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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

We are excited to present ‘Through The Looking Glass’, a collection of paintings by London based artist Coco Morris. The exhibition opens on 3 May and runs through 1 June at Lorfords.

(Image by Adele Watts)

Morris pulls from a variety of painting languages and mixes them with her own personal landscape. This produces bold, captivatingly playful and sensory paintings that explore colour-form relationships.

Opposing narratives come together and inhabit her works; abstraction and figuration, intention and chance, the reductive nature of minimalist discourse and the all-immersive traces of abstract expressionists sit side by side. Her art plays on the tensions and boundaries that exist between these genres.

Colours clash and varying opacities layer enough to agitate the canvas surface and tempt you, the viewer, to look into the painting and construct your own associations.

The exhibition brings together a focused selection of paintings made over the last two years in which Morris has deconstructed painting and pushed the limits to explore how little needs to be in a painting for it to feel finished.

Coco graduated with a Fine Art degree from City and Guilds of London Art School in 2019. Two years prior, she was awarded the Painter-Stainers Scholarship and then the Chadwyck-Healey Prize for Painting in 2019. We visited Coco at her studio in South London and discussed her love of art, what drives her creativity and how she feels about her work.

We are so excited about your exhibition starting in May. Your work tends to blur genres, with each painting having its own personality. What ideas do you explore in your work?

Thank you! I explore colour-form relationships and the tensions and boundaries that exist between different painting languages and genres. This means that the subject matter, style of painting, materiality, point of inspiration and the process can be quite different between each painting.

Coco Morris exhibition at Lorfords Tetbury

Image by Kim Booker

Can you share an insight into your artistic process?

Well, I tend to plan out the larger paintings, [like those you will see in this show]. The composition comes from observational drawings that I obsessively redraw until the composition is reduced and abstracted. Sometimes the colours are based off other paintings or colour swatches I have collected. I begin the painting with washy layers of very bright, electric colour so the paintings have a backlit, glowing quality to them. Then I block in colour using uniform, repetitive marks and continue layering on different shades of a colour until the painting ‘clicks’ into place and feels finished.

I use my smaller works to trial new materials, colours, compositions, mark making and texture. I’ve found a certain freedom in making small works that has resulted in making a different series from my usual abstract paintings. I go in with no plans or expectations, I just put some marks, texture or colour on the surface and react to it, they are purely abstract and tend to be quite layered.

Abstraction and non-representational have opposing conceptions yet you are using both…

I allow for both, as I find that they feed into each other. I try not to put limitations on how I make paintings. When I commit to making a series I’m a bit more disciplined in what I allow to happen but I think there's room for both abstracted and the purely abstract within my work.

You have a strong relationship with colour. What moves you about how the colours interact on the surface?

Sometimes my colours are based on things like lipsticks, velvet and other fabrics. I want to recreate the colour but also the tactile sensations of the items. Or I might be trying to create a sense of light or temperature through the colour. I’m trying to create a sensation as much as a colour. I like how consuming colour is, and how it can change the way a room feels. And how tactile and physical colours can seem - certain colours look edible or velvety or matte. They can create illusions of depth and space. For me, framing the way I think about and make paintings, through the idea of colour, creates an endless amount of inspiration for painting.

The works in this show were made in the past two years. The titles feel much more emotionally charged than your earlier work (such as Magenta Haze in 2019) – why is this?

My earlier work was all planned out, I abstracted the forms from drawings, I had a vague idea of the colours I was aiming for and the types of marks/textures I would be using. Titling these paintings in a more process-based way that referenced the colours, forms and visuals seemed to make sense. In my more recent work, there's more pure abstraction. It all comes from me, the process feels more intimate. Titling them in a more emotive way compliments the process. I also think people find it easier to connect to abstract painting when the titles give a sort of emotional springboard into understanding or connecting with them.

Are there references that you consistently return to?

I have a lot of abstract motifs that reoccur in my work, like the frame/border and certain combinations of shapes. These come from abstracted drawings I made years ago. There are a couple of Rose Hilton paintings that I always seem to circle back to - ‘Blue Cafe, 2007' and ‘The Red Room, Woman Sleeping, 2010’. The soft edges, abstracted spaces and painting choices all balance figuration/abstraction and colour/form relationships so well.

If you could spend a day in the studio with any artist, past or present, who would it be?

I think my answer to this would change every month depending on what I'm doing in the studio. At the moment I'm thinking quite a lot about John Hoyland's paintings, so it would probably be him.

Which artists are you greatly influenced by?

I really love Bonnard and Vuillard. I constantly return to their paintings. Also Rose Hilton, Patrick Heron, Mark Rothko. And figurative artists like Michael Armitage and Antonia Showering.

