B is for… Baxter

Geoffrey Baxter joined James Powell & Sons (Whitefriars) in 1954 where he initially worked as Assistant Designer to William Wilson. Baxter’s contemporary work soon began to filter into the Whitefriars output.

Scandinavian design was a strong influence during the 1950s & 60s, but under the direction of Baxter, an individual, strong, distinctive look evolved for Whitefriars and British glass in general. New shapes, colours and textures were developed. The main photograph above shows pieces from the textured range first produced in 1967. Actual tree bark was used in the moulds!

We have this piece known as a nail head vase in the tangerine colour way – along with other Whitefriars items – available for sale in the H is for Home web shop.
They look fantastic in groupings or as stand alone pieces.

They provide that initial flash of colour, but also give a wonderfully tactile experience on closer inspection.

If you’d like to find out more about Geoffrey Baxter and Whitefriars Glass, this book is invaluable:

Lotus Position

Amongst the items of fresh stock for next week we’ve got some lovely Cathrineholm pots & pans that we recently picked up.

This range of enamelware was designed by Grete Prytz Kittelsen in the 1950s.

Grete Prytz was born in Norway in 1917 to a famous, Oslo-based family of goldsmiths.

Between 1936 & 1941 she studied at the National College of Arts & Crafts. After graduating she went to work for the family firm designing jewellery and metalware.

Enamelling was a Norwegian speciality in the early years of the 20th century, a technique which Grete revived, drawing on the family’s expertise in this field. Characteristic of her designs were the abstract motifs and striking colours such as her Lotus range illustrated here.

There was an exhibition of her work at the National Museum of Art, Architecture and Design (Nasjonalmuseet for Kunst, Arkitektur og Design) in Oslo until the end of August 2008. There’s also a book/catalogue to accompany the exhibition available here.

If you’re a collector or are interested in seeing more of this work have a look at the Lovers of Cathrineholm Designs Flickr group.

Welsh Wool

Our last blog featured the characteristic designs of mid 20th century German pottery and how it captured an era. Another favourite of ours, with an equally distinctive look, is Welsh wool with its astounding range of colours, patterns and textures.

_{claret & cream}

_{vibrant orange & olive green}

_{shades of coffee}

A number of mills have produced these high quality textiles over the years and in some cases still do. A couple of good examples producing traditional Welsh wool tapestry are Trefriw Woollen Mills and Solva Woollen Mill.

The distinctive designs are not ‘tapestry’ in the truest sense of the word but are, in fact, double woven cloth producing a pattern on both sides.

Mills manufactured textiles for sale by the length and also produced their own range of homewares including blankets, throws, cushions, place mats etc.

_{Tapestry drink coasters}

In addition, these textiles were purchased wholesale by fashion manufacturers including Gwydir Garments, Dwyryd Clothes, Coracle Clothes, Gannex and many more.

The cloth was then made up into coats, jackets, capes, waistcoats, skirts, belts, hats, handbags and purses.

_{vintage handbag}

_{skirt & waistcoat suit}

The 1960s were undoubtedly the heyday for Welsh wool. Nothing screams the 60s quite like a Welsh wool tapestry cape, mini skirt and knee-high boots. In fact, Mary Quant was known to make trips to Wales to source fabric for her fashion house.

However, recent designs by Melin Tregwynt have really moved things on once more and are much loved by contemporary interiors magazines. Whether it’s this modern look or the vintage pieces, these textiles look fantastic in the home.

The green and orange colourways look amazing with dark woods such as teak and rosewood, the bright pinks zing against white acrylic and browns & creams lift rustic pine with a bit of subtle colour and texture.

There are obviously no rules though, and the range of colours and patterns allows for great fun and flexibility.

Quality vintage pieces remain affordable and, having been out of favour for a few years, are being appreciated once more.

A creeping rejection of the cheap and mass-produced, the recognition of hand-crafted objects and the use of natural products stands Welsh wool in good stead for the future.

_{vintage handbag}

H is for Home Harbinger

Category: design

B is for… Baxter

Lotus Position

Welsh Wool