A combination of joyful prints and weaves make up Soane’s collection of fabrics. They are all inspired by Lulu Lytle’s personal collection of antique textiles, particularly the rich motifs and colours found in Eastern Mediterranean and North African fabrics. Age-old patterns are studied and their compositions and colours sensitively reworked into contemporary fabric designs that retain a sense of their exotic heritage. There is a distinct Soane palette running through the plains and patterns, enabling clients to pull together a host of style and colour combinations from within the Soane collections.
Botanic Garden is large-scale print based around five fanciful flowers. The luxuriant botanical design is a reworking of a richly detailed 19th century hanging in Lulu’s textile collection. Childhood memories of a much-loved Howard sofa with a faded overblown floral pattern in pinks and greens were the inspiration.
Coquelicots is a faithful replica of a delicate piece of Turkish resist and over-dyed voile, covered in a painterly representation of blown poppy heads and dating from circa 1800. Lulu has used a linen base cloth for the new fabric which has added a rich depth to the indigo background. The result is a dramatic fabric that can be used for curtains and upholstery.
Dianthus Chintz is an exceptionally detailed botanical print inspired by an 18th century sarong. Charmed by its fantastical fronds and frilled dianthus heads, Lulu reworked the antique design. Hand-printed onto linen or silk base cloths, Dianthus Chintz is perfect for upholstery, curtains and walling, whether in grand drawing rooms or romantic bedrooms. It is also available as a wallpaper.
Espalier Square is derived from an early 19th century French design, gently modified and to create a delicate trellis across stone linen, linen lawn and wallpaper. Lulu has always loved the ancient horticultural art of “espalier” where fruit bearing trees are trained across garden walls. Lulu imagines this gentle pattern in many settings, especially in rooms where the wall as and ceiling are covered in the paper or fabric to give the all-encompassing effect of fruit trees trained to form tunnels or pergolas in 19th century kitchen gardens.
Fez Stripe is a boldly scaled design that, close-up, reveals delicate intricacies. Captivated by the multitude of patterns in a collection of antique, hand-embroidered Fez cushions, Lulu identified three favourite motifs and combined them to create a beautiful linear design. Fez Stripe is screen-printed onto linen to produce a deliberately faded effect that adds to the charm of the fabric’s hand drawn artwork. It is suited equally to upholstery and curtains. It is also available as a wallpaper.
The artwork for Kalamkari Chevron originates from a 19th century kalamkari prayer mat which was printed in India for the Persian market.Kalamkari is an Indian method of hand painting or block printing cotton fabric with natural dyes. The term originates from the time of Medieval Islamic rule and is derived from the Persian word ‘kalam’ meaning pen and ‘kari’ meaning craftsmanship.By hand screen printing the design the quality of the overlapping colours in the original print has been retained.The Walnut & Sage colourway corresponds directly with another print in the Soane fabrics collection; Tendril Vine. While the two others offer an extension to the blue range and a warm but crisp play on the original colourway.
Lotus Palmette is inspired by a Safavid woven silk velvet panel dating from the 16th century at a time when the Persian silk trade flourished. The fabric remains true to the original woven design of this period but is updated by printing the pattern on a linen base cloth. Lotus Palmette is also offered as a wallpaper.
Osmunda, which refers to a genus of fern, was inspired by a complicated pattern discovered in the leaves of an ancient French pattern book. Lulu has stripped out the fern-like element to create a pattern which travels up the length of the fabric, mimicking the growth of its namesake. Osmunda has been designed as a two-colour print across two scales.
Osmunda, which refers to a genus of fern, was inspired by a complicated pattern discovered in the leaves of an ancient French pattern book. Lulu has stripped out the fern-like element to create a pattern which travels up the length of the fabric, mimicking the growth of its namesake. Osmunda has been designed as a two-colour print across two scales.
The design for Ottoman Scribe was imagined by Lulu after acquiring a book of antique photographs from North Africa. One of the pictures shows a man reading a letter sitting cross legged on a vegetable leaf carpet against a wall hanging with a calligraphic leaf design.Ottoman Scribe is hand printed onto a linen base cloth.
