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Onlookers all over the world have long admired the French art de vivre. The French bistro is a core part of this 'art of living,' alongside their leading fashion houses and pâtisseries. Although modest in price and relaxed in atmosphere, bistros are effortlessly chic.
Defining the French bistro
The French bistro’s cultural significance extends far beyond the food. Indeed, these establishments are as much a part of Parisian culture as the Eiffel Tower or Notre Dame. That’s the argument of those who want them to be awarded intangible cultural heritage status by UNESCO. For loyal customers, their regular bistro offers comfort and authenticity. This is especially important amidst the rise of big chains and gentrification.
Bistros sit somewhere between a café and a restaurant. They have a relaxed atmosphere and serve moderately priced food, wine and coffee throughout the day and evening. We recognise them for their courtyards and terraces, crowded with small circular tables and folding chairs. Yet, the bistro is so much more than the sum of its parts.
These spaces have acted as melting pots throughout history, bringing together people from all walks of life. You will find a close relationship between owners and customers, with diners often returning on a daily basis. They have served as writing meccas; the famous Les Deux Magots attracted Hemingway and Sartre amongst other literary greats. Their walls have overheard fevered discussions on politics, philosophy, romance and gossip.
Today, bistros are a spot for dining alone, with close friends, or for making new acquaintances. They are a people-watching haven, with seats arranged side by side rather than opposing, so everyone can take in the bustle of the cobbled street. Aside from anything else, the French bistro is a major social institution. So, where did this vast cultural legacy begin?
The start of the French restaurant scene
French café culture sprung from social upheavals and entrepreneurialism. The French revolution and the industrial revolution solidified the bistro concept we know today. This is not to say that restaurants didn’t exist before, however. The oldest Parisian café is thought to be Café Procope, which opened in the early 1600s. It was defined by its small tables with marble tops – now staples of French bistro style. Voltaire was rumoured to drink around 40 cups of coffee a day in this famous café.
Nonetheless, before the French revolution there were estimated to be fewer than 50 restaurants in the city. When the households of the rich were dispersed following the revolution, lots of talented chefs were left looking for work. Many returned to their home villages, whilst others flocked to the poorer parts of cities and towns. It was these individuals, through their changing fortunes, who became the first French bistro and restaurant chefs. The impact was major; one French travel guide listed 3,000 dining options in the city in 1814.
The bistro concept evolves
The bistro concept would continue to evolve in light of new advances. In their infancy, bistros were very modest and informal in comparison to the grand Paris restaurants. Indeed, some early bistros started with landlords, who already offered board to tenants, opening to the paying public too.
Bistros operated on a menu of about four or five dishes that could be prepared in large quantities and ahead of time, such as cassoulet, confit, or stew. They would serve some wine, usually from a barrel rather than a bottle. The bistro has evolved, but its core principles have remained more or less unchanged. The name itself supposedly came from the Russian and Cossack officers who occupied Paris in 1814. These unruly men would bang on restaurant tables, yelling bistro! (quickly!) at the long-suffering servers.
Not all cultural developments came out of war and revolution, however. In the 1800s, courtyard and sidewalk bistro seating really took off. This was down to the urban planning of one Baron Haussman, who designed wide boulevards with spacious pedestrianised pavements. The bistro started to expand onto the street – now a crucial part of its culture.
Later, the jollities of the Belle Époque saw bistros become more decorative to suit the zeitgeist. Indeed, plenty of wonderful mirrors and glassware survive from this period. However, it was the industrial revolution that really transformed the bistro in one defining aspect – the furniture.
French bistro furniture
Bistros are at the humbler end of France’s art de vivre, in comparison to, say, the Christian Dior flagship store. Nonetheless, the French taste for finer things required bistro furniture to be attractive as well as functional.
Marble-topped tables remain an emblem of French bistro furniture. Industrial revolution brought decorative iron bases to these tables, often with cross-stretchers so that you could fold them away at the end of the day. You find plenty of wrought-iron chairs, too, but styles varied depending on the bistro’s personal aesthetic.
The names behind the designs
Bistro chairs and tables are not just mass-produced functional pieces, but often important pieces of design too. For example, Thonet’s bistro chair, designed in 1859, is an industry icon. He made it using just six pieces of wood, held together by two nuts and ten screws. Not only was it in high demand for bistros, but it also won a gold prize for design excellence at the Paris Exhibition in 1869.
Articulated furniture was widely sought after. By stacking away courtyard furniture at the end of the day, business owners could avoid paying the rent for a fixed terrace. Manufacturers like Fermob led the way in producing this furniture en masse. Fermob's bistro collections still follow Edouard Leclerc’s 1889 ‘Simpex’ patent to this day. This metal folding chair has become a staple, spotted everywhere you go in France and elsewhere in the world.
