The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - The Telegraph Magazine
House style
Desirable designers coming to a high street (or website) near you…
Designer looks at high-street prices
DESIGNER LOOKS FOR LESS
It’s been a while since fashion designers first cottoned on to the idea of diffusion lines, giving more people the opportunity to buy into their look, and now highend homeware designers are starting to follow suit. Furniture-maker Sebastian Cox, known for his beautifully crafted tables, chairs and cabinetry, recently teamed up with Made.com on a new range of bedroom furniture, cabinets and dining chairs made in oak, ash and rattan. They have aesthetic echoes of the exquisite pieces from his own collection (which cost up to £8,350 for a cabinet), but start at just £179 for a bedside table.
Similarly, Luke Irwin’s handmade rugs in wool, silk and cashmere are beyond the means of most, costing up to £7,500. His new diffusion line for John Lewis is still not cheap, starting at £1,800 for a 240 x 170cm rug, but they are handknotted in wool or sari silk, and display Irwin’s flair for eye-catching design.
HOUSE OF FUN
Illustrator and designer Luke Edward Hall, meanwhile, has teamed up with The Rug Company to create a playful collection of cushions and wall hangings. The pieces include crewel-work (wool embroidery) cushions featuring lobsters, leopards and anchovies (‘One of my favourite fish; they’re so elegant!’ says Hall). The Aubusson (tapestry) wall hangings, done in Hall’s characteristic painterly style, come in a palette of soft greens, yellows and pinks.