Paisley Stripe is a five-colour print inspired by a 19th century Persian printed wool panel. Hand printed on a linen base cloth, it brings great richness and depth to an interior. A complementary print, Persian Flower, uses the floral stripe that runs through Paisley Stripe to create a full width botanical print.
Palampore Blossom was inspired by a wonderful 18th century Indian palampore, a type of hand painted bedcover traditionally produced for European colonists. Each palampore would take hours to create with complex and elaborate patterns depicting a wide variety of plants, flowers and animals. The fanciful flowers and leaves often seen in Indian textiles arose from a re-interpretation of unfamiliar plants seen in sample pattern books sent to producers from England and France.
Persian Flower uses the floral stripe that runs through Paisley Stripe – a fabric inspired by a 19th century Persian printed wool panel – and extends it, slightly increasing the scale, to create a full width botanical print. Offered in the same colourways as Paisley Stripe, it brings great richness and depth to an interior.
This design has been transcribed from a nineteenth century Iranian alam or banner, depicting the relationship between water and shade in a paradisiacal garden. Persian Maze is offered in a print, a weave and a wallpaper, each in different scales. The largest scale is employed on the printed fabric, followed by smaller scales on the woven fabric and wallpaper. The print is offered in four colourways; Cobalt on Ivory, Lacquer Red on Ivory, Emerald on Ivory and Ochre on Stone Linen.
Pineapple Frond was inspired by an intricate, richly coloured chintz. By removing nearly all of the fine detail and ten of the eleven colours of the original print, we have created the entirely modern Pineapple Frond. Pineapple Frond is a magnified interpretation of the original fabric. Its scale is ideal for curtains and the upholstery of large sofas.
Pineapple Silhouette is a smaller version of Pineapple Frond and was inspired by an intricate, richly coloured chintz. By removing nearly all of the fine detail and ten of the eleven colours of the original print, we have created the entirely modern Pineapple Silhouette. Pineapple Silhouette is hand printed onto a linen base cloth.
Qajar Stripe is based on an antique textile made in around 1840 in Lancashire for the Persian market and evokes the silk costumes in portraits of ladies from the Qajar Dynasty. A six-colour print on linen in predominantly red and bright blue, it reveals a multitude of tiny flowers within its stripes.
Duro’s idea for the Regency Swirl arose from his love of Regency era architecture and ironwork as well as the furling and unfurling silhouette of ferns and other botanicals. Often mirrored in historical and modernist patterns and prints from around the world. The design introduces two new colourways to the Soane palette; Adam’s Pink, after the Regency architect Robert Adam and Etrurian Blue, after the classical influences on regency decorative arts. The Adam’s Pink colourway is printed onto a tinted cream linen basecloth while the Etrurian Blue colourway is printed onto a lighter linen basecloth.
Scrolling Acanthus is a faithful replica of a delicate piece of early nineteenth century French chintz. This two-colour print creates a generous, flowing pattern and is available printed on to linen or mutka silk. The fabric is eminently suitable for curtains, bed hangings and light upholstery. A matching wallpaper with a smaller scale pattern is available.
Scrolling Fern Frond is Lulu’s interpretation of a tiny motif discovered in an 1820s French pattern book. A two-colour print adds depth to the large-scale pattern that travels in botanical waves along the length of the fabric and wallpaper.
Scrolling Fern Silhouette is the smaller scaled version of Scrolling Fern Frond. The finer, one-colour print pattern again travels the length of the fabric and wallpaper and is offered in the same colourways with the addition of the Chestnut colourway.
Inspired by a watermarked fragment of fine ivory cotton printed in green, from a French pattern book of the 1820s. We have developed the pattern as a two-colour print using two similar vegetable dyes to create depth and shading in the design. It can be printed onto a very fine linen lawn for an ethereal atmosphere as bed hangings or unlined curtains, on fine cotton poplin, wonderful as walling and curtains in the manner of a chintz or an upholstery weight Irish linen.
