Seasonal stars
The new collection from Neptune combines rich colours with plaids and tactile velvets to capture the essence of the great British library
For those who are yet to discover Neptune, theirs is a world of beautifully made furniture, textiles and accessories for the home and garden. Design-wise, the company is perhaps best known for its kitchens with its heirloom worthy dressers not far behind. Its trademark look is British – refined, sturdy and with an almost obsessive attention to detail – plus the brand is certainly most respected for its commitment to craft and quality. Put simply, Neptune makes things it is proud of, and wants you to be proud of them, too.
All of that (and more) is true of the autumn/winter 2017 collection, which launches in early September. Highlights include a new corner concept for its contemporary Shoreditch seating range that follows Neptune’s meticulous approach to upholstery design (the solid timber frame beneath the textile is a piece of furniture in its own right), and seemingly simple accessories such as the Thaxted stainless-steel cutlery where every aspect is considered, be it the weight in your palm, the particular length of each fork prong or the harder alloy mix in the knives.
There is always a story that inspires and contextualises Neptune, and the design team have called this range The Collector’s Edition. Showcasing new pieces alongside those from seasons gone by, this season Neptune bottles the essence of the great British library, exploring ways in which you can achieve an element of historic refinement and warmth in every aspect of your home, from a ceiling-to-floor display of books in a living room to pairings of teal and brass that lend a nod to wood-panelled rooms.
Here, Neptune’s creative director, Emma Sims-hilditch, reveals her favourite pieces from the new collection.
LORNE
“Last year, we started to introduce more printed fabrics. We have had various stripes (Agatha and Jack), an ikat (Gabriela) and a floral (Emma) but Lorne is our first plaid. Spun from pure wool and beautifully classic, it’s a traditional design, but this season we are mixing it with beautifully tactile velvets in deep teal or fox and supersoft, dappled wools.”
KESWICK
“This table collection is so elegant, and a wonderful example of how less is more. There are five in the range – two sizes of console, a tall and slim side table, and two coffee tables – and each one is incredibly versatile. The clean, fine lines and simplicity mean Keswick works well in a symmetrical layout, so two cube coffee tables look effective when used next to each other in a living room. They also work as low side tables. Equally, the side table can act as a scaled-down console.”
TEAL
“Our seasonal shade for autumn/winter 2017 is teal. Navy and dark grey are still being heralded as the more ‘ontrend’ options to black but teal offers a new alternative. We’ll be using it on quite a large scale, from ceilings to walls and skirting boards, to highlight its gorgeous depths. It will translate to even the smallest rooms – it’s a common misconception that only large and light rooms can take dark colours. In fact, by following nature’s cue, you’ll see that rooms with little natural light thrive on the darkness, and teal will simply make them feel bolder. It’s a shade that manages to be both cool and cosy, so it works all year round. I am also looking forward to seeing it being used on kitchen cabinetry. We’ve seen lots of grey-blue kitchens, and even bottle green, but teal is still relatively unexplored.”
OLIVIA
“This may be one of our longstanding upholstery designs, but there are two important reasons why this sofa is one of my favourite pieces this season. Firstly, it’s a new size. It has three generously sized seat cushions, so someone who’s six foot tall can easily lie down without touching the armrests. If you have the space for a larger sofa, it’s such a worthwhile investment. Secondly, there’s the colour – it looks fabulous in our Isla Teal velvet with our darker wood finish on the turned oak legs. When you sit and lean back on Olivia, it’s then that you can appreciate the feather-filled back cushion that we’ve hidden beneath the upholstery.”
CARTER
“We first introduced Carter in last year’s autumn/winter collection, and now include a few new designs, including this pared-down desk. You will see the same slim steel frame that’s powder coated, then baked, and solid oak surface that we’ve taken through a seven-step finishing process (we do this to achieve a touch of rusticity without it needing to be old, weathered timber). Carter is all about disciplined, minimal design, so we’ve made any storage elements discreet, such as two drawers and a slot beneath the shelf, so you can keep the tabletop uncluttered.”
Discover the full collection online, including the designs shown here, and find your nearest Neptune store at neptune.com.