Describe your interior studio space for us. Is there a piece of furniture or object in your studio that you love, that you feel particularly attached to?

My studio is messy! There are paintings in progress everywhere - on the floor, walls, the table, stacked up in corners and on shelves. I work on the walls, table and floor so they’re all covered in smudges of different colours of paint. Any furniture I have in the studio will at some point turn into a painting pallet. Lots of very used looking paintbrushes - the bristles have been completely worn down, cut up or matted. They each create their own type of mark. There is one clean wall where I stack all the larger finished work and a glass wall which looks out onto the larger communal area inside my studio building.

I have a special attachment to three paintbrushes in my studio, that were used to paint my degree show. The bristles were completely worn away through the process of making those paintings but I've never thrown them away.

What do you do first thing in the morning to get your day going?

I have tea every morning with Kim Booker, another artist in the same studio building as me. We generally talk about painting, what we’re working on, and look at art books and references. It's a nice way to get into the mood for painting.

As an artist, what actions do you take to try to minimise your impact on the environment?

I’m always trying to be more sustainable in my practice. I’m a typical artist so I hoard everything. For the most part, it all gets reused, repurposed, or recycled. I buy paint colours in larger quantities to minimise packaging and also use Sennelier Abstract paint - it uses very lightweight packaging. I re-stretch canvases a lot, so I don't tend to buy many canvas frames. On most days, I do other small things like walk to and from the studio, take in a homemade (plastic-free) lunch and keep the radiators off. Generally, the paint itself isn’t very environmentally friendly so I'm always trying to find more ways to be eco-conscious.

You can visit 'Through The Looking Glass' at Lorfords, 30 Long Street, Tetbury from Tuesday 3 May through Wednesday 1 June.

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

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.

Art Deco | Lorfords Antiques 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.

20th Century Lloyd Loom Sofa

Modernist Textile Screen

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.

1960s Italian Lounge Suite

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

19th Century Red Velvet Sofa

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

French Scenic Wallpaper

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

20th Century Elbow Chair

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

A Conversation with Stefano Giordano about his latest work and ‘the work behind the work’ for his upcoming solo show ‘Untitled (green)’ which will be on view at Lorfords.

15 September- 13 October

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Kate Williams: When I visited your studio, you talked about the initial drawings originating from children's colouring books which I thought was wonderful! Suddenly it made perfect sense as to why I feel so drawn to their nostalgic simplicity.

Stefano Giordano: Nostalgic simplicity… I like that. The idea for this series of paintings started from a friend buying a colouring book for my 35th birthday. A silly joke, kind of ‘oh you are an artist, so you can colour this’, which made me think of my childhood. When I was little all I had in my bedroom were pictures of [the cartoon] Snoopy hugging a big heart or chilling on the beach, while in the living room were my grandfather’s still life and landscape oil paintings. So I thought that taking inspiration from those images might be a way forward in my work.

I have been attracted to the black line for a while now; I’m attracted to its simplicity, elegance and to the fact that it connects to [so many] other things. It breaks and creates space at the same time. They are a human invention, things of the mind.

The motifs in the paintings are positioned very centrally, particularly the landscape pictures. Perhaps it's this, as well as the light that appears to emanate through the layers of paint, that makes me think of stained glass windows.

This repeated compositional decision also reminds me of works by Piero Della Francesca. Together, these hint at a deeper sense of seriousness once you have spent some time with them.

I like the paintings to have a structure behind them, something they can hold onto. Plus they became somehow monumental when they are composited in that way, without a narrative.

I have always enjoyed going to the National Gallery looking at Piero della Francesca, Pollaioulo or Da Messina’s paintings and the way they split the space in a painting with a cross. One of my favourite painting is Da Messina’s Christ Crucified, it’s such a little painting but the space in it is infinite.

The things you refer to remind me of the experience of being in a church which I guess makes sense with me being Italian, having spent so much time in churches. I do think that painting has to do with some kind of spirituality, if we can call it that.

These references might seem to contrast with the notion of a colouring book which is light hearted and often funny. However, if we assume that colouring books act as visual information for children to learn from in a similar way that stained glass windows did historically, then perhaps we can consider that both offer up boundaries to follow or rebel against?...

When I was at college a tutor called Frances Richardson suggested that my work is “deep in light way” and I still think a lot about that sentence.

In the process of painting the black lines are made and destroyed, leaving traces of the process coming through the colours which are applied after a satisfying result has been achieved. Black lines could be seen as a metaphor for our social conventions and rules, and somehow we live our lives filling the space between these rules established by something bigger.

I always liked to think of painting as a way to think about life; the paintings have some sort of violence, pain and destruction together with love, naivety, fun and beauty.

