If you like bold colours, gorgeous patterns and rich textures, then you’ll be fully on board with the Arts & Crafts maximalist look that’s currently getting interior design lovers all excited.
Here’s how you can give your home the Arts & Crafts look easily and affordably with gorgeous archive print lampshades – including Pooky’s contemporary takes on timeless historic designs from Morris & Co., Liberty and Sanderson Design…
"When it comes to interiors, over the next few months, some of the most exciting new wallpaper and fabric launches will involve patterns sometimes hundreds of years old, drawn from textile archives and the walls of historic houses. 2023 looks to be the year of the comeback print, with some of the most recognisable designs set to make a grand return."
Jessica Doyle, Daily Telegraph Design & Interiors Editor, 27 December 2022
Maximalism and Art & Crafts: when more is more
The Arts & Crafts movement was created in the second half of the 19th century by a group of artists, designers and architects, all determined to promote traditional methods of craftsmanship in the face of the widespread mechanisation of the Industrial Revolution. With an emphasis on natural materials, and the beauty and simplicity of nature, Arts & Crafts was characterised by highly decorative designs which used patterns and motifs from the natural world, including flowers, foliage, birds and animals.
The Arts & Crafts legacy is still very much alive today, and its love of colours, textures and patterns is shared by modern-day maximalism, which champions a 'more is more' approach to design.
Pooky's Ernest rechargeable lamp with a Pooky x Morris & Co shade in bayleaf & manilla silk pimpernel; and a Pooky Ambrose table lamp with a Pooky x Morris Co shade in cowslip marigold linen - from Sarah Laming's amazing maximalist home (@ahometomakeyousmile)
Of course, you don’t have to go the whole hog with patterned wallpaper, furnishings and decor, though: instead, choosing a few common colours and patterns can create the effect, without being too overwhelming. One easy (and cost-effective) way to instantly give your home the look is by introducing a set of vibrant pattern lampshades.
At Pooky we’ve be thrilled to work with some of the great Arts & Crafts houses like Morris & Co., Liberty and Sanderson Design to create some stunning contemporary shades based on prints from their amazing historic archives. Here are five of our favourites…
1. Snakeshead fritillary: simple beauty with a sumptuous edge
35cm scalloped tall tapered shade in claret & gold silk Snakeshead by Morris & Co.
It was William Morris who famously declared: ‘Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful’. A founding father of the Arts & Crafts movement, he became one of the most influential figures in the world of textiles, and his designs remain popular to this day.
Our collaboration with Morris & Co has produced a range of beautiful (and useful) lampshades, inspired by the Master of design. The Snakeshead design is said to have been one of Morris’s favourite prints, and our Snakeshead scalloped tall tapered lampshade in claret gold silk features clusters of the distinctive snake’s head fritillary plant with its delicate bell-shaped flowers. The lampshade is taped with golden velvet and lined with lustrous gold silk, with a scalloped edge, making for a truly sumptuous shade.
View our full collection of beautiful Morris & Co lampshades.
2. Hera: an ‘eye’ for a stunning pattern
25cm drum shade in Liberty's 'Hera Plume' in jade
Another giant of the interior design world, Liberty of London was founded in 1875 and is famous for its iconic bold prints and floral patterns. A Liberty lampshade is a fabulous way of bringing the Arts & Crafts look to your home, and our collaboration with Liberty has produced a range of lampshades offering a contemporary maximalist take on historic designs.
Take the gorgeous Hera lampshade in jade, which is named after the Greek goddess and features a stunning peacock feather print. A prominent symbol in Greek mythology, the peacock became closely associated with Hera – as legend has it, it was Hera herself who created the stunning ‘eyes’ in the peacock’s tail feathers, as a way of keeping watch over her husband Zeus, and his own infamous wandering eye.
Eye the full range of Liberty x Pooky lampshades here.
3. Amaranth, Tulip and Bird: a new flowering of classic Arts & Crafts motifs
30cm straight empire shade in Amaranth and blush Tulip & Bird from Sanderson's 'Archive'
Founded in 1860, Sanderson’s was another major player in the interior design world, and the Archive collection from Sanderson’s Design has immortalised some of the most memorable wallpaper and textile designs of the Arts & Crafts era. The Pooky x Archive collaboration has seen a re-imagining of these classic designs, creating a dramatic new wave of bold and colourful maximalist lampshades.
The Arts & Crafts emphasis on motifs from the natural world is beautifully evidenced in the designs of CFA Voysey, a hugely influential English architect and textile designer. Voysey was known for his stunning designs featuring birds and flowerheads, and his gorgeous Tulip and Bird fabric design was the inspiration for the Pooky x Archive Amaranth and Blush Tulip and Bird straight empire lampshade. Featuring a simply beautiful pattern of stylised flowers and hidden birds, it’s perfect for bringing the Arts & Crafts look to any home.
4. Forbidden fruit: for fabulously flamboyant colour and pattern
45cm bell shade in kingfisher and loganberry Forbidden Fruit from Sanderson's 'Archive'
Moving forward in time, but still part of the cherished Archive collection, Forbidden Fruit is a lively re-imagining of Nana, a botanical print originally created by Sanderson’s Pat Etheridge in 1968, which was actually considered too ‘out there’ to be released initially.
Vivacious and bohemian, the Forbidden Fruit tall tapered lampshade in kingfisher and loganbury offers a riot of colour, pattern and pure energy: perfect for recreating the Arts & Crafts feel, while also offering a contemporary maximalist vibe.
Shop the collection Pooky x Archive by Sanderson Design here.
5. Piave: natural beauty and craftsmanship
30cm empire shadein green, yellow & blue Piave handmade marble paper
The Arts & Crafts movement championed traditional craftsmanship over ‘dehumanising’ industrial designs, and our hand-marbled lampshades utilise the centuries-old skill of hand-marbling to beautiful effect, creating a host of unique, natural designs, which encapsulate the Arts & Crafts ethos.
Our empire lampshade in green, yellow and blue piave hand-made marble paper is a lovely example, with its natural sweeping colours creating a beautiful, flowing design which is both bold and brilliant, and would easily earn its place in any Art & Crafts-inspired home.
See our full range of hand-marbled lampshades.
Pooky create beautiful lighting for beautiful homes. Browse our range of affordable designer lighting solutions.
See also:
Timeless maximalism - 6 Arts & Crafts designers still influencing interiors today
Meet the interior designer: Sarah Laming (@ahometomakeyousmile)
Classic interior design styles and how to light them – Arts and Crafts
Great interior designers: William Morris
Amazing interiors: Red House, Bexleyheath - The Home of Arts and Crafts
