How cosy just got cool
What better way to nest than in wool, says Jessica Doyle, as modern designers weave the humble thread into the 21st century
As the cold weather sets in, not only do we seek comfort in our winter wardrobes, but our interiors, too. And wool is the obvious material for ushering in warmth and cosiness. But how to do so in a way that doesn’t sacrifice style? Wool Week, the Campaign for Wool’s annual countrywide initiative, is on until Sunday, with the aim of spinning the fibre’s benefits as a material for both fashion and home. And they have a point. The practical qualities of wool are well-known – it’s hard-wearing, stain-resistant, flame-retardant and a natural soundproofer. But Wool Fusion, an exhibition popping up in London’s Baker Street until Sunday, show that cosy can also be cool.
Bridgette Kelly, director of interiors at the Campaign for Wool, says: “We want people to appreciate how dynamic wool is, be excited and amazed by what they see, and be truly converted to the benefits of choosing wool over man-made-fibre products.
“It’s a material that is always having its boundaries pushed by talented designers, makers and manufacturers.” Visitors to the pop-up can expect to see installations and room sets staged by leading UK designers working with wool, and can take part in workshops in crochet, knitting, weaving and the recently revived craft of macramé.
The exhibition will also highlight key interiors trends that are bringing this traditional textile right up to date.
Colour and contrast
One of wool’s benefits, in design terms, is that it holds strong colour brilliantly, and a bright blanket or cushion is the quickest way to cheer up a chilly room. Designer Eleanor Pritchard, whose Mid Century-inspired textiles are woven at traditional mills in west Wales, Lancashire and on the Isle of Bute, loves wool for its tactile quality.
“It’s an age-old natural fibre with wonderful inherent properties – warm, insulating, elastic, lightfast and sustainable – that make it completely relevant for contemporary fabrics. Most of the yarn we use is fleece-dyed, which means the wool is dyed before it is spun and then different colours are blended in the spinning, giving a glorious depth of colour to the yarn and adding a real richness to the palette.”
Design duo Wallace Sewell, one of Wool Fusion’s exhibitors, are known for their lambswool and Shetland wool throws and cushions in rainbowcoloured geometric patterns, and young designer Beatrice Larkin’s modernist-inspired jacquard throws combine a sharp monochrome palette with soft lambswool and merino.
3D effects
The knitted pouffe has become a mainstay of a Nordic-inspired cosy interior, but London-based German designer Jule Waibel’s origamiesque creations take the concept to an avant-garde level. Borrowing a traditional fashion industry technique, Waibel pleats wool felt into angular shapes informed by the structure of pinecones, which she sets using steam. The combination of the folds and the foam stuffing ensures a flexible, yet firm piece.
East London’s Naomi Paul takes advantage of wool’s flame-retardant properties, creating crocheted lampshades stretched around copper frames. In a palette that extends from muted white and putty through gold and rust to black, the shades come in various sculptural shapes.
Opulence underfoot
Flooring is where wool’s soundproofing and draughtexcluding prowess comes to the fore. Crucial Trading combines the resilience of sisal (a type of stiff hemp fibre) with soft wool to create its “sisool” carpets, which come in chunky textures and neutral colours.
Elsewhere, swirling Eighties fitted carpet designs have been replaced by smart geometrics, courtesy of designers such as Margo Selby and Ben Pentreath, both of whom have teamed up with Alternative Flooring.
Brintons has been making wool carpets since the late 18th century. Recent collections have included edgy designs by Glasgow’s Timorous Beasties. Its latest, launched next month, comprises 13 designs by Kelly Hoppen inspired by modernist prints and “everyday elements” such as paint splashes. “It’s different, and it’s at the forefront of design,” she says.
Snug and superluxe
Wool has somewhat homespun associations, but high-end brands are creating premium products that work with its luxurious qualities. Pierre Paulin’s Pumpkin seating range, available at Ligne Roset, looks chic and sleek in wool upholstery, as does Gamfratesi’s Beetle dining chair for Gubi. Oyuna produces womenswear and homeware made from Mongolian cashmere, including £800 dressing gowns, £700 travel blankets, and throws starting at £1,250. Scaling the heights of luxury is the Andes-roaming vicuña, whose rarefied hair produces the world’s most expensive wool: a blanket costs more than £8,000 at Loro Piana.
Sitting comfortably
Wool is a good choice for upholstery – although soft weaves are more comfortable. Designers Guild does plain, striped and checked wool fabrics in strong colours; Fox Linton offers lambswool satin in 27 understated tones; and the Raf Simons collection for Kvadrat includes wool mixes in a bold palette. On the neutral side, the white woolly chair has been making a comeback. Rose Uniacke has recently shown two lambswoolcovered vintage Danish chairs – £15,000 the pair – and Twentytwentyone stocks Flemming Lassen’s classic Tired Man chair. For a more accessible take on the trend, head to Skandium in Thurloe Place, SW7, featuring the Lamino by Swedese, recently voted Sweden’s most popular easy chair.
Wool Fusion will be at 35 Baker Street, London NW1, until Sunday. For more information, visit campaignforwool.org