As a viewer of your paintings, you respond immediately to these simplified, bold outlined images. A spaceman drinking a carton of orange juice or being inside a space shuttle soaring into space are childhood dreams to many of us.

This recognisable imagery is something that you have worked with since I first met you, please would you elaborate and give us an insight into the work that we can see in the show?

I love direct, simple imagery which invites you in, that wants desperately to be liked but at the same time it tells you to fuck off and keep a distance!

When I started thinking about this project, I was looking for images of colouring books that I loved. I have always liked the landscape made into minimal shapes, just enough to understand that what you look at is a simplified landscape and then I thought, it was necessary to enlarge it.

In regard to the idea of space [travel], that is [an] adult dream now too! The space paintings followed the landscapes, and after reading 12 Bytes by Jeannette Winterson, I got interested in Elon Musk’s space program and how these “boys” want to colonise space instead of cleaning up the mess here on planet earth.

How do you approach making a body of work?

S G : I struggle for sometime to make clear in mind what is it that I want to do. Researching painters and paintings that interest me is an important part of the process. I make preparatory drawings to work through composition and marks, using images that speak to me at the time. I play around with them digitally, then I make small works having researched materials, paints and supports. These are then photographed , and coloured in on an iPad to have an idea of how I want them to look. All the while during the process of making, ideas for another series will come up. I already have an idea for my next project and I’m very excited.

K W: The use of an iPad to plan the colour is really interesting in that you are now working with digital colouring in ‘books’ and an iPad screen does give backlit colour, so the sense of light coming through is very much a planned element to your work?

SG: I always put my paintings or drawings through the “digital” in the making process; I like to think that they live a life similar to ours before coming to completion. When I started colouring the paintings digitally I loved the floating blocks of colours; two thin layers of colours activate each other, plus the blue light of the screen made the whole experience very seductive. I then tried to recreate the effect of having the ‘light coming from within’ on canvas; the process always influence the product and vice versa.

Can you talk about Time and its importance to your work?

Paintings are made of actions and choices through time; this process is left visible through the materials on the support. In painting one cannot avoid time. One artist who understood that fully was On Kawara, making time the subject of his paintings.

Which three people strongly influence your work?

3 painters. 2 dead. 1 alive.

Raoul de Keyser for his informal and intimate way of painting. He also played around with the idea of a work of art being unfinished but completed at the same time.

Sigmar Polke for his continuous inventions, bravado and intelligence with dealing with popular contemporary culture and the history of paintings; in his work he touched almost on every subject you can think of and experimented with a variety of materials. A real artist.

Carroll Dunham for his reinterpretation of classical themes into a comic painting style combined with abstract expressionism and minimalism.

But I’m trying to misunderstand them as best as I can.

The work in this show is dominated by a heavily saturated green palette? Which is naturalistic in the landscapes pictures but imagined and disassociated in Untitled (Astronaut) - please can you comment on this choice?

Partly green was in other paintings I made in the last couple of years, but on the sides or in the details, and so I decided to amplify it to the max! Another reason for going green and black is because I loved the combination of these two colours in the painting Payasage by Miró.

That’s right when we think about the landscape we think green, however I love when children colour things with dissociated colours. A green sky is something you can find in science fiction, while a green space somehow takes us back to the landscape which I find quiet poetic.

I think about these paintings as MULTIMONOCHROME, they are all greens but different.

What did you want to be when you were little?

When I was little I wanted to be a professional snowboarder, but I never got on a snowboard in my life.

What is your favourite place on the planet?

I have too many for different kind of reasons; this is an impossible question…

As an artist, what actions do you take to try to minimise your impact on the environment?

I have a recycling bin in my studio and I try not to waste paint/ pour paint into the sink. But to be fully environmentally friendly I should probably stop using the paint that I use now and find a “green” one.

Stefano, thank you so much for letting us delve into your practice, it's been brilliant! We can't wait until the show opens later this week!

Untitled (Paysage 3)

Untitled (Paysage 4)

Untitled (Paysage 5)

Untitled (Paysage 6)

Untitled (Paysage 7)

Untitled (Paysage 1)

Untitled (Stars and Moon 1)

Untitled (Paysage 2)

Untitled (Clock)

Untitled (Space Shuttle)

Untitled (Astronaut)

For any enquiries, please email gallery@lorfords.com

The art of collecting antiques is a diverse one, spanning everything from film memorabilia to 18th Century mahogany furniture. The areas that often fascinate the most are those that relate to the lives of everyday people - from their cooking and eating habits to their romantic lives. Apothecaries, with their promise to heal one’s aches and pains before the dawn of modern medicine, have left behind objects that offer a unique insight into the lives of our forebears.

What is an apothecary?

What was would be a better question, as despite their best efforts to brand themselves as pharmacies, the modern-day equivalent would shrink from the association.

