Unikko

 Unikko, poppy in Finnish, was designed in 1964 by textile designer Maija Isola while working for Merimekko. 

This year the design is 50 years old and it is being celebrated in the many colors it has been printed. Since the 2000's it has found it's way printed onto every surface you can imagine, from shower curtains and bath towels  to mugs and plates, to Finnair passenger jets.

The simple, clean and bright pattern is still fresh today. It was created in protest, a real spirit of the period,  to the owner of Merimekko, Armi Ratia, announcing that they would never print a flower pattern. Maija, inspired by 60's Pop and the flower power movement ignored the ban on flowers and created the bold pink and red poppy blooms on a white background. It was an immediate success. It has never been out of print.


In the 70's it was printed in earth colors, by the beginning of this century it has been printed on a colored background and in 2009 the blooms became white on a black ground. Endlessly variable, always fresh and still retains that spirit of modernism:

 

I have always wondered if this silk screen print by Warhol had something to do with the imagination of Maija Isola in the making of Unikko:

Flowers, 1964

Rich Patterns

 Details of painted plaster at the City Palace, Karauli, Rajasthan, photographed by Henry Wilson

 Detail from an 18th century French book of fabric patterns, photographed by Simon Witham

Both images are from the December issue of World of Interiors, they kindly provided these patterns on paper for wrapping  gifts at Christmas.

In this issue are related articles to both images Palace of Pattern and By the Book with further images and content on the palace and 18th century weaving in France. Excellent issue, always a treasure this magazine.

London Design Week 2012

 

Albemarle Cole and Son

Wallpapers from Cole and Son

Early March, when the weather changes, the showrooms of the fabrics, wallpapers and furnishing  show us the new collections, it is a treat to view the latest patterns, colors and the lovely room sets, it fills our imaginations with new ideas.

Some are old patterns revisited with new colors, a new scale as with Cole and Son or Clive Christian still look refreshing and elegant. Other are new patterns such as the fresh watercolor florals from Sanderson and the damasks and embroideries from Colefax and Fowler. Osborne and Little and Nina Campbell have some geometric patterns and bold floral and Designers Guild has been inspired by Japanese ceramics and watercolors. 

All are beautiful, all will create lovely and pleasant homes for years.

 Clive Christian

Roll up blinds with contrast pattern by  Colefax and Fowler

 Wallpapers by Sandersons

 Fabric and furnishings by Osborne and Little and Nina Campbell

 Fabrics and wallpapers by Designers Guild

Houndstooth

Hello friends and family, busy with a mountain of admin, so I have a guest blogger today, Kirsten and Susi from Design Shuffle is filling in for me. The post is on houndstooth, a smart and sophisticated  pattern, I like the pink with the black and white, which do you like?

Hi, everyone, Iím Susi and I write as a guest blogger for Design Shuffle, a very cool site dedicated to interior design. Design professionals and design lovers can share their projects and find inspiration in the huge database of design pics.  Sharing ideas is one of my favorite things about visiting blogs and guest blogging.  There are so many amazing ideas out there!  One decorating trend I'm loving right now is houndstooth dÈcor.  Houndstooth is a classic pattern for clothing that comes from menswear.  It is traditionally black and white, but can be found in other great color combinations.  Here are some of my favorite houndstooth dÈcor accents. Hope you enjoy!



Houndstooth adds a classic touch to a room when used as a decorative accent.  Houndstooth chairs add a graphic black and white pop to this moody library.



Love the black and white houndstooth on the sofa in this black and white living room. The graphic pattern adds some punch to the mostly white room.



Love the houndstooth upholstery on this chaise done in mustard yellow and cream. It is gorgeous when paired with the orange and cream herringbone on the wall.  Love traditional menswear patterns used in dÈcor.



Brown and cream houndstooth has a warm, comfortable feeling to it.  Use this houndstooth as upholstery, for pillows and area rugs. Great for fall decorating ideas.



A bit of houndstooth fabric on the backs of these dining chairs gives an added touch of tailored style to this navy dining room.  Love the blue and white color in the houndstooth pattern. And the pops of color in the light fixture--so perfect!



Gorgeous tonal houndstooth makes great upholstery for a traditional chair.  Houndstooth can be used in modern or traditional dÈcor given its graphic pattern.



Houndstooth can even work in a very girly bedroom design. This pink and white houndstooth rug works with the other strong patterns in the space. Pink houndstooth, who knew?



Love the subtle houndstooth pattern on the walls of this nursery. Use a stencil and paint or find a houndstooth wallpaper to achieve this look. [ Images 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 ]

Houndstooth is just one of many designs you'll find at Design Shuffle. Head on over to find inspiration from various designers including San Francisco interior designers and Boston interior designers!

Leaf Patterns

 Beautiful leaf patterns, I was looking at textiles and patterns and was distracted by these images. Just beautiful, simple, graphic.

Ikats

Mu Raspberry

Stripes Sunburst

Mu Saffron

Stripes Celery

Mu Blue

Stripes Iris

Ikat is a way of creating pattern with dyes in textiles before the fabric is woven. It is an ancient technique that was discovered and practiced around the world.  It is done when you are making the warp and the weft by binding sections of the yarns with rafia to block out or resist the dye when it is soaked in the dye bath.

It is different from tie and dye we see on t-shirts because that is done after the textile is woven and the garment sewn.

Both techniques of tie and dye create beautiful patterns and can make wonderful play of color.

Madeline Weinrib atelier has created from this ancient technique of pattern making a collection of fabrics, rugs and pillow covers with astonishing vibrant colors and patterns. They are simple, graphic and bold, modern and colorful. They would be a welcome splash of color to many modern interiors of whites and taupes. But imagine how beautiful they would be as curtains or blinds against a fashionable charcoal wall.

Take a moment to enjoy the colors and patterns on her website http://www.madelineweinrib.com. The fabrics and rugs are available at ABC Carpet and Home and in Harrods in London.