Stencil Leaf takes its inspiration from the British Arts & Crafts movement; where the hand of the artist and skill of the craftsman were paramount. In particular Duro looked to the topiary at Hidcote Manor in Gloucestershire, where designers throughout the 20th century have found inspiration, therefore lending the design’s title a dual meaning. Printed in Raspberry onto a light linen basecloth Stencil Leaf offers a contemporary interpretation of an early 20th century aesthetic, working either as the showstopper within a room or as a link maker between pieces of different periods and styles.
Symi is based on an antique embroidery purchased from a dealer on Portobello Road and there is much debate over whether the original is Greek or Italian. Hand printed onto a linen or mutka silk base cloth, Symi takes on different incarnations in each of the different colourways.
Soane’s first botanical print, Tendril Vine, is a simplified interpretation of the incredibly intricate pattern on an early 19th century English fabric.
Lisieux Rose is a faithful replica of a late 18th century screen printed French cotton quilt.The delicate draftsmanship of each floret is highlighted by the many subtle variations in colour used throughout the print. The spacing and scale of the artwork means that the design works from both from a distance and in close up detail.Lulu chose to remain true to the design’s provenance by launching the original colourway on cotton poplin. This lends the fabric a crispness that is ideal for walling, bed hangings, loose covers and curtains, in the manner of chintz. While the lapis colourway on a light linen ground is ideal for upholstery and curtains.In honour of the design’s origin the title is a reference to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, the French patron saint of florists.
This captivating print is a boldly scaled paisley design that cleverly reveals a double parrot motif. Lulu encountered the ‘parrot within a parrot’ design on a mid-nineteenth century Indian textile, its intricate flower details imitating those on woven paisley shawls from an earlier period.The colouring has remained as true as possible to the original, resulting in a lavish nine-colour print on poplin. The magnificent scale and detail of Paisley Parrot creates huge impact on curtains and hangings. A complementary fabric, Coral, adopts the ‘fern’ background pattern and makes an ideal lining fabric.
Trianon Stripe takes its inspiration from a late 18th century printed cotton curtain panel in Lulu’s collection. This two-colour stripe is typical of printed French designs from the period. Lulu sees this as a classic and atmospheric stripe which would be easy to include in many interiors. Trialling the design in multiple colours made it extremely hard to narrow down just six for launch! Three are printed on an indoor-outdoor cloth which has excellent light fastness and is water and stain resistant so that the fabric can be wiped down. Three others are printed on cotton poplin (a favourite Soane base cloth) where the colours look bold and fresh. This is lovely for curtains, blinds, walling and loose covers.
Dianthus Chintz is an exceptionally detailed botanical print inspired by an 18th century sarong. Charmed by its fantastical fronds and frilled dianthus heads, Lulu reworked the antique design. Hand-printed onto linen or silk base cloths, Dianthus Chintz is perfect for upholstery, curtains and walling, whether in grand drawing rooms or romantic bedrooms. It is also available as a wallpaper.
Scrolling Acanthus is a faithful replica of a delicate piece of early nineteenth century French chintz. This two-colour print creates a generous, flowing pattern and is available printed on to linen or mutka silk. The fabric is eminently suitable for curtains, bed hangings and light upholstery. A matching wallpaper with a smaller scale pattern is available.
Scrolling Fern Frond is Lulu’s interpretation of a tiny motif discovered in an 1820s French pattern book. A two-colour print adds depth to the large-scale pattern that travels in botanical waves along the length of the fabric and wallpaper.
Scrolling Fern Silhouette is the smaller scaled version of Scrolling Fern Frond. The finer, one-colour print pattern again travels the length of the fabric and wallpaper and is offered in the same colourways with the addition of the Chestnut colourway.
Symi is based on an antique embroidery purchased from a dealer on Portobello Road and there is much debate over whether the original is Greek or Italian. Hand printed onto a linen or mutka silk base cloth, Symi takes on different incarnations in each of the different colourways.
Soane’s first botanical print, Tendril Vine, is a simplified interpretation of the incredibly intricate pattern on an early 19th century English fabric.
