Wonderful Shops

One of my favourite shops for luxury and great design is Liberty, in Regent Street in London. Probably one of the best loved and recognizable department stores in the world

Founded in 1875 by Arthur Lazenby Liberty, it originally sold imported goods from the Far East. As the son of a draper, following in his father’s footsteps he was an apprentice to a draper at 16, going on to work at the Great Cloak and Shawl Emporium on Regent Street. Arthur Lazenby Liberty was to become the manager of the Oriental warehouse, a mecca for pre-Raphaelite artists. He had a passion for the products he sold and soon become a friend of many leading artists of the time; William Morris, Edward Burne Jones and Dante Rossetti. After 10 years he asked to become a partner in the business, when this was refused he set up on his own, using a loan from his father.

This became known as the East India House, originally dealing with fabrics and silks from China, Japan, India and Persia, gradually more goods were added such as ceramics, Japanese fans and object d’ art. This was at the height of the aesthetic movement and along with his friend’s, he was to change the taste of fashion and decoration. His early passion for eastern arts and the desire to educate, keen eye for style and astute business brain made Liberty a leading retail tastemaker at the time.

A sociable man, he moved in artistic circles as well as making influential friends amongst the wealthy. He started using British manufacturers to print fabrics, and Liberty prints are still popular today. Where possible he tried to promote British Craftsmanship.

 In 1870, Liberty and Co, as it was now known, underwent rapid expansion and purchased 140-150 Regent Street. In the 1890s Arthur Lasenby Liberty built strong relationships with many leading English designers. Many of these designers were key figures in the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau movements and Arthur Liberty was instrumental in the development of Art Nouveau through his encouragement of such designers.

Arthur Lazenby Liberty’s intuitive vision and pioneering spirit led him to travel the world looking for individual pieces to inspire and excite his discerning clientele. Liberty is not just a name above the door, its Arthur Liberty’s legacy, which stands for integrity, value, quality and above all beautifully designed product. This vision and spirit continues today within the same iconic Tudor building.

 

Sara x

Welbeck Tiles- Made in Britain

I love companies that support British craftsmanship and create bespoke products. Welbeck Tiles produce some of the most beautiful tiles that I have ever seen and make a real design statement in your home, whilst offering a truly personal service to all their clients.

This small-scale, batch production gives the tiles a truly unique quality which could never be replicated in mass-production.  All the tiles are made to an extremely high standard using a very labour-intensive techniques and only the best English materials are used, sourced from suppliers who too take great pride in their products.

Designed and made in a small workshop in Cornwall, using traditional techniques that have been in use in the pottery industry for more than a century, Brenda Bates, the MD and chief designer has a real passion for creating beautiful tiles.

Brenda has been involved in ceramic design and manufacture for over 25 years. After gaining an MA in Ceramic Design from Staffordshire University in Stoke-on-Trent, she went on to work in the ceramic tableware industry for a brief spell. Quickly realizing that this would be far too restrictive, as the industry was then very conservative in terms of decoration, she started her own company in 1988, producing china dinner services and giftware.

An extremely successful number of years followed, designing ranges for some of the world’s most prestigious department stores in the world, such as Bergdorf Goodman in New York as well as various London-based companies including the David Linley Furniture Company, Renwick & Clarke and the Irish Georgian Society. She also worked on numerous exclusive private commissions for some of the most highly-regarded names in Europe.

 In 1996, Welbeck Tiles was formed and with its innovative designs quickly grew to supply over 100 tile retailers throughout the country. They now only sell directly by mail-order and through a selected network of the best handmade kitchen companies in the UK. A lovely range of ceramic brooches and mugs is also available to buy online.

 

For more information and to view their stunning range; www.welbeck.com

 All the best

Sara X

Bohemian Pattern For Interiors

Surfacephilia

This is one of my favourite surface design brands. I love the sketchiness and uniqueness, this brand is instantly recognizable with a strong signature style. I feel that many surface decoration and design brands have become very similar.  It is really exciting to see a home grown brand becoming an international success in such a short space of time.



Surfacephilia is a UK based surface design brand that creates luxurious bohemian patterns for the interiors and homeware market. It was launched at the London Design Festival in 2011 by owner and designer Helen Stevens. After graduating in 2002 in Textiles and Surface Design, Helen went on to work in industry as a print designer for Red or Dead and as a college lecturer and is also involved in the Designer Marketplace.

Helen's hand rendered approach towards surface pattern and her bold and experimental designs are built up using layering of intricate and often repetitive drawings, paintings and textures that have been lifted directly from precious sketchbook pages.

Described in The Telegraph Magazine as 'One to watch' and as one of Glass Magazine's 'Top 5 designers to have in your home'. Surfacephilia’s debut collection Navajo, spans across a range of digitally printed wallpapers, luxury feather filled cushions, bone china and greeting cards and is all consciously manufactured in the UK.  Surfacephilia is sold in Liberty and through their website which is listed below.  Sara xx

www.surfacephilia.co.uk

Bespoke work by Helen Stevens