Exotic woods were coveted in Europe during the 19th Century. Rattan became a prevalent material for bistro furniture, with its lightness and durability ideal for outdoor use. Maison Louis Drucker, founded in Paris in 1885, were the main producers of rattan bistro furniture. The company is still in operation today and a stalwart of fine French craftsmanship.
Keeping it personal
Regardless of style and material, bistro furniture provided an opportunity for branding. So many beautiful eateries line the streets of France, clamouring for the attention of passers-by. Lots of bistros adopted a signature look to help them stand out on these busy sidewalks. Some furniture sets were very ornate and others much more pared back. Some show remains of old vibrant paint, whilst others kept the wood or iron bare. Whilst some examples may feature the name of the bistro painted on, others might have incorporated a logo or name into the wood or metalwork itself.
Bringing the bistro style to you
When customers returned to the terraces of Parisian bistros after French lockdowns, the heart of the city was restored. It is hard to capture the spirit of these social hubs, but you can bring the French bistro style closer to home. Because bistro furniture sets have been prevalent since the 19th Century, many antique examples survive. Furniture companies today seek to replicate this iconic style - a testament to its longevity - but you can’t beat the character of the originals.
Wonderful indoors or out, marble-topped bistro tables and folding chairs suit a range of styles. They are particularly useful when you have an influx of guests and need a few more seats. To truly transport yourself across the channel, use bistro mirrors and signage indoors. Outdoors, create your own Parisian courtyard with a few sets of bistro tables and chairs and antique lanterns. Bistro glassware has a classic timeless aesthetic, without the airs and graces.
Visit our lookbook 'French bistro chic' to spark your imagination. You can browse all of our bistro style antiques on our website.
If you love all things French, read our articles on collecting confit pots and Arras iron furniture.
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
When the mercury hit 40 back in July, many of us wished our homes were better equipped to deal with extreme heat. While we can’t transform a country cottage or London townhouse into a Provençal chateau overnight, we can still learn some design lessons from Mediterranean interiors.
‘Mediterranean design’ can be difficult to pin down - in part because this style actually borrows from all over the world. And yet certain features make it instantly recognisable, like swathes of natural light, a heady mix of natural materials, and a total embrace of the surrounding landscape.
A common misconception is that it means whitewashed. While you will see plenty of white both inside and out of Mediterranean properties, the true essence of the approach is rooted in colour - a palette inspired by the natural world surrounding the property.
Mediterranean interiors are laid-back yet considered. They're rooted in nature yet they feel contemporary. Below, we discuss a few ways you can bring this look into your own home - whatever the season.
Preparing your canvas
Some are lucky enough to inherit a Mediterranean feel when they move into a property. Ever since the years of the ‘Grand Tour’, British architects have looked beyond our island confines for property inspiration. Archways connecting indoor and outdoor spaces, or courtyard gardens stemming seamlessly from bedrooms or living spaces, provide a natural starting point for Mediterranean-inspired living. It's not all luck of the draw, though, and you can lean into this style through renovating or just decorating.
Mediterranean design relies on organic textures, and this starts at the base level of a space. For example, raw plastered walls, stone flooring and plenty of tiles naturally create a villa feel. Sometimes this is in cool, neutral tones, but not always. Indeed, anyone who visited Portugal this summer will have seen plenty of ‘azujelos’; their iconic royal blue and saffron yellow patterned tiles. Terracotta, too, is at the heart of the Mediterranean look, with its warm earthy tones exuding depth and character.
Terracotta flooring instantly bestows rustic chic on a property, while marble floor and wall tiles bring timeless palatial luxury. However, like with any design device, you can go big or small. Use decorative tiles to create a statement washbasin splashback or to surround a garden fountain or statue, and get your terracotta fix from indoor and outdoor planters.
Throughout the Cotswolds, you’ll often spot sage green shutters in the windows of traditional stone houses. These serve the practical purposes of keeping onlookers and the weather out, but shutters are also synonymous with Mediterranean style. Look to these as a simple way to transform the feel of your home without making any major changes.
Tactile textures
As we’ve already mentioned, texture is the crux of Mediterranean design. It relies on natural materials to bring a living, evolving feel to indoor spaces.
Timber is a key ingredient in this, and the more rustic the better. Natural wood brings much-needed warmth to Mediterranean interiors, especially where you do have an abundance of white or neutral shades. Think live edge dining tables and driftwood sculpture, complete with every knot, burl and medallion that speak to their long life.
Similarly, rattan has always brought a sense of warmer shores to our homes. This versatile, strong material is synonymous with laid-back living, whether it's used for a chair or just a lampshade. Rattan and wicker offer a ready canvas for soft furnishings, providing just enough structure while imbuing a space with a welcoming feel.