This whimsical print was derived from a piece of ancient fabric belonging to antique textile collector Karun Thakar. In reworking the pattern’s scale, we have ensured that the insects and butterflies can be clearly seen, meandering amongst the tulips. Tulips and Butterflies is printed on a Mutka Silk base cloth that reproduces the naturalistic details to wonderful effect.
Espalier Square is derived from an early 19th century French design, gently modified and to create a delicate trellis across stone linen, linen lawn and wallpaper. Lulu has always loved the ancient horticultural art of “espalier” where fruit bearing trees are trained across garden walls. Lulu imagines this gentle pattern in many settings, especially in rooms where the wall as and ceiling are covered in the paper or fabric to give the all-encompassing effect of fruit trees trained to form tunnels or pergolas in 19th century kitchen gardens.
Scrolling Fern Frond is Lulu’s interpretation of a tiny motif discovered in an 1820s French pattern book. A two-colour print adds depth to the large-scale pattern that travels in botanical waves along the length of the fabric and wallpaper.
Scrolling Fern Silhouette is the smaller scaled version of Scrolling Fern Frond. The finer, one-colour print pattern again travels the length of the fabric and wallpaper and is offered in the same colourways with the addition of the Chestnut colourway.
Inspired by a watermarked fragment of fine ivory cotton printed in green, from a French pattern book of the 1820s. We have developed the pattern as a two-colour print using two similar vegetable dyes to create depth and shading in the design. It can be printed onto a very fine linen lawn for an ethereal atmosphere as bed hangings or unlined curtains, on fine cotton poplin, wonderful as walling and curtains in the manner of a chintz or an upholstery weight Irish linen.
Symi is based on an antique embroidery purchased from a dealer on Portobello Road and there is much debate over whether the original is Greek or Italian. Hand printed onto a linen or mutka silk base cloth, Symi takes on different incarnations in each of the different colourways.
Soane’s first botanical print, Tendril Vine, is a simplified interpretation of the incredibly intricate pattern on an early 19th century English fabric.
Trianon Stripe takes its inspiration from a late 18th century printed cotton curtain panel in Lulu’s collection. This two-colour stripe is typical of printed French designs from the period. Lulu sees this as a classic and atmospheric stripe which would be easy to include in many interiors. Trialling the design in multiple colours made it extremely hard to narrow down just six for launch! Three are printed on an indoor-outdoor cloth which has excellent light fastness and is water and stain resistant so that the fabric can be wiped down. Three others are printed on cotton poplin (a favourite Soane base cloth) where the colours look bold and fresh. This is lovely for curtains, blinds, walling and loose covers.
Botanic Garden is large-scale print based around five fanciful flowers. The luxuriant botanical design is a reworking of a richly detailed 19th century hanging in Lulu’s textile collection. Childhood memories of a much-loved Howard sofa with a faded overblown floral pattern in pinks and greens were the inspiration.
Coquelicots is a faithful replica of a delicate piece of Turkish resist and over-dyed voile, covered in a painterly representation of blown poppy heads and dating from circa 1800. Lulu has used a linen base cloth for the new fabric which has added a rich depth to the indigo background. The result is a dramatic fabric that can be used for curtains and upholstery.
Dianthus Chintz is an exceptionally detailed botanical print inspired by an 18th century sarong. Charmed by its fantastical fronds and frilled dianthus heads, Lulu reworked the antique design. Hand-printed onto linen or silk base cloths, Dianthus Chintz is perfect for upholstery, curtains and walling, whether in grand drawing rooms or romantic bedrooms. It is also available as a wallpaper.
Espalier Square is derived from an early 19th century French design, gently modified and to create a delicate trellis across stone linen, linen lawn and wallpaper. Lulu has always loved the ancient horticultural art of “espalier” where fruit bearing trees are trained across garden walls. Lulu imagines this gentle pattern in many settings, especially in rooms where the wall as and ceiling are covered in the paper or fabric to give the all-encompassing effect of fruit trees trained to form tunnels or pergolas in 19th century kitchen gardens.
