Photos by Raymond Lee and respective brands. Please click on photo for caption.

Designers of several top fabric and wallpaper manufacturers in London had rather different points of views in their collections for 2009/2010. Some were inspired by materials found in their archives whilst others looked to Mother Nature and their gardens

for their cue. Collaboration with other eccentric but equally creative minds has brought out amazing results as another leading collection has proven. The diversity, pattern, texture and colours that were available were truly inspiring. Join me on a journey of discovery in the following pages.

Designers Guild

Many savvy interior designers all over the world use prints and patterns to add panache to a home. And this season they will be truly spoilt for choice.

My first stop: Designers Guild. Th e creative team at Designers Guild has pulled out all the stops presenting a very cohesive look from a diverse range of patterns and textures.

A case in point is a collection named Darly. Elegantly tailored, refined and sophisticated, yet highly ornamental and richly embellished, the collection is a dynamic mix of geometric patterns, luxurious textures and modern fl owers, evocative of the gorgeously decorative work of Gustav Klimt and the artists and craftsmen of the Vienna Werkstatte. They have rather cleverly combined subtly shaded wisteria jacquard velvet on linen (called Rochester) strong enough to upholster a sofa or armchair.

At their main showroom in trendy King’s Road in Chelsea during London Design Week, Designers Guild showcased several mid-century vintage chairs upholstered in an amazing mix of fabrics, colours and textures — all to great effect!

I was also enamoured with the rich luxurious silks and velvets featuring the sumptuously embroidered fl oral garlands of Letourney sitting in the same setting as the Leopold rug that has a dynamic octagonal textured motif. Stunningly contemporary in a classical space.

Osborne & Little

Exotic and dramatic are two words that readily come to mind as I breezed through Osborne & Little’s charming two-level showroom (also located in King’s Road diagonally opposite Designers Guild actually). Designed on a room-to-room, setting by setting basis, each theme is cleverly executed for all to experience. Three main collections are featured — Sariskar by Henry Wilson, Sylvana by Nina Campbell and Colombina Trevira.

Notably, for their 2009/2010 lead collection, Sariskar, inhouse designers collaborated with leading photographer Henry Wilson. Wilson has had an amazing longstanding love affair with India and all things Indian. His work and home in west London are testimony to this. No one seems to advocate such passion and love for the colours, patterns and the drama of Indian culture and daily life more than Wilson. As you can see, the end result of this collaboration is just brilliant!

On the other end of the spectrum is the supremely elegant, romantic and understated Sylvana collection by English doyenne of interior decorating Nina Campbell. Featuring a softer mood with references to a spring time setting that’s fresh, natural and relaxed, you will see a landscape of lotus fi lled ponds, graceful swans and fronds of weeping willows blowing gently in the breeze.

Or colourful vines filled with seasonal flowers in full bloom overwhelming the curly tendril-like leaves of creepers. Alternatively, damask prints on wallcoverings and jacquard fabrics appear soft and subtle in burnished pewter, warm grays and tarnished silver.

Sanderson

Over at the Chelsea Harbour Design Centre, Sanderson’s showroom feels like the sun-filled conservatory of an ardent artist of English flora and fauna. An assemblage of delicate sketches and charming watercolours from a painter’s garden is the inspiration. Many refreshing shades of green, pale flowers and intricate motifs of botanical studies feature here.

This collection begs you to admire the beauty of the English countryside where wild hedgerows, cottage gardens and charming country houses create a delightful nostalgic feel.

On a more masculine note, Sanderson’s Henley collection offers strong, bold colours in an array of fabric choices, contrasting with stripes and prints that hint of nature in a most romantic manner. Pear and pomegranate motifs add softness and a certain orchard-like casualness to the vignette. Heavy linens, fine cottons and light voiles help create a delightful nostalgic feel for the collection. You cannot help but feel that this collection takes its cue from the well-worn rooms of the eccentric English gentleman.

Zoffany

On a rather different note, Zoff any’s main collection features trade route wallpapers and damasco antico weaves.

This collection takes inspiration from some rare and beautiful archive pieces. China Blue block prints from the 18th century have been recreated as sumptuous weaves; old maps, botanical prints and paisley shawls are recreated as wallpapers.

Another key collection called Lanark is made up of beautiful wool and linen fabrics inspired by travels to exotic lands and traditional Scottish paisleys and plaids.

Woven in Scotland, the wools are naturally soft, warm and luxurious. Th e linens are woven by one of the best mills in Belgium specialising in delicate linen textiles.

Woolen textiles have been woven in Scotland for hundreds of years and are naturally durable and inherently fire resistant. Of course, both wool and linen are genuinely sustainable fibres.

The Persian Tulip wallpaper was dramatic and a joy to look at. It certainly would have a positive and luxurious impact in any room.

Note: The fabric and wallpaper sample books of Designers Guild, Osborne & Little, Sanderson and Zoff any are available in Malaysia through Janine stores located at Bangsar Shopping Centre and Great Eastern Mall, Ampang. The collections previewed in London in September 2009 are already available for order (it takes 4 weeks) at press time.

The story and pictures have been extracted from the February-March 2010 issue of haven, a bi-monthly interior design and gardening magazine distributed free with the Feb 1, 2010 issue of The Edge Malaysia. haven is also published by The Edge Malaysia.