On that note, linen is your go-to material for softening such a space. The flax plant is native to the eastern Mediterranean, and creates a fabric that’s at once soft and textured - characterised by its raised slubs and flecks. Use a sheer linen for drapes that let dappled light in, or stronger blends for bedding or scatter cushion covers.
Relics of land and sea
The eclectic range of antiques that survive from this corner of the world testify to its diverse history. From furniture to objets d’art, these relics infuse our homes with character and intrigue.
Vernacular Spanish timber tables and benches with heavy, simple joinery ground interiors with their primitive aesthetic and sense of craft. Italian and French armoires, complete with remains of old paint, bring relaxed, farmhouse charm to a bedroom. You can also nod to this style with smaller decorative pieces, like French confit pots with their dripping glaze frozen in time.
Lighting is key to keeping Mediterranean interiors cosy and welcoming in dark winter months. Look to weighty cast iron candelabras and towering candlesticks for magical, atmospheric lighting. For more practical task lighting, choose gilded sconces or table lamps crafted from marble, travertine or ceramic.
We’re fortunate to have a host of sunburst mirrors brightening up our showrooms at the moment. Most originate from Spain or France, and some are by Chaty Vallauris - the Provence-based design house that made the sunburst their iconic legacy. These statement mirrors, with their mesmerising rays and glittering gold leaf, guarantee sunshine on even the bleakest midwinter day.
The Mediterranean embrace of the natural world extends to art and ornaments, too. From giant ammonite fossils to conch shells that whisper of the sea, nature’s sculptures bring a sense of the scale and history of our earth into our homes. They remind us of past travels and encounters and evoke the curiosity of our visitors.
The Mediterranean garden
When we think of the Mediterranean, the natural landscape is often the first thing that comes to mind - and not just the sea. From the vivid trails of Bourgainvillia that line Grecian streets, to French fields of lavender, each corner of the Mediterranean has its own chorus of mesmerising flora.
Mediterranean Sea Holly grows wild in this and other parts of the world, but you will also find the spiny plant in some British gardens. Recognisable for its blue, green and violet colours, this herbaceous perennial is as eye-catching as it is low-maintenance.
Olive and bay laurel trees are other staples of Mediterranean gardening, as are citrus trees - although these are better suited to an orangery during the British winter. Watching fruit grow from a mere seed is a rewarding antidote to seemingly endless grey days.
In the kitchen, keep rosemary, sage, or tarragon plants on your windowsill. If they don't spark culinary inspiration, they'll at least waft the scent of the Med your way.
Give your flowers and foliage a fitting home with bold planters. Whether you're drawn to classical stone urns or dramatic metal jardinières, the Mediterranean has plenty to offer in this area, too.
Soft touch
Some of us long for the warmth of a Mediterranean summer all year round, but British reality is… well, quite different.
While this style may feel more instinctive in the summer months, it's actually accommodating of all seasons. The trick is textiles - of every kind, in every room. These form a crucial layer in the make-up of any space, but especially in Mediterranean interiors.
Rugs and runners offer welcome respite from cool stone flooring, while window dressings will soften stone or tiled walls. Contrast is key for keeping your surroundings stimulating as well as comfortable; the coarse texture of a hemp rug softened by woollen throws or sheepskin, for instance.
Textiles offer an opportunity to satisfy our cravings for colour on grey days. The Mediterranean basin was once a vibrant trading ground for pigments, and these original colours offer a springboard for decorating. Blend jewel-like indigo blues and malachite greens with earthier tones of ochre and madder red to evoke Mediterranean interiors.
It can be hard to know where to begin when it comes to such a ubiquitous design style. Browse our lookbook to inspire your own Mediterranean journey.
From the sun-soaked parasols of the Amalfi coast to crumpled sweetshop bags on the English Riviera, stripes are everywhere. They always have been, in various forms, but their presence feels particularly loud right now.
Perhaps it's because we crave their unabashed joy in the midst of gloomy national and international developments, or because we’ve been busy whole-heartedly embracing summer after years of restriction. Whatever the reason, manifestations of this versatile pattern range from classic to retro.
A chequered (striped) past
Stripes have not always stood for beauty and joy, though. During medieval Europe, they actually signified an outcast and those condemned to wear stripes included hangmen and court jesters. This was mostly down to a bible passage which dictated: “You will not wear upon yourself a garment that is made of two.” Christians interpreted this to mean clothing of two contrasting colours. Because of their simple and obvious nature, stripes drew attention and demonstrated 'otherness.' To this day, prisoners around the world wear stripy uniforms to hinder their chances of escaping unnoticed.
Classic or frivolous?
The turning point for the pattern came at the end of the 18th Century. Tastemakers were exhausted by the heavily ornate rococo and chinoiserie styles that had dominated up until then. With the enlightenment came a countermovement - neoclassicism - and with neoclassicism came a newfound love for stripes. Stripes now stood for simple elegance and a sense of order that stemmed from classical architecture.