Fez Stripe is a boldly scaled design that, close-up, reveals delicate intricacies. Captivated by the multitude of patterns in a collection of antique, hand-embroidered Fez cushions, Lulu identified three favourite motifs and combined them to create a beautiful linear design. Fez Stripe is screen-printed onto linen to produce a deliberately faded effect that adds to the charm of the fabric’s hand drawn artwork. It is suited equally to upholstery and curtains. It is also available as a wallpaper.
The artwork for Kalamkari Chevron originates from a 19th century kalamkari prayer mat which was printed in India for the Persian market.Kalamkari is an Indian method of hand painting or block printing cotton fabric with natural dyes. The term originates from the time of Medieval Islamic rule and is derived from the Persian word ‘kalam’ meaning pen and ‘kari’ meaning craftsmanship.By hand screen printing the design the quality of the overlapping colours in the original print has been retained.The Walnut & Sage colourway corresponds directly with another print in the Soane fabrics collection; Tendril Vine. While the two others offer an extension to the blue range and a warm but crisp play on the original colourway.
Lisieux Rose is a faithful replica of a late 18th century screen printed French cotton quilt.The delicate draftsmanship of each floret is highlighted by the many subtle variations in colour used throughout the print. The spacing and scale of the artwork means that the design works from both from a distance and in close up detail.Lulu chose to remain true to the design’s provenance by launching the original colourway on cotton poplin. This lends the fabric a crispness that is ideal for walling, bed hangings, loose covers and curtains, in the manner of chintz. While the lapis colourway on a light linen ground is ideal for upholstery and curtains.In honour of the design’s origin the title is a reference to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, the French patron saint of florists.
Lotus Palmette is inspired by a Safavid woven silk velvet panel dating from the 16th century at a time when the Persian silk trade flourished. The fabric remains true to the original woven design of this period but is updated by printing the pattern on a linen base cloth. Lotus Palmette is also offered as a wallpaper.
Osmunda, which refers to a genus of fern, was inspired by a complicated pattern discovered in the leaves of an ancient French pattern book. Lulu has stripped out the fern-like element to create a pattern which travels up the length of the fabric, mimicking the growth of its namesake. Osmunda has been designed as a two-colour print across two scales.
Osmunda, which refers to a genus of fern, was inspired by a complicated pattern discovered in the leaves of an ancient French pattern book. Lulu has stripped out the fern-like element to create a pattern which travels up the length of the fabric, mimicking the growth of its namesake. Osmunda has been designed as a two-colour print across two scales.
The design for Ottoman Scribe was imagined by Lulu after acquiring a book of antique photographs from North Africa. One of the pictures shows a man reading a letter sitting cross legged on a vegetable leaf carpet against a wall hanging with a calligraphic leaf design.Ottoman Scribe is hand printed onto a linen base cloth.
This captivating print is a boldly scaled paisley design that cleverly reveals a double parrot motif. Lulu encountered the ‘parrot within a parrot’ design on a mid-nineteenth century Indian textile, its intricate flower details imitating those on woven paisley shawls from an earlier period.The colouring has remained as true as possible to the original, resulting in a lavish nine-colour print on poplin. The magnificent scale and detail of Paisley Parrot creates huge impact on curtains and hangings. A complementary fabric, Coral, adopts the ‘fern’ background pattern and makes an ideal lining fabric.
Paisley Stripe is a five-colour print inspired by a 19th century Persian printed wool panel. Hand printed on a linen base cloth, it brings great richness and depth to an interior. A complementary print, Persian Flower, uses the floral stripe that runs through Paisley Stripe to create a full width botanical print.
Palampore Blossom was inspired by a wonderful 18th century Indian palampore, a type of hand painted bedcover traditionally produced for European colonists. Each palampore would take hours to create with complex and elaborate patterns depicting a wide variety of plants, flowers and animals. The fanciful flowers and leaves often seen in Indian textiles arose from a re-interpretation of unfamiliar plants seen in sample pattern books sent to producers from England and France.
Persian Flower uses the floral stripe that runs through Paisley Stripe – a fabric inspired by a 19th century Persian printed wool panel – and extends it, slightly increasing the scale, to create a full width botanical print. Offered in the same colourways as Paisley Stripe, it brings great richness and depth to an interior.