The word apothecary comes from apotheca - a place where wine, spices and herbs were stored - and it first came into our language in the 13th Century. Somewhat confusingly, 'apothecary' refers both to the salesperson and to their shop. For a long time, apothecaries were lumped in with grocers, spicers, and all manner of merchants. They were simply another group trying to sell their wares.

Quack medicine

Medieval medicine was based, for the most part, on the supernatural and superstitious. Apothecaries would swear that concoctions such as ‘Oil of Scorpion’ or ‘Balsam of Life’ could cure anything from boils to baldness. Their medical advice revolved around 'humoral theory' - the idea that we have four liquid humours in the body, and when these are out of balance you get disease.

‘Oil of Earthworms’ is an infamous example, promising to fix all manner of joint issues like arthritis and rickets. As the name suggests, it involved boiling earthworms in olive oil to apply to affected areas. While the oil was helpful, the role of the earthworms is dubious at best. It is perhaps not surprising then, that apothecaries were accused of 'quack medicine.' This phrase comes from the Dutch word quacksalver, meaning someone who falsely claimed medical knowledge in order to sell their wares.

Royal recognition

The lucky break for these early chemists came in 1617. That was the year ‘The Worshipful Society of Apothecaries of London’ - tricky to squeeze onto a business card - was formally incorporated by royal charter. King James I not only recognised apothecaries but separated them from grocers and gave them a level of medical credibility. This royal approval was driven partly by King James I’s fondness for his own apothecary, and he wasn’t alone - Samuel Pepys writes of loyally following the instructions of his when struck by illness.

Apothecaries didn't stop there - in 1704 the society won a lawsuit against the Royal College of Physicians in the House of Lords. The ruling declared that apothecaries could prescribe and dispense medicines - a significant turning point for the group. The Apothecaries Act of 1815 then gave the society the right to carry out examinations and grant medical licenses in England and Wales.

While it’s easy to dismiss this early medical practice as nonsense, that would be an oversimplification. The trial and error during these centuries undoubtedly paved the way for later breakthroughs. Many of those who worked in the apothecary trade were earnest in their pursuit of cures, and closely involved with botany. For example, the apothecary society founded the Chelsea Physic Garden in 1673 for the purpose of growing medicinal plants. Some of the most awe-inspiring botanicals that decorate our walls today were by eminent apothecaries - including those of Basilius Besler.

Inside the apothecary

Window shopping

Before you even set foot inside one of these establishments, a rather unique window display might have caught your eye. The ‘chemist’s carboy’ became a must-have for apothecaries in the 18th and 19th centuries.

These voluptuous glass bottles, often with elaborate cut glass stoppers, boomed in popularity alongside advances in glass production. While they were similar to the vessels you'd see inside, carboys were purely for advertising purposes. The owner would fill them with brightly coloured liquids to mimic chemical solutions and indicate their trade.

Carboys are a popular collector's item today, and they make for majestic decorative pieces. Leave them empty or fill them with corks, and keep them in the window to really pay homage to the apothecary.

Cabinet of curiosities

Once inside the apothecary, cacophonous sound would greet you. The apothecary trade revolved around grinding, pulverising and stirring to create its potions and lotions. It’s no surprise, then, that one of the objects we commonly associate with medical history is the humble pestle and mortar. Still a stalwart of today’s country kitchen, these are as decorative as they are useful.

The apothecary himself would be stood behind a counter, likely with a set of measuring scales in front of him. Indeed, scales are so synonymous with the trade that a measuring system was named after them - ‘apothecaries’ weights and measures.’ Many of these T-shaped balancing systems survive today and they bring quirky character to a kitchen.

It’s not just the tools of the trade that appeal to collectors. Unique apothecary furniture is highly desirable for injecting personality into interiors. Apothecary cabinets seem to trap the magic of the trade in their many drawers, with the remains of old labels for all things weird and wonderful. Countertops pummelled by hard work, a deep-aged patina, and a curious history - what more could you want for a soulful interior? Use these as a decorative sideboard, or make use of the drawers in a painting or textiles studio.

Cupboards, too, were essential furniture for apothecaries. Some of these charming cabinets feature remains of old paint, while others are simple brown wood. All offer a welcome alternative to fitted kitchen or pantry cabinets.

Antique apothecary bottles

Perhaps the most enduring legacy of apothecaries is the many bottles and jars that have lived to tell the tale. Glass was used for making apothecary bottles from the 1600s onwards. These range from clear glass, to humble brown, to azure blue. Apothecaries favoured coloured glass over clear to protect the contents from sunlight. They come in different shapes and sizes which can, to the discerning eye, give hints of their former purpose. For example, apothecaries used wide-necked bottles for syrups, so the stopper wouldn't stick to the viscous liquid. These are just a few examples of how yesterday's pragmatism has become today's beauty.

