House style

Animal-print magic

A NEW COLLECTION by homeware designer Sophie Allport in collaboration with the Zoological Society of London is tapping into the current vogue for animal print – and is certainly more stylish than your average zoo souvenir.

Comprising table and kitchen linens, cushions, bone-china egg cups and teaware, bags and home fragrance, the collection comes in a palette of khaki, mustard and grey, featuring Allport’s illustrations of cheetahs and elephants, with proceeds from each sale going to support ZSL’S conservation work. ‘I was shocked to discover that the African elephant is listed as extremely vulnerable – if things don’t change, they could become extinct in my lifetime,’ says Allport. ‘I’m lucky to have spent time in Africa as a child, and to have seen these animals in the wild. I felt I had to do something.’ The products are available from Sophie Allport (sophieallport. com) and the ZSL shop (shop.zsl.org).

Meanwhile, the Tibetan tiger rug is an animal-themed trend that has been quietly building for the past couple of years, and fashion designer Zandra Rhodes is the latest to produce her own, typically unconventional take, for east London rug company Floor Story. Tiger rugs have been traditionally used as meditation mats by Buddhist lamas and Hindu rishis; Rhodes’ playful version takes the form not of a tiger, but a leopard, hand-tufted in India from soft pink wool and bamboo silk, and is based on a print from her 1987 Secrets of the Nile fashion collection.

Another leopard lover is the interior designer Lucy Barlow, creative director at Barlow & Barlow, who has collaborated with illustrator Susannah Garrod on a new collection of lamps. ‘When it comes to designing a room, decorative lighting is my secret weapon: it has transformative qualities, which is why I have wanted to design my own range for some time now,’ says Barlow. The ceramic bases are informed by her interest in neoclassical design and glazed in Air Force blue, coral pink, cream and olive green, while the shades come in ombré-effect leopard print or Garrod’s whimsical drawings.