This was the era of the Regency stripe - a wide stripe in one colour flanked by two or more narrower ones in a contrasting shade. Still popular today, this classic stripe works anywhere from clothing to upholstery. Across the channel, French seamen wore woven shirts featuring 21 navy stripes - one for each of Napoleon’s victories. This classic nautical stripe would later inspire the iconic Breton shirt, and so begun fashion’s love affair with the pattern.
Fast forward to the 1920s and stripes were now appearing on all sorts of clothing; suits and ties, cricket and rowing blazers, and even candy-striped swimwear. Once the 20th Century had weathered two world wars, no advert for the seaside was complete without a swimsuit bearing the pattern.
It wasn't just fashion that started to harness the power of stripes, but hospitality too. Wide ‘awning stripes’ get their name from the shops and restaurants that sported them, becoming synonymous with a warm welcome. Throughout history, stripes have offered a joyous antidote.
Ticking stripes - from mattress to design icon
The stripe has been through many guises, and not all of them were purely driven by aesthetic. Ticking refers to the dense woven cloth that once covered mattresses, designed to protect you from harsh fillings like straw and horsehair. The cloth featured a uniform pattern of wide and narrow stripes, usually in a muted palette of black, blue or red.
Despite its humble origins, mattress ticking has had a monumental ripple effect in the design world. Fabric houses from Chelsea Textiles to Colefax & Fowler have released their own versions, while other traders specialise in original antique cloths.
Indeed, ticking stripes have become a distinctive marker of English country house style, where they decorate anything from sofas to valances. Ticking is a shining example of how stripes can feel refined, with a timeless appeal that weathers passing trends.
How to use stripes
Striped cloth dates back to the ancient Egyptians, making it one of the oldest patterns on record. The wildly different ways we've embraced them over the centuries goes to show just how versatile they are. This simple pattern is the building block of plaids and checks, as well as geometric designs.
From seaside to fireside
When we think of stripes in interiors, fresh nautical schemes often spring to mind. Certainly, lots of striped fabric instantly brings a relaxed beach house feel to a garden room or shepherd’s hut. Outside, too, nothing evokes nostalgia quite like a stripy deckchair or parasol.
But stripes do have their place in more traditional environments as well. After all, they first came to the fore in opulent French drawing rooms and classic English country houses. Upholstery fabric is perhaps the most obvious use, and one that allows a lot of room for personal interpretation. A classic Howard & Sons sofa or armchair, for example, remains understated and elegant with a Regency stripe fabric, or gets a heady lift with a bright awning stripe.
Stripes don’t have to be the only pattern in a room, either. In fact, they layer beautifully with fluid, ornate patterns like toile de jouy. A simply striped sofa in front of a chinoiserie wallpaper, or a striped Swedish flatweave in amongst chintzy upholstery, is the sort of bold decorating that really pays off. Statement walls painted with lemon yellow stripes, or a more traditional striped wallpaper, can transform the feel of a room.
Small doses
If you’re not quite ready to paint candy stripes across an entire wall, the pattern works just as well in small doses. Striped valances and headboards bring a light-hearted joyfulness to the bedroom setting without feeling overwhelming, for instance. Scatter cushions have the same effect, offering a good opportunity to blend different types of stripe in one setting.
Even if an interior appears to have no stripes at all, a closer look often reveals their powerful presence. For instance, a simple border around an otherwise plain rug draws the rest of the room in - conversing with other geometry in the room to create a considered feel. Lampshades in bright, contrasting stripes, or with subtler top and tail trims, can add a little or a lot of this chic pattern to a space.
When it comes to this ubiquitous pattern, no home or personal style is off-limits. With autumn well on its way, look to the humble stripe to keep the joy of balmy summer days alive.
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Shop the look, visit our lookbook 'For the love of stripes'.
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.
Having grown up on the beautiful island of Cyprus, founder and creative director of Design Stories, Murude Katipoglu, is inspired by raw beauty and colour from surrounding landscapes. Steeped in legend, myth and beauty, it is not hard to see why. Cyprus is abundant with traditional architecture. It has a natural environment flowing with Mediterranean flora and fauna and a peaceful, welcoming vibe for locals and visitors alike.
After moving to London for university, Murude graduated from Kingston with a degree in interior design. She then spent seven years working on high-profile projects and, in 2017, upon deciding that it was time to set up on her own, Design Stories was born.
Murude draws on her heritage when evoking the feeling of home and this deep appreciation for natural materials is a common thread between every project. As she says, “Nature, people, spaces and materials are all elements that excite and inspire me. Sometimes we get to work on a historic building with plenty of history; sometimes we’re inspired by an antique we’ve sourced, or it can be our clients and their stories who we draw our inspiration from.”