Collectors pore over the remains of labels, which were often a shimmering gold with black print. The idea of ornate medical bottles seems absurd today, but it indicates the pride and showmanship that accompanied this trade. These labels revealed the contents, usually in full or abbreviated Latin. A coveted example, such as ‘Oil of Earthworm’, is a momentous find for the serious collector. Apothecary travelling chests are also popular. These portable cabinets were the first aid kit of yesteryear, containing several bottles of solutions the traveller couldn't go without. They often had fine wood exteriors and plush silk or velvet interiors.

But the wonderful thing about apothecary antiques is that the mundane is often just as desirable as the historically significant. Fill a cluster of simple, aged apothecary bottles with garden flowers to bring whimsical charm to kitchen or bathroom shelves. Alternatively, go for the ‘en masse’ approach, with reams of apothecary bottles assembled on open shelving for dramatic impact.

Where did all the apothecaries go?

Apothecaries peaked in the 1700s, but soon gave way to Victorian chemists around the turn of the century. As medicine became a more serious discipline and industrial revolution transformed production, apothecaries faded into the history books. While 'Oil of Scorpion' may not be a go-to remedy in our local pharmacy - thankfully - we can still celebrate the charming relics of this bygone era.

Shop the look and browse our collection of apothecary antiques, from grand cabinets to humble jars, here.

We talk to Hampshire-based interior designer, Lucy Cunningham, about what makes her tick and her latest interior design projects. Layers of the unexpected set Lucy’s refined English aesthetic apart... but where does she find this unexpected inspiration...

Behind the brand

The last thing I bought and loved was an antique kilim rug which I’ve put in my kitchen, its perfect shade of blue meets your eye as you walk in through the front door and always makes me smile!

The place that means a lot to me is Le Deux Tours in Morocco, I often visit with my mum. It’s heaven on earth and where I feel the most relaxed. It's out of the city centre and is set in the most beautiful gardens with peacocks roaming around… the architecture and interiors are breathtaking - from the Moroccan tiles on the floors to the fabulous ceilings and even the little bar... it's all so chic and charming… I could go on and on!

My favourite souvenir is the sweetest little Morrish table from my last trip to Morocco - circa 1890 it has the most exquisite inlay work …what a find - it has made me very happy!

The best books I’ve read in the past year are 'Where the Crawdads Sing' by Delia Owens - it's beautifully written and the imagery in the book is breathtaking… I heard this quote and it's so true of this book… “you know you have read a good book when you turn the last page and its as if you have lost a friend” - that's how I felt. Another is, 'If in Doubt Wash Your Hair' by Anya Hindmarch – it's such a brilliant book…having worked for Anya I was desperate to get my hands on it… it was so typically her - brilliantly funny but also the BEST advice - what more could we all want?

The podcast I’m listening to is The Modern House with Matt Gibberd – and also Kit Kemp - An award-winning interiors designer on her design secrets, dealing with setbacks and finding your own style

In my fridge, you’ll always find Diet Coke, it's my guilty pleasure!

Some of my best ideas have come while in the garden. We were lucky enough to have inherited the most beautiful garden from the previous owner, artist Lucy Dickens. It’s bursting with glorious colours and smells and always gives me such inspiration.

The thing I couldn’t do without out is my tape measure!!! You cannot measure things enough times!!

The event that changed everything for me was moving to Gloucestershire in 2014 which is when I worked on my first big project, a beautiful ex- national trust home just outside Burford. The clients were a dream and we’re still friends today.

An indulgence I would never forgo is getting my colour done at Josh Wood. David Iman is a total genius.

The last piece of clothing I added to my wardrobe was a pair of Malone Souliers heels and an amazing dress from ByTimo.

My favourite building is Farm Street - the church in Mayfair that we got married in. It looks so inconspicuous from the outside but inside it’s incredibly opulent and decorative, with painted ceilings, artwork and stained glass windows. Plus there is a great pub next door that used to be owned by Guy Richie.

My favourite room in my house is the sitting room, I’ve filled it with favourite finds from my travels and it’s where we spend time as a family.

The best advice I’ve ever received was from Anya Hindmarch, who told me to make sure I surrounded myself with a good team.

One artist whose work I would collect is Kate Corbett Winder. I have three pieces at the moment and just love the colours and movement in them.

About Lucy's interior design...

Trillgate Farmhouse is a beautiful example of a Cotswold house, full of charm and character. Where do you begin to work on a project of this size?

With most projects, we begin by thinking about what the property needs in order to turn it into a beautiful yet functional home. The process can often begin with some building work or tweaks to layout etc followed by developing layered schemes that add character and warmth. We love to blend the contemporary and classic, drawing from a variety of cultures and finding special pieces that bring the room to life and create interest.

