Florence Broadhurst

Florence Broadhurst wallpaper and fabric have been reproduced by Signature Prints for some time, and now Materialised has developed a contract range. This range is aimed at the hospitality and healthcare industries, or anywhere that demands high performance furnishings, including flame retardancy, waterproof upholstery, high abrasion resistance, stability and launder ability.

This range could be used domestically in high traffic areas such as family rooms or verandas.

Please contact me if you'd like to see the full range of designs and base fabrics.

A brief Florence Broadhurst bio:

In 1959 Broadhurst had established a revolutionary wallpaper business.  With a small staff, she designed, manufactured and marketed locally produced, high-quality, handcrafted wallpapers in luxurious, oversized patterns with vivid combinations of colours, inspired by an eclectic range of sources.  Brightly coloured peacocks were a feature, as were bold geometrical, striped and floral designs.

Moving to Paddington in July 1969, the company became known as Florence Broadhurst Wallpapers Pty Ltd, advertised as 'the only studio of its kind in the world' and exporting to North America, England, Hawaii, Kuwait, Peru, Norway and Paris.

By 1972 her wallpapers reportedly contained around 800 designs in eighty different colour ways.

A striking-looking woman, Broadhurst was renowned for her flamboyant clothes, antique jewellery and coiffed, hennaed hair.

Sydney's stylish set of the '60s and '70s will remember Broadhurst as the larger-than-life socialite who could be found mixing with high society when she wasn't at her Paddington factory. With her outre fashion sense and audacious personality, she was hard to miss.

She continued to work actively until her tragic death in 1977 at the age of 78.

Containers, jars and baskets

Pots, jars and containers add a decorative touch to interiors or patios; they can also have a practical use such as for wet umbrellas near the front door or storing things like golf balls or knitting wool depending on your particular interest.  Some can be used as a striking flower vase for large arrangements. They can also be converted into attractive lamp bases.

A grouping of similar jars makes an interesting feature on a mantle piece or hall table.

All the jars, baskets and containers featured here are for sale so please contact me for pricing.

Orange and white square vase

  

The Red lacquer lunch box on the left and the Burmese offering vessel on the right both have a warm soft red patina and are interesting and beautiful decorative objects.

I love blue and white ceramics and a grouping of various shapes in a white space creates a decorative cool and fresh look.

In the interior below Axel Vervoordt has displayed his client’s collection of blue and white pottery in a decorative wall display and carried the colours through to other elements in the room.

Here is a pretty collection of blue and white pottery imported from China; they are copies of antique pots.

               

                                       

                                                     

    

Here is a very pretty and colourful ginger jar

  

The lacquered boxes below could be used as to hide all sorts of little things

The wooden basket below is designed to carry rice

This decorative container below is to store rice

Here is a collection of decorative and beautiful baskets.

  

 

 

And finally, while not strictly a container, here are Balinese baby carriers which I had to include because they are so beautiful.

Black & White

Happy New Year!  I hope you've had a restful holiday break.


After a lovely beach holiday with family I'm on deck again and already becoming busy.  


For my blog today I've borrowed from another blog I follow from the US called Elements of Style (http://www.elementsofstyleblog.com/) and the reason I've done this is that I also really love a black and white theme.  It's so fresh and smart.  


I hope you too enjoy the Elements of Style selection:

For the birds.....

Sometimes I'm asked for fabrics, wallpapers or rugs that have an animal or bird theme, but birds seem to be the most requested.  Once I began researching I was surprised how many animal and bird themed fabrics there are.  Mostly they tend to be more classical in their style but there are some which would suit a contemporary setting as well.  Today I shall concentrate on the bird theme.

The new