Author: Rhoda Parry
Warner House debuts a blockbuster collection of chintz designs for Autumn/Winter
2023. Known for its extensive collection of historical patterns, the Royal-Warrant fabric and furnishing house has a masterful eye for reimagining beautiful and bold heritage design.
‘Chintz is an iconic textile and Warner House is excited to reignite a passion for this nostalgic glazed cotton for use in today’s home decoration schemes,’ says Lee Clarke, owner and director of Warner House.
Here’s a whistle-stop deep-dive into the history of chintz. A chintz is a cotton (originally calico) that has a polished or glazed surface. “Produced by flattening and smoothing out the cloth at temperature, the result is a sheen fabric that speaks to opulence and high fashion,” says Lee Clarke. Its origins date back to 16th century India, but chintz’s super-desirable texture excellence quickly spread to Europe in the 17th century where it acquired cult status amongst the interiors’ elite and was the fabric du jour for bed hangings, covers and curtains. Fast forward to today’s obsession with maximal and unashamedly charismatic interiors and the time is right for a chintz revival.
‘For a luxurious finish, Warner House presents a curation of chintzes across a number of evocative themes – Country garden, French vivre and Faraway lands – to suit all tastes and decorating styles,” adds Lee Clarke.
We’d like to introduce you to the first of these themes inspired by the idyll of the English country garden. All designs are available as a 100% cotton glazed fabric alongside a quality wallpaper.
Designed in 1842 and supplied by Warner from the beginning of the 20th century, this graceful glazed design epitomises the charm of the country garden. It is abundant with beautifully painted and romantic English flowers, such as rose, pelargonium and honeysuckle that trail joyfully above a subtle motif printed ground.
Available in three colourways – Rose (shown above), Natural (below) and Raspberry – Roxburgh is in tune with our current love affair for modern nostalgia. The Rose colourway is best celebrated in spaces, such as bedrooms and garden rooms, where you want the decor to embrace you with floriferous exuberance.
Accessorise with complimentary chintzes from Warner House to layer up the look on bolsters, cushions and valances. Add texture and colour contrasts with plush velvets, such as Downham Antique Rose.
For those with a more tonal decorating eye, Roxburgh Natural offers a chic solution, elevating dark and handsome furniture and complementing lamp pillars. Dress alongside Snowbell Eau de Nil and Primula Gold.
Flamboyance is the raison d’etre of the Grand Bouquet chintz. A blowsy English design of 1850 and supplied by Warner from 1895 onwards, it is loosely painted with a glorious country flower melange and held by intertwining ribbon garlands.
Choose from Vintage, Ochre and Rose colourways to envelope rooms with an exquisite and charismatic energy. Interior decorators advise that naturally dark spaces will benefit from the light-reflecting properties of a glazed cotton so mirror Grand Bouquet, trimmed in Onion Fringe Heather, with its namesake wallpaper for a seamless and immersive spirit. Push the pattern boundaries further with cushions and throws in Knotted Sash Pink and Cusco Sky.
A stylised botanical floral, Snowbell is believed to be of European (French English) origin from approximately 1870-1920. Depicting closely observed specimens of arching white and off-white flowers with lush spear-like leaves, this large-scale illustrative chintz design will bring an artful and elegant influence to your decorating scheme.
Four colourways allow you to play with atmospheric effects. Choose from soft and airy Natural, Eau de Nil and Blush; or dark and dramatic Ebony (only available as a wallpaper). The colourways in Natural (shown on window seat and walls) and Blush (shown on curtains) imbue a space with a classy sensibility when teamed with cool surfaces and alluring metallics.
Snowbell’s clever design sits happily alongside Warner House’s small prints, such as Primula Gold and Little Acorns Green.
Delving as far back as the 15th century and as far reaching as England to Asia, the Warner House collection is an exploration of beautiful, bold and adventurous design that stands the test of time, curated and reinterpreted for the modern decorator.
We hope this article has inspired you to consider chintz in your next decorating project. You can rely on chintz to delight the eye and up the fashion status of your interiors. Order samples on the website and our Customer Service team is always happy to help. Drop an email to [email protected].
About the author
Rhoda Parry
Rhoda Parry has spent her media career reporting on the best of interior design and decor. She is the former Content Director of Ideal Home, the UK’s best-known media brand, and its sister titles, 25 Beautiful Homes and Style at Home. Previous to that, Rhoda was the Editorial Director (Homes content) of Homes & Gardens, Livingetc, Ideal Home, Country Homes & Interiors, 25 Beautiful Homes, Style at Home and Woman & Home. Rhoda has also held the Editorship of Country Homes & Interiors, 25 Beautiful Homes, 25 Beautiful Kitchens, 25 Beautiful Gardens. She is a seasoned journalist with a nose for what's new, now, and forever in the world of homes.