Here at Lorfords, we love her style and ethos, so we wanted to share with you the woman behind her story, behind her Design Stories, in fact!
The best books I’ve read in the past year are The 5 am club and The Everyday Hero Manifesto , both by Robin Sharma. They are brilliant guides to balancing life and staying focused on what is important to me as a person.
My favourite Lorfords Antiques piece I have sourced for a client was a stunning 19th Century French Copper and Tin Bateau Freestanding Bath. It was for a cottage we designed a couple of years ago. It had so much patina and character.
I recently placed the Lorfords Contemporary Elmstead Sofa – I love it. We placed two of them into our large residential project in Hampshire more recently for our client's living room. She absolutely loved them.
The last thing I bought and loved was handmade pink velvet shoes from Florence! They make me happy every time I wear them.
The place that means a lot to me is Cyprus. I grew up there, my family are all still there and I love the sunshine!
The podcast I’m listening to is The Diary of A CEO by Steven Bartlett, On Purpose by Jay Shetty & How to Fail by Elizabeth Day.
In my fridge, you’ll always find Greek Yogurt!
Some of my best ideas have come while I’m in bed trying to sleep and also when I travel alone.
One thing I couldn’t do without is coffee.
The decision I made that changed everything for me was deciding to stay on in London after finishing my degree rather than move back to Cyprus.
An indulgence I would never forgo is luxury hotel stays! I love a good hotel, and I am passionate about hotel design and hospitality. A good hotel stay can change your life for good!
The last piece of clothing I added to my wardrobe was a shirt from With Nothing Underneath. I like the simplicity and effortless look of their shirts.
My favourite room in my house is my bedroom. It’s calm and cosy and looks onto the river Thames. 
The best advice I’ve ever received is don’t listen to criticism from someone you wouldn’t seek advice from.
I do not compromise on comfort. Comfort must be prioritised in the places we spend most of our lives, where we work and in our homes. Our studio space is a good example of that, we had to do a long refurb but it’s been worth it.
I often compromise on my personal time….
My signature object to include in a project is a Diptyque Black Baies candle. It has become the recognised studio scent.
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Imagery by Helen Cathcart
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To find out more about Design Stories and Murude Katipoglu, please visit the Design Stories website.
To read more L-Shaped interviews, including those with other interior designers, please click here.
We talk to ‘Antiques Roadshow’ expert Chris Yeo about collecting Mid-Century glass. He says ‘dancing with light and alive with colour, Mid-Century glass makes a bold statement, just try not to get too hooked’.
Glass Act
When I tell people I work in antiques the question I’m invariably asked (after “When do you hope to get a real job?”) is “What do you collect?” and my answer is absolutely nothing. Although I’ve lived, eaten and breathed antiques since childhood the idea of amassing a collection of any one thing or group of things has never held any appeal. With one exception, that is.
Roughly twenty years ago, on a typical Saturday morning mooch around an antiques market (remember them?), I came across something that stopped me in my tracks. It was a glass vase, a sleek, weighty number in rich shades of blue and turquoise. It was love at first sight and, of course, I bought it. About a month later I bought another piece of glass, shortly followed by another and another – you get the picture.
For the next few years, I hoovered up every piece of studio glass I could find. It was a labour of love and an obsession which bordered on an addiction. Put a piece of studio glass in front of me and I would find it near impossible to ‘just say no’. I won’t be too hard on my younger self. There is, after all, something undeniably seductive about mid-century art glass: a perfect marriage of art, craft and design that melts the hearts of even the most ardent minimalists. Richly coloured and beautifully made, fine quality glass introduces just the right note of luxury, colour and sophistication into any interior.
The history of colourful glass
The Europe that emerged from the Second World War was a grey and dismal place. War-time shortages and rationing of “luxury goods” meant that people had been starved of colour for years. There was a huge demand for anything bright, fresh and modern, especially among young people setting up home for the first time. Ceramics, textiles and wallpaper manufacturers all ramped up the colour quota but nowhere was this appetite for colour better nourished than amongst makers of studio glass. And, when it came to glass, no one understood colour better than the Italians.
Italian design came of age in the post-war years with a welter of colourful designs in both glass and plastic, materials which share the same malleable qualities. The magical process of transforming a bubble of molten glass into a vessel or piece of sculpture is a test of skill and artistry but the Italians took up the challenge with gusto and, of course, style. Highly individualistic designers celebrated colour for its own sake, applying it in ever more bold and dramatic combinations. Italian glass is more properly Venetian glass. Venice has always been the heart of the Italian glassmaking industry with a history of glass-blowing unparalleled anywhere else in the world. From the thirteenth century onwards Venice had held a monopoly on glassmaking in Europe, and its products—often extravagantly coloured, enamelled, and gilded—were treasured luxuries. Originally, Venetian glass was made - as you would imagine - in Venice, but the workshops were moved to the small lagoon island of Murano in 1291, in part because their kilns constituted a fire hazard to the city, but also to keep the glassmaking process a secret by isolating the makers on their own well-guarded island.
