staff left to fight and didn’t return. Homeowners rarely had the labour or money for their upkeep, and many fell into dereliction. Even Joseph Paxton’s Great Conservatory was demolished in 1920 and the Crystal Palace – on its knees financially - went up in flames in 1936. But it isn’t all a tale of woe. Many of those that did survive have been lovingly restored and today the glasshouse – whether orangery or conservatory – is a proud feature of homes great and small, enabling lovers of nature to enjoy the feel of the garden all year-round.
Image credits: 1-2 Author’s own
Remaining; Chatsworth House Trust
He was the creator of era-defining textiles, a writer whose ground breaking ideas forever changed how we think about our homes and, according to a recent study, a peddler of poisonous wallpaper. “Antiques Roadshow” expert Chris Yeo asks “Will the real William Morris please stand up?”
When William Morris (1834-1896) died at the age of sixty-two, his physician declared that the cause was "simply being William Morris, and having done more work than most ten men." We know him best for his easy-on-the-eye textiles with their scrolling leaves and biscuit cutter birds. The designer of patterns such as Willow Bough and Strawberry Thief, his is the face that launched a thousand National Trust tea towels. We probably think that that’s all there is to know about Morris: move along, nothing more to see here, but we’d be wrong. This multi-faceted man was at one time or another (and sometimes simultaneously) a designer and manufacturer of furniture, wallpaper and fabrics, stained glass, and tapestries; an accomplished weaver; successful businessman; a pioneering preservationist; an active Socialist and social reformer; a successful poet and novelist; and in his last years, the founder of the Kelmscott Press. We see him in photographs with tousled hair and wild, unkempt beard; part Byron, part Marx. His passionate belief that everyone should surround themselves with beauty revolutionised the way we think about our homes and his influence went well beyond these shores. If these days he’s known as a pattern designer in his own lifetime he was actually better known for his writing. Morris was a revolutionary force in Victorian Britain – the original Angry Young Man whose rages against the shortcomings and injustices of the world changed the fashions and ideologies of the era but is life was filled with paradoxes. He was obsessed with the medieval, but he also had a socialist vision of the future. He’s considered by many to be the spiritual Godfather of modern Socialism and a champion of worker rights yet he died a multi-millionaire and was a part owner of the world’s largest arsenic mine. Will the real William Morris please stand up?
Morris was born in Walthamstow, east London in 1834. The financial success of his broker father led to the family moving in 1840 to Woodford hall, a large house in rural Essex, as well as providing young William with an inheritance large enough to mean he would never have to concern himself with the tedious business of earning an income. Morris enjoyed an idyllic childhood growing up in the countryside, exploring local parkland and churches and immersing himself in the novels of Walter Scott, helping him develop an affinity with the natural world and historical romance. William was a privileged boy, but had a mind of his own. He a was forced to leave Marlborough College in 1851 following a “rebellion” but still made it to Exeter College, Oxford in 1853. He first planned to become a clergyman but, following a trip to northern France and inspired by the gothic architecture he saw, opted for architecture. Morris was a rebel by nature and one, very much, with a cause: ugliness. We all know his famous dictum Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. For Morris this was nothing short of a battle cry against poor taste. What started him on his crusade was what he saw as the sheer tackiness of the Great Exhibition in 1851. This colossal event, staged in the specially built Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, had been intended to display the best of British manufacturing, a dazzling showcase for the Workshop of the World. For Morris it was neo-Renaissance, neo-everything nightmare of poor design and shabby art. Tales of the teenage Morris’s visit to the Crystal Palace are legion and range from the strange to the ridiculous – my favourite being that Morris was so appalled by the poor taste on show that he staggered from the building and was sick in the bushes.
For Morris shoddiness was a punishable offence; ‘Shoddy is King’ he railed, ‘From the statesman to the shoemaker, everything is shoddy’. From that point on he dedicated his life to creating useful and beautiful objects for the modern home.