Where did you draw your inspiration from?

I’ve always been incredibly curious about different cultures and draw a lot of influence from my travels. I’m passionate about mixing colour and patterns from different cultures with art, antiques and textiles from a variety of periods. Often it can be a single piece found at a flea market that sparks the inspiration for an entire scheme.

Talk us through the living rooms, you kept them light with soft shades like Farrow & Ball's Setting Plaster and Parma Gray. What was the process you used to piece together the other elements to the room?

The magnificent original fireplace and flagstone flooring provided an anchor for this room. We wanted to create a space that enhanced rather than overwhelmed these traditional country features, so worked on a soft, soothing palette, using muted colour on the walls and introducing lots of pattern and bolder colour through textiles accessories, wall coverings behind the shelving and lots of statement pieces.

Lucy Cunningham - Interior

You have mixed contemporary and traditional here, What Lorfords pieces did you use in this characterful renovation?

We found the most wonderful Lorfords pieces for this room. I always get excited about what amazing things I’ll find when I visit to source for a new project. This is a Swedish antique rug that we found and instantly fell in love with… the colours were calming but added some depth to the room scheme - it’s the perfect finishing touch.

What are your basic rules for mixing contemporary and traditional?

Honestly, I know it sounds like a cliché but I really don’t have any rules, actually, I try to avoid them as I think they get in the way of natural curiosity and the ability to push yourself out of your comfort zone. One thing I do often say is: ‘If it’s beautiful and it makes you happy then try it!’

Your client was an American family – did they have specific wants/needs within the property that you factored into your designs?

They wanted the interiors to feel typically Cotswold-y and retain as much authenticity as possible so we went for a traditional country house palette, dressing it with a mixture of traditional and also slightly more contemporary patterns and colours inspired by a number of cultures. Having worked on the clients previous home we had a great relationship already in place and they completely trusted our ideas so we had a lot of free reign.

Rugs and fabrics feature heavily in your designs, resting against stone flooring or whitewashed exposed brick. How do you choose the textiles involved? And what are your tips for pairing textiles and patterns?

Rugs can really make a room; it’s an element that brings everything together as well as providing an added layer of warmth and homeliness, especially if you are working with harder flooring such as stone or wood. I choose rugs in the same way that I choose fabrics and wall coverings – beautiful colours and patterns that speak to the furniture and fabrics chosen for the rest of the space. Saying this, sometimes, if we have found an incredible rug it might be that we work backwards from there and build the scheme around the rug. My tip would be to treat a rug like you would fabrics and wallpapers – don’t be afraid to experiment and mix a variety of colours, patterns and textures.

Click here to read more L-Shaped interviews or click here to visit Lucy's website.

Thyme shares a Greek-inspired baked orzo dish this month. Andrea at Last Drop Wines recommends a sustainable Pinot Noir from Cordaillat to accompany a dish that will transport you to a Mediterranean island.

Notes from Andrea

Hailing from the Loire region, where one usually expects to find Sancerre or Pouilly Fume, this stunning Pinot Noir from Cordaillat has all the right assets to sit alongside this week's recipe.

Sustainable, vegetarian, vegan, organic and biodynamic, the wine ticks all the boxes.

On the palate, it is a joy - light enough for a weekday night or to have an extra glass but with enough charm and character to grab your attention. It has become a quick favourite for many.

The best inexpensive Pinot I have had in a long time at £18 per bottle.

Purchase a case and get 10% - this is a hand on heart "you will not be disappointed".

Place your order

This wine is available to purchase through Andrea at £18 per bottle or if you purchase a case you will receive 10% off.

Please send orders through to hello@lastdropwines.com.

Our online shopping system is coming soon! It will be available at www.lastdropwines.com.

Discover Last Drop Wines

An 'Aladdin's cave for wine-lovers,' you will find Last Drop Wines on the famous King's Road in Chelsea. The store is owned and led by Andrea, whose expertise can recommend and provide a bottle for any occasion.

View all seasonal recipes and wine pairings on L-Shaped.

Handmade for centuries, Scandinavian rugs have taken on many different forms and functions over time. While Scandinavian textiles are beautifully decorative, they are also incredibly practical.

Known for their harsh weather conditions and almost everlasting winters Scandinavian countries make sure that any textiles produced not only provide the necessary heat but are also decorative. Therefore they would often be used in the form of wall hangings, floor covers and even bedspreads.

Ryas, Rollakans and Trasmattas – What is the difference?