Now, I think it’s fair to say that for many of us our idea of Murano glass will have been “coloured” by a trip to Venice. You’ll have done the circuit of St Marks, paid through the nose for a coffee and then, along with ten thousand others, you will have been funnelled off into the narrow alleyways that lead off the square. You shuffle along passed shop after shop – each one dedicated to relieving you of as much money as possible - crammed with all manner of gaudy clowns, fish, dolphins and more Mickey Mouse figures than even Disneyland would want - all sold under the banner “Murano”. If this has been your only encounter with Italian glass you’d be forgiven for wanting it to stay that way but there really is so much more to Murano.
Examples of Murano glass
Murano Glass
From the 13th to the 18th century Murano glass was one of the wonders of the world with an unrivalled reputation for innovation, its glassmakers having developed, among other things, ways of incorporating threads of gold into their creations and techniques for the famous millefiori (multicoloured) and lattimo (milk) glass. Amongst the myriad workshops that make up the Murano glass industry the most highly regarded and arguably the best known is Venini.
The firm was founded in the early 1920s when an enterprising Milanese lawyer, Paolo Venini, established a new glass company on the island with a Venetian antiques dealer, Giacomo Cappelin. Their breakthrough innovation was to copy the French fashion industry’s tradition of appointing an artistic director to create new designs and then drive them forwards. This was a stroke of genius which instantly put Venini at the forefront of fashion. The firm collaborated with artists who transferred their skills from canvas to glass, combining bright vibrant colour with flair and confidence that’s the very essence of Italian style. As a strategy, it took glassmaking to new heights of excellence and kick-started the Italian studio glass movement.
By the early 1930s, Venini was attracting the cream of Italian designers including Carlo Scarpa, Gio Ponti and Tyra Lundgren. The post-war years were Murano’s most dazzling and creative period. With its bold palette, Italian glass of the 1950s and ‘60s is instantly recognisable. Shapes have an easy asymmetry and a looseness of form reminiscent of folded fabric. In fact, one of the most popular shapes was the ‘fazaletto’ or ‘folded-handkerchief’ vases first made by Venini in the 1940s.
'Folded-handkerchief' by Venini
Glass around the world
With its vibrant colour combinations and top-quality design credentials, the Italians dominated the glass scene but they weren’t the only nation on the colour spectrum. In the UK the prestigious London-based firm of Whitefriars had been making glass since the 17th century and had a centuries-old reputation for restrained and elegant glassware but in the 1950s its fortunes changed when, like Venini, it engaged the services of an artistic director, Geoffrey Baxter (1912-95).
Baxter was a young graduate fresh from the Royal College of Art, at that time a powerhouse of ideas about art and design. At Whitefriars, Baxter took the forms of Scandinavian glass – thickly-walled, with curving organic shapes and highly sculptural vessels – but, unlike the Nordic versions which used either clear glass or subtle, muted shades – Baxter used bright, rich colours to create something youthful and very British. Colourful things were also coming from behind the Iron Curtain.
In Czechoslovakia, the glass industry was nationalised in 1948 and continued the centuries-old tradition of glassmaking in the Bohemian region. Bohemian glass had a reputation for excellence and the new Communist government did not deem glass to be an art form that was ideologically threatening, meaning that designers could work largely free of official control. This resulted in the creation of highly innovative modern designs that updated traditional methods of glassmaking and put Czech glass on par with the best that Italy had to offer.
Glass art by Whitefriars
Glass in the modern-day
Following on from its 1950s heyday, studio glass is once again riding the crest of a wave of popularity. If you’ve never thought of having glass on display, think again: the allure of light playing on coloured glass can be just as compelling as a strikingly painted canvas. That said, some people remain a little nervous about living with glass – “It’ll get knocked over and smashed!” Truth is, most glass is more robust than you think and, so long as you’re not flinging it against the wall, it’s no less durable than pottery.
Striking forms and colours make the piece a work of art in its own right and a real talking point. Art glass, displayed as a single statement piece or grouped together, brings warmth and colour to an interior as effectively as any painting and can also be a good way of introducing an accent colour into a room scheme.
The sinuous, organic shapes and jewel-like hues so beloved of mid-century glass artists work as a counterpoint to the tailored interiors of today. Arranging collections of glass in groupings of similar colours and shapes create a strong visual impact.
Remember, when it comes to glass, less is always more, don’t clutter shelves and tabletops with pieces. Instead, give each one space to breathe. You’ll find your art glass a source of inspiration as well as beauty.