While working in Oxford Morris had a chance meeting with a local stableman's daughter, Jane Burden. Consciously flouting the rules of class, Morris married Jane in 1859. Morris and Jane moved into Red House, their home in rural Kent, the following year. Morris wanted his home to be a ‘small palace of art’ Unhappy with what was on offer commercially, spent the next two years furnishing and decorating the interior with help from members of their artistic circle. And what friends: Edward Burne-Jones, Dante Gabrielle Rosetti, Ford Maddox Brown. As George Martin was to the Beatles, so Morris was to the Pre-Raphaelites; the unofficial eighth member. It was at Red House that Morris began to find his forte - he was, in truth, an abysmal architect and a lousy painter, but he had an affinity with interiors. At heart, he was a pattern-maker, taking his inspiration from the English countryside to create the patterns that made him famous. Having decided to branch into textiles, he apprenticed himself to a dyer's workshop in order to "learn the practice of dying at every pore" even going as far as grinding his own pigments. Over the course of two decades Morris produced over 600 chintzes, woven textiles and hand-blocked wallpapers. They were distinctive for their soft, flat colours, their stylised natural forms, their symmetry and their sense of order. His patterns were revolutionary at the time, and quite at odds with prevailing mainstream fashion.
Having gained a taste for interiors, and the experience of 'joy in collective labour', Morris and his friends decided in 1861 to set up their own mega-design partnership: Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co, later re-named Morris and Company, but nicknamed ‘The Firm’ by William. It was virtually a Pre-Raphaelite co-operative with £1 share contributions from Burne-Jones, Rosetti and Brown. From its London headquarters the Firm issued a selection of carefully crafted household items, painted furniture, metalwork, pottery, carpets and cushions. All were guaranteed to have been created by an expert hand using artisanal – the word still meant something – methods.
Morris was a radical thinker of his day; a prolific poet, author, publisher, campaigner and socialist reformer; “Apart from the desire to produce beautiful things, the leading passion of my life has been and is hatred of modern civilization”, he said. By the 1860s skilled workmanship was being replaced by machines. He was a dedicated socialist, and wrote passionately about the growing gap between rich and poor, which had been intensely accelerated by industrialisation. Morris saw salvation in a return to a medieval craft-based society, one where happy, contended workers would produce objects with integrity. If this is sounding at all familiar we need only look to the nearest artisan hipster baker or be-whiskered craft brewer. Although Morris preached passionately for the return of the medieval craft ethic, his objection was – contrary to what you’re likely to read elsewhere - not so much to machine production as to poor workmanship. He loathed mass-production but understood its place in society. In fact his first registered design was a trellis of African marigolds for machine-made linoleum. William Morris lino, who would have guessed?
The most ironic aspect of Morris’s aims was that, although he aimed to make good design available to all (‘I do not want art for the few, any more than freedom for the few…’), ultimately his own furnishings — made painstakingly by hand using the best natural materials — were typically too expensive for anyone but the wealthy industrialists Morris hated.
Morris was a founding father of the Socialist movement and a champion of workers’ rights. He campaigned against many things, banning arsenic in wallpaper was not one of them. Arsenic was a major component in wallpaper manufacture and by the 1870s, when Morris was at the height of his fame, its ill effects were becoming well-known. Morris inherited his fortune from an arsenic mine in which he still held stock for a number of years. By the 1870s, the Morris family’s Devon mine was reportedly producing over half the world’s supply of arsenic. And while he did ultimately divest his interests in the company, questions on Morris’s apparent hypocrisy—and why he never actually visited these notoriously bad workplaces—casts something of a shadow over his right-on credentials.
Happily, this is the Lorfords blog, so we can leave the politics at the door. In design terms William Morris was a true visionary whose influence was felt well-beyond his own lifetime. With his hands-on philosophy he pioneered the idea of the artist-craftsman and his designs helped to lay the foundations for the modern movement. Today, we find ourselves returning to many of Morris’s preoccupations with craft skills and the environment, with local sourcing and vernacular traditions. But perhaps his greatest legacy was his avowed belief that, rich or poor, male or female, aesthetic beauty should be a central feature of everybody’s life and home.
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.