This design has been transcribed from a nineteenth century Iranian alam or banner, depicting the relationship between water and shade in a paradisiacal garden. Persian Maze is offered in a print, a weave and a wallpaper, each in different scales. The largest scale is employed on the printed fabric, followed by smaller scales on the woven fabric and wallpaper. The print is offered in four colourways; Cobalt on Ivory, Lacquer Red on Ivory, Emerald on Ivory and Ochre on Stone Linen.
Pineapple Frond was inspired by an intricate, richly coloured chintz. By removing nearly all of the fine detail and ten of the eleven colours of the original print, we have created the entirely modern Pineapple Frond. Pineapple Frond is a magnified interpretation of the original fabric. Its scale is ideal for curtains and the upholstery of large sofas.
Pineapple Silhouette is a smaller version of Pineapple Frond and was inspired by an intricate, richly coloured chintz. By removing nearly all of the fine detail and ten of the eleven colours of the original print, we have created the entirely modern Pineapple Silhouette. Pineapple Silhouette is hand printed onto a linen base cloth.
Qajar Stripe is based on an antique textile made in around 1840 in Lancashire for the Persian market and evokes the silk costumes in portraits of ladies from the Qajar Dynasty. A six-colour print on linen in predominantly red and bright blue, it reveals a multitude of tiny flowers within its stripes.
Duro’s idea for the Regency Swirl arose from his love of Regency era architecture and ironwork as well as the furling and unfurling silhouette of ferns and other botanicals. Often mirrored in historical and modernist patterns and prints from around the world. The design introduces two new colourways to the Soane palette; Adam’s Pink, after the Regency architect Robert Adam and Etrurian Blue, after the classical influences on regency decorative arts. The Adam’s Pink colourway is printed onto a tinted cream linen basecloth while the Etrurian Blue colourway is printed onto a lighter linen basecloth.
Scrolling Acanthus is a faithful replica of a delicate piece of early nineteenth century French chintz. This two-colour print creates a generous, flowing pattern and is available printed on to linen or mutka silk. The fabric is eminently suitable for curtains, bed hangings and light upholstery. A matching wallpaper with a smaller scale pattern is available.
Scrolling Fern Frond is Lulu’s interpretation of a tiny motif discovered in an 1820s French pattern book. A two-colour print adds depth to the large-scale pattern that travels in botanical waves along the length of the fabric and wallpaper.
Scrolling Fern Silhouette is the smaller scaled version of Scrolling Fern Frond. The finer, one-colour print pattern again travels the length of the fabric and wallpaper and is offered in the same colourways with the addition of the Chestnut colourway.
Inspired by a watermarked fragment of fine ivory cotton printed in green, from a French pattern book of the 1820s. We have developed the pattern as a two-colour print using two similar vegetable dyes to create depth and shading in the design. It can be printed onto a very fine linen lawn for an ethereal atmosphere as bed hangings or unlined curtains, on fine cotton poplin, wonderful as walling and curtains in the manner of a chintz or an upholstery weight Irish linen.
Stencil Leaf takes its inspiration from the British Arts & Crafts movement; where the hand of the artist and skill of the craftsman were paramount. In particular Duro looked to the topiary at Hidcote Manor in Gloucestershire, where designers throughout the 20th century have found inspiration, therefore lending the design’s title a dual meaning. Printed in Raspberry onto a light linen basecloth Stencil Leaf offers a contemporary interpretation of an early 20th century aesthetic, working either as the showstopper within a room or as a link maker between pieces of different periods and styles.
Symi is based on an antique embroidery purchased from a dealer on Portobello Road and there is much debate over whether the original is Greek or Italian. Hand printed onto a linen or mutka silk base cloth, Symi takes on different incarnations in each of the different colourways.
Soane’s first botanical print, Tendril Vine, is a simplified interpretation of the incredibly intricate pattern on an early 19th century English fabric.
This whimsical print was derived from a piece of ancient fabric belonging to antique textile collector Karun Thakar. In reworking the pattern’s scale, we have ensured that the insects and butterflies can be clearly seen, meandering amongst the tulips. Tulips and Butterflies is printed on a Mutka Silk base cloth that reproduces the naturalistic details to wonderful effect.