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Browse our collection of Mid-Century glass:
> Shop our Murano glass collection
> Shop glass and ceramics
Well, we do love a tasty mealtime, and now for some tasty tableware! The busy bees at Bertioli have just launched their new series of prints, the Veg Patch. They are making the whole dining experience a delicious affair. Inspired by Thyme’s kitchen garden, the delightful linen tablecloths and napkins have been meticulously and lovingly drawn by Thyme’s founder Caryn Hibbert.
"I’ve always loved drawing and painting, but as I pursued a career in medicine, they became something of a childhood memory. It was only a few years ago that I started drawing again, picking up a pencil and rediscovering a passion that I had forgotten... I’ve since painted many of the wonderful plants in our gardens at Thyme, but the Veg Patch range is a particular favourite. I love how our vegetables are uniform and jumbled in equal measure – making for fabulous subject matter – but also because cooking has always been so central to Hibbert family life."
CARYN HIBBERT, FOUNDER, THYME
Field to fork
The collection displays veg patch favourites, such as radishes, carrots and onions, bean flower and runner beans. Picked daily from their own veg patch for the Ox Barn’s menu, Thyme enjoys a field to fork ethos. How perfect then, to create their own tableware from such an integral part of Thyme and Bertioli's raisin d'être.
The collection includes linen tablecloths in the following lengths: 260cm, 320cm, 380cm and 450cm. The collection also includes napkins, with the tableware packaged in matching “book bags”. There are plans for tea towels and aprons in the future. Rumours also abound of a range of crockery and one of wallpapers and upholstery fabric… more to follow when Bertioli has done some more digging on that front.
Bertioli is a family affair
Thyme and Bertioli's ethos is to create products and a wonderful environment, that can tell stories of the natural world evolving through the seasons. The name Bertioli is a reference to Caryn Hibbert’s maiden name. Her father, Michael Bertioli was pivotal in the restoration of the historic barns and buildings that make up Thyme; her mother, Patricia played a formative part in Thyme’s chef director, Charlie Hibbert’s culinary journey.
Sustainability
Made from sustainably grown French linen (with an entirely European supply route from flax to loom), Caryn’s original prints have been delightfully transposed onto this exquisite collection of tablecloths, napkins and placemats. The designing takes place in Caryn’s studio at home, before the production brings the pieces to life in Lithuania. There is full transparency on the production process of the Thyme table linens and the production is certified by OEKO-TEX® to ensure there are no harmful substances used. All the fabrics are digitally printed, leaving minimal run off of dyes.
Order your tableware
The full Veg Patch collection is available in The Piggery and Balcony Room boutiques at Thyme and for order and delivery on bertioli.co.uk. The tableware and ceramics in the Thyme boutiques have been chose for their links to the nature, food and entertaining.
To find out more about what's happening at Thyme, click here.
Charlie Hibbert, our Thyme chef correspondent, is mad about picnics. With a fascinating French political association, the pique-nique was brought to England by escaping 'high-society' from the Revolution. In 1801, the Pic Nic society was formed in London where extravagant gatherings required each attendant to bring a dish and six bottles of wine! After dinner there was singing, dancing, gambling, and a play... somewhat less innocent and 'genteel' than the countryside connotation we now have!
Concentrating on the food, Charlie keeps to the original spirit by erring on the side of excess when it comes to catering for them, but he likes to keep things simple to reduce any potential stress from prepping.
- Go for crowd-pleasing tucker – photographed, you’ll see grilled chicken & homemade mayo (always a winner), courgettes, fennel & burrata (recipe below with photograph by Romas Foord for The Times), potato & roasted radish salad, Victoria sponge, Eton mess and a crusty sourdough loaf with lots of salty butter.
- Don’t prepare anything too oily or runny – it’s bound to drip or splodge. If you’re taking olive oil (and I’d strongly recommend it), decant a little into a jam jar or small Kilner bottle.
- Use the freshest possible seasonal produce – the flavours and aromas will definitely enhance your bucolic feast!
- Always pack good serving utensils.
- Keep lids or foil for leftovers.
- Don’t forget salt, pepper, bottle openers and a bin bag.
- Don’t forget the vegetarians & vegans!
- Wine and water need to be served cold, so bring your freezer blocks.
- Take a dog bowl for your dog (if you have one) – they need water too.
Charlie’s courgettes, fennel & burrata
(Image: Romas Foord)
Charlie says "This summery dish is exactly what I want to eat on a warm day. Creamy burrata, crisp vegetables, bitter leaves and salty almonds, all good things. If you can’t get hold of burrata, you could use a good buffalo mozzarella."
