House style

An interiors pop-up tackles Generation Rent’s need for versatile home comforts

The one-stop pop-up to brighten your home

THINK OF THE interior-design habits of Generation Rent, and it’s likely a certain Swedish superstore will spring to mind. But new British homeware company Wicklewood aims to change that, with its collection of colourful, beautifully crafted, ethically sourced cushions, rugs, quilts and accessories designed to transform bland rooms, yet be easily transported from place to place.

The company was founded a year ago by Caroline Downing Nadel and Rosie Axford, both serial renters who call themselves ‘modern nomads’. Downing Nadel has a strong family background in fabrics: her great-greatgrandmother amassed a vast collection of Guatemalan textiles in the US, creating an archive of more than 2,000 examples, while her mother, Elizabeth Downing, co-founded fabric and wallpaper company Blithfield. Both influ- ences form the bedrock of Wicklewood’s collections, and all its fabrics are woven or printed in Guatemala and India using traditional techniques.

Key to the collection’s flexibility is that the cushions, throws and quilts are reversible, with a pattern on one side and a plain, striped or checked reverse, making them easy to blend into various decor schemes. For those unsure of how to put a palette together, Wicklewood also sells room sets, with coordinating rug, throw or quilt and cushions, and offers design advice via its website.

It is an online company, but for those keen to see the products up close, Downing Nadel and Axford are hosting a pop-up at 123 Sydney Street, London, SW3, from Monday until 29 November, including one-off quilts, gifts and more, and a ‘revolving room’, to be restyled every three days. wicklewood.com

Above right Caroline Downing Nadel and Rosie Axford. Right (From left) Complementary quilts and cushions, from £85, Wicklewood;City Scapes No.3 by Claire Hynds, who exhibits in Woolwich this month