Broad Jajim is an adaptation of Jajim Stripe, which was created with long stripes running in the warp, rather than the weft, of the fabric. Though technically challenging for our Suffolk weavers to produce, the vertical stripe removes some of the restrictions that a horizontal stripe might place on its use. Broad Jajim introduces wide panels of tiny checkerboard between the signature ladder elements to produce a gentle stripe.
Celestial Diamond came about whilst Lulu was working with a 19th century Chinese weave from the Hmong Province. A zigzag pattern emerged which Lulu then reconfigured to create a diamond effect. This woven fabric has a similar graphic crispness to Celestial Square and Jajim Stripe. Celestial Diamond is particularly useful for upholstery, blinds and curtains.
Inspired by a nineteenth century Chinese woven fragment, this fabric was developed to perfect the shading of five different colours in the dominant square. The Celestial Square collection offers two quite different looks: in some colourways the square has been deliberately distorted to capture the antiquity of the original; in others it has been sharpened for a more modern feel. The strong construction of Celestial Square is especially suited to upholstery.
Jajim Stripe was created by Lulu when, inspired by a jajim at home, she set out to create a fabric with long stripes running in the warp, rather than the weft, of the fabric. Though technically challenging for our Suffolk weavers to produce, the lengthways stripe removes some of the restrictions that a widthways stripe might place on its use.
Koro is a simplified version of the Timbuktu design, carried through into two distinctive weaves; two of the colourways mirror their larger Timbuktu companions – used together the two scales have a striking effect - while Kola and Water Nymph are woven in Cotton Chenille and offer a softer textural alternative.
Large Kaleidoscope is woven with a geometric, jewel-like pattern inspired by one of Lulu’s favourite textile handbags - a 19th century bag made from cloth believed to be an early Turkish weave. By increasing the scale of Soane’s original Kaleidoscope fabric, Lulu has created a new, bolder look for upholstery.
Whilst visiting the Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso on Lake Maggiore, Lulu was inspired by a motif within the inlaid floor patterns to create a tiny geometric weave. Available in three colourways - Emerald, Eau de Nil and Ivory - in one of Soane’s favourite viscose, cotton, flax yarn combinations, the new pattern works beautifully for upholstery.
Old Flax is a subtly textured fabric that is woven with three similarly shaded yarns to produce a rich depth of colour. Hard wearing yet soft to touch, Old Flax works well on upholstery as well as curtains.
Ottoman Stripe brings together Lulu’s love of an old fabric on a favourite chair from home and her fondness for grosgrain ribbon. This incredibly fine textural stripe is offered in eight colourways with half sitting at the stronger more jewel-like end of the spectrum and the others being more muted and subtle: Cobalt, Red, Emerald, Azure, Eau de Nil, Old Gold, White Pepper and Ivory.
This design has been transcribed from a nineteenth century Iranian alam or banner, depicting the relationship between water and shade in a paradisiacal garden. Persian Maze is offered as a weave, a print and a wallpaper, each in different scales. The smallest scale is employed on the weave. The weave is offered in six colourways; Emerald, Ivory, Red, Eau de Nil, Lagoon and Cobalt.
For this woven design Lulu initially looked to the same inspiration used for Soane’s ‘Coral’ collection; a mid 19th century Indian textile that mimics the designs used for Paisley woollen shawls. The adaptation of a print into a weave has created an entirely new interpretation while also remaining a close companion to its print equivalent.A reversible design, each colourway offers a lighter, softer alternative of itself. Made using one of our favourite flax, viscose and cotton yarn combinations the weave is ideal for upholstery as well as curtains.
The artwork for the woven design ‘Timbuktu’ takes its inspiration from the mosques of Mali. In particular the Sankore Mosque in Timbuktu; a fine example of ‘toron’; the centuries old highly complicated architectural technique of using palm rods to create a staggered silhouette around the building that doubles as permanent scaffolding for repairs over the years. Each of the design’s colourways relate back to the landscape of Mali.