Ryas

The first rugs produced in Scandinavia were Ryas. For many years during the early Middle Ages, Scandinavians used rugs from the Byzantine Empire, but eventually, they started to make their own. This is when Ryas were first produced. Ryas are handwoven rugs with a thick shaggy long pile. Made by tying knots of fabric to produce a piled carpet, Scandinavians used them for everything, including carpets, bed covers, rugs, wall hangings and even coats! Their popularity soon spread across Northern Europe in the Middle Ages.

Mid 20th Century Swedish Rya Rug

Rollakans

Popular among folk-artists, Rollakans are traditional flatweaves and could be found as bedspreads or on general display. These traditional flatweaves were first produced in the early 18th Century in Sweden. They often have a simple aesthetic with all over geometric patterns making them the perfect design feature for Scandinavian homes.

Swedish Flatweave Rug by Judith Johansson

Trasmattas

Made by weaving recycled cloth, Trasmattas or ‘rag rugs’ use discarded clothes, leftover scraps or clippings of fabric. Making these rugs is very environmentally friendly. Originating in Asia at the end of the 18th Century, these rugs have a short pile. Today they symbolise simple, country-style living but traditionally they primarily adorned affluent houses and were constituted a marker of status. Adding a touch of colour to many interiors today they make fantastic runners.

Swedish Handwoven Rag Rug

Scandinavian rug design

Scandinavian rugs are now not only fantastic for bringing a Scandinavian warmth to our homes but often they tell a great story too. Many of the historic rugs show the great history and culture of Scandinavia.

Ryas often featured designs that represented family trees and ties. They even produced wedding ryas which formed part of the marriage ceremony throughout the Middle Ages. Often these wedding ryas featured the initials of the bride and groom, the date of the wedding or a set of double hearts.

Rollakans can typically be categorised into twelve main shapes: the star, the rose, the octagon, the bird, the lily, the tree, the hourglass, the palmette, the human, the deer, the brook horse and the lightning. They will always have a folklore history to the pattern.

Today the most popular rugs are Trasmattas with their mesmerising patterns, colours, designs and textures. Still created in the present day, they are now created as a hobby rather than a necessity but the outcome is still as beautiful.

Lorfords’ Scandinavian Rugs

Lorfords has a large variety of Scandinavian rugs. Browse our full collection of rugs and carpets here.

The 20th Century was an era of innovation and flair in the lighting sphere. Two post-war periods saw an influx of new materials as well as a desire to move away from traditional designs. This was the age of the Sputnik pendant, stunning Murano glass lamps, and a host of other revolutionary lighting designs.

Humans and lighting

For most of our history, we relied upon daylight, moonlight, and dubious candles to get by. Gaslight arrived in the 19th Century, but it was reserved for commercial and industrial settings at first and had its fair share of drawbacks.

The greatest revolution in domestic lighting came in the 1870s. Joseph Swan and Thomas Edison invented the first commercially viable incandescent light bulbs. These offered a much cleaner and safer solution than gaslighting. The National Grid rose to the challenge of roll-out, and by the end of the 1930s the number of homes wired for electricity rose from 6% in 1919 to 2/3s.

The spread of electricity in the early 20th Century set the stage for some of the most ground-breaking lighting designs in history. Today, lighting is an essential element in the interior tapestry, both in form and function. Layers are key to this, and vintage lighting, with its brilliant spectrum of design styles, can fulfill any brief.

Vintage task lighting

Lighting, perhaps more than any other interior feature, will always need optimal function as well as good looks. A major functional breakthrough came in the development of task lighting in the early 20th Century. Task lighting is designed to aid specific activities, from reading to sewing. It encompasses floor lamps, table lamps, and desk lamps. The last of these has a particularly fascinating history.

Like all great designs, social context played a big role in the development of task lighting. An early entrepreneur in this field was Curt Fischer, who ran a German metal workshop. His company, Midgard, invented its first lights in 1919. These lamps were informed by an acute study of human behaviour. Midgard was deeply inspired by Bauhaus principles and vice versa. Throughout the 20s and 30s, the driving force behind task lighting was factories and workshops. As the 20th Century progressed, they found a whole new relevance through emerging corporate work culture.

The Anglepoise effect

The ergonomics behind early designs responded to common human problems. Slouching over a desk for long hours has long presented side effects. With their articulated arms bending – quite literally – to the user’s will, early task lights addressed this issue.

Despite plenty of experimentation during the early 20th Century, it was one George Carwardine who invented the desk lamp as we know it today. Far from a lighting designer by trade, Carwardine specialised in car engineering. Upon observing the suspension mechanisms in vehicles he worked on, Carwardine realised the same could work for lights.

By using a new sort of spring and pivoting arms, he achieved balance without the need for counterweights. He patented the new helical spring in 1932, but he chose to outsource production to the company that supplied his springs. So, Carwardine worked on new designs whilst Herbert Terry took over the manufacture, and the Terry Anglepoise lamp was born.