Serves 4
A good handful of blanched almonds (Valencia almonds are best), roughly chopped
2 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
1 clove of garlic, peeled & grated
½ a lemon, zest (for the almonds) and juice (for the dressing)
2 courgettes, peeled with a vegetable peeler into strips
1 head of fennel, cut into thin strips with a spiralizer or knife, put the fennel in iced water until you are ready to assemble the dish (this keeps it nice and crunchy)
A good handful of bitter leaves, like rocket, nasturtium leaves or something similar
4 balls of burrata
Best extra virgin olive oil
Maldon salt flakes & pepper
Fry the almonds in a pan on a medium heat with the vegetable oil until they start to turn golden. Just before they are ready to come off the heat, add the grated garlic, a couple of grinds of black pepper and the lemon zest, and toss through the nuts. Carefully tip the almonds out of the pan onto a paper towel to drain.
If you can keep the dressing, almonds and rest apart until you get to the picnic – that’s the best way round, so nothing goes soggy. Just remember to take a good sized bowl with you to mix and serve it in. When you’re ready to serve, dress the courgette and fennel with plenty of lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, and gently combine with the bitter leaves. Tear the burrata open and season. Tumble over the courgette and fennel, scatter over the almonds and dress with a little olive oil.
For more recipes, please click here.
Charlie’s lunch and dinner menus at Thyme reflect all the goodness to be found in the gardens at Thyme, so if it really is too soggy to picnic and you happen to be in the Cotswolds – bag yourself a table at the Ox Barn for a lazy lunch.
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
Scottish Oak Daybed or Psychiatrist's Couch
Gustavian Period Bureau Cabinet
Heidi Hadfield, Accounts
Heidi's Top Picks
Robert Evans, Logistics Manager
Rob's Top Picks
Omersa Leather Elephant Foot Stall
19th Century Gilt Convex Mirror with Eagle Crest
Carly Watkins, Marketing Manager
Carly's Top Picks
Pair of French Early 19th Century Botanical Engravings
Italian Round Silver Cocktail Tray
Jane Body, Sales
Jane's Top Picks
Collection of Nine British Tree Engravings
English Mahogany Wing Armchair
Hattie Icke, Logistics
Hattie's Top Picks
Early 20th Century Jali Screen
Large Dutch Still Life Oil on Canvas
Alice Hagues, Manager and Stylist
Alice's Top Picks
Set of Five Mid Century Dining Chairs
19th Century Bavarian Painted Cupboard
Piers Ingall, Sales
Piers' Top Picks
Pair of 19th Century 'Bejewelled' Candlebras
Tom Valentine, Sales
Tom's Top Picks
Set of Five Danish 'Uncle Harald's' Trains
Large Barley Twist Waterfall Shelves
Eleanor Buonaparte, Dealer Liaison and Stock Co-ordinator
Eleanor's Top Picks
French 19th Century Chandelier
Stephanie Ashby, Photographer
Steph's Top Picks
Original 1950's Route 66 Neon Café Sign
Original 1970's Gucci Light Sign
Sophie Jones, Marketing Assistant
Sophie's Top Picks
18th Century West Country Windsor Armchair
David Jeens, Restorer
Dave's Top Picks
Pair of Bristol Chemist Bottles
Cody Roberts, Logistics
Cody's Top Picks
Swedish 20th Century Pine Desk
Jordan Anderson, Logistics
Jordan's Top Picks
Large Mid 20th Century Terracotta Canova Lion
Chris Butterworth, Logistics
Chris' Top Picks
During September we were delighted to be asked to contribute to several fantastic events in London. From London Design Festival to RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Lorfords Antiques were at it all!
RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Jardin Blanc
When the organisers of Jardin Blanc at RHS Chelsea Flower Show contacted us to ask if we'd be interested in contributing to this year's restaurant, of course, we couldn't say no! We were delighted to lend the show two beautiful dining tables and chairs with glorious urns accompanying them, as well as a fantastic large French iron clock face and decorative French gilt mirror.
Belgravia in Bloom with Cox London
From France to Belgravia, this 19th Century French fairground horse has been showing off its beauty in a beautiful window display created by Cox London for Belgravia in Bloom. Belgravia in Bloom celebrated its sixth year this year and returned with a series of floral installations all themed around 'Floral Fairground'. Cox London walked away with the silver award and the wonderful horse has now returned back to his current home in our Hangars in the Cotswolds.
London Design Festival with de Gournay
de Gournay's crisp rendition of the ‘Chatsworth’ Chinoiserie on White Metal gilded paper creates a glittering backdrop for an imagined bathroom at their London showroom in celebration of London Design Festival. An elegant setting composed around a majestic bath from Drummonds overflowing with gypsophila – its gleaming copper the perfect foil to the hand-gilded walls, illuminated with a pair of plaster standing column lamps from us.
The Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair
The Decorative Fair returns after a year of postponements and cancellations and we weren't going to miss it! With many of our dealers attending this year's show, it proved to be an event not to miss with the finest treasures from all over the world.
