LIVE 24-SEVEN


ANYONE FOR A BIT OF QUIRK ?


No, I’m not talking about the delightful Pauline Quirke of Birds of a Feather fame (by the way, I once sat next to Lesley Joseph’s chauffeur on a plane as I was on my way to do some work in Portugal, and he said that the whole cast are just as lovely off set as they are on it – but I digress).


I’m referring to the new Fornasetti collection that Cole and Son have just launched.


Piero Fornasetti was an Italian painter, sculptor, interior decorator and engraver. Born in 1913, he lived most of his life in Milan, attending the Brera Art Academy from 1930-32 when he was expelled for insubordination. Well, guess who had the last laugh! Piero rose to be celebrated as one of the most creative and original talents of the 20th century.


Founded in Milan in the fifties, the Atelier is currently led by the visionary Barnaba Fornasetti, guardian of the legacy of his father Piero. Today, Fornasetti is an Italian luxury design atelier internationally renowned for its decorated furniture and home accessories. Humour, nostalgia, metaphors and allusions define its fully-fledged visual language, dreamlike, colourful and full of irony. Each Fornasetti object is unique and different, a piece of art, entrusted with a character that lies between design and art.


The new Fornasetti collection from Cole and Son, the third collaboration between these two giants of the design world, encapsulates this ethos perfectly. It’s quirky, amusing, attention-grabbing and simply splendid. Featuring a range of iconic motifs from fantastical flying machines and architectural elements to hidden keys and mischievous monkeys, the collection of 12 timeless designs capture the wit and originality of Fornasetti’s unique artworks in a range of both new and much-loved colour palettes. I had intended to enlarge upon only a couple of my favourite designs, but I’m finding it hard to restrict myself, as they’re all worthy of mention in their own way. Ah well, here goes:


Frutto Proibito gloriously combines different archival Fornasetti motifs from the 1940s and 50s. Mischievous monkeys, originally conceptualised for the Milanese patisserie, Dulciora, sit amongst sprawling pomegranate tree branches, taken from a striking fabric print. The playful composition of flora and fauna is quintessentially Fornasetti, mixing lifelike etchings with decadent, bold prints.


Created from an atmospheric etching of clouds, the subtle line work and delicate detail render Nuvole one of Fornasetti’s most magnificent and beloved designs. With its billowing clouds rolling across a romantic sky, Cole & Son has updated this arresting study with a unique ombré (a shading technique), encompassing the colour and light of an ever-changing sky. Now entitled Nuvole al Tramonto, it is available in two evocative colourways - Dusk and Dawn.


/ 130


John Biddell - John Charles Interiors


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164