The first Anglepoise model, 1227, became available to the general public in 1935. The outbreak of WWII helped rather than hindered them, as they marketed it as the ideal blackout lamp for keeping light localised. Herbert Terry continued to adapt to the zeitgeist throughout the 20th Century. For example, during the 60s and 70s the company produced lamps in an array of vibrant shades.

Setting the standard

These early designers and manufacturers were so successful that most later desk lamps have looked very similar. Articulated lamps are still much sought-after, especially in the current mode of home working. It wasn’t always about creating the most focused light possible, as Hans-Agne Jakobsson proved. The renowned Swedish designer mastered anti-glare, diffused and muted lighting. We consider these same qualities indispensable in our interiors today.

Italian vintage lighting

Whether you’re looking for a workshop lamp or a statement chandelier, vintage lighting is such a large pool that you cannot go wrong. If you’re after artisanal beauty, there’s one country that gets it right every time. This feels like an apt moment to quote our interview with Toma Clark-Haines, the Antiques Diva. ‘Lighting is the jewellery of the room and sets the vibe of a space. When it comes to lighting, it’s got to be Italian.’

It's not hard to see why Toma covets Italian lighting. Italy was home to the likes of Gio Ponti and Gaetano Sciolari during the 20th Century. They also had one major asset when it came to lighting design: the glassmakers of Murano. When this stunning hand-blown glass met with stylish Mid Century forms, the result was breathtaking.

Successful designers such as Gino Sarfatti treated lighting as an art form, producing reams of lamps in his lifetime. You appreciate these pieces as an art form before even thinking of them as a light, but function was never sacrificed for style.

Lamps by the likes of Carlo Nason, the famed Murano glass artist, shatter the boundaries of traditional lighting. Colour is the most mesmerising feature in any Murano glass lamp, with a dazzling array of vibrant shades.

As always, Italian manufacturers played a key role alongside these individual designers. Mazzega, for instance, started out in 1946 and still operates today under the grandson of founder Angelo Vittorio Mazzega. The company, then and now, works with the very best international lighting designers – all in the medium of gorgeous Murano glass. When you hear Mazzega, their chandeliers made up of densely packed leaves of Murano glass often spring to mind.

Vintage lighting legends

Explosive talent ricocheted through Europe and America in this period and shook the design world. Interior rule books were torn up and rewritten more frequently than ever before. Again, more often than not the most iconic designs speak to their historical and social context. You can almost map social developments through just a few distinctive lights and their makers.

The Sputnik chandelier

The fabulous Sputnik chandelier was influenced by a fascination with all things space-related in the Mid Century. Its origin is disputed due to the many interpretations of this pendant light, but the very first came from Gino Sarfatti – the Italian modernist designer.

As with George Carwardine, Sarfatti was not a destined lighting designer. He was an aeronautical engineer by trade but seized the opportunity for extra income when his family fell on hard times. Sarfatti called his designs ‘rational’ lights, in reference to their efficiency and simple aesthetic.

The Sputnik, with its branches pointing in all directions, was a very successful experiment in directional light. Its metal form gives it an industrial edge, but it somehow feels glamorous at the same time. This seminal design is named after the Soviet Union’s first-ever satellite, launched in 1957. Sciolari was among the designers who designed their own version of this classic.

Singular design houses shifted seamlessly with changing tastes throughout the century. A good example is Maison Jansen, the Paris-based favourite of royals and elites. They spanned traditional Louis XVI, Art Deco, and modernism in over 100 years of operation. In the 70s, their iconic palm tree and ananas floor and table lamps revived Hollywood Regency glamour with brilliant results. These brass lamps with their natural themes are still in high demand today for bringing exotic luxury to a space.

Poul Henningsen

At the other end of the spectrum, the lighting designs of Poul Henningsen are the definition of Scandi restraint. The Danish designer's motivation was akin to that of the Arts & Crafts movement – to improve people’s lives through design. His three-tiered shade designs reduced glare and distributed a soft glow throughout the room.

His first pendant, the PH lamp, was produced in 1926 by Louis Poulson and met with global acclaim. Henningsen designed his first PH Artichoke for a modernist Copenhagen restaurant in 1958. This stylish spiky pendant remains a firm favourite amongst collectors.

Shop the look...

The 20th Century saw perhaps the most extensive and successful range of lighting designs in history. The lighting produced in this period is indispensable to our interiors, whatever your personal taste.

The designs covered in this article don’t even scratch the surface of vintage lighting. However, they do give some idea of its sheer quality and range. Shop all our 20th Century lighting on our website, as well as our whole collection of Mid Century design.

Spark your imagination with our lookbook, ‘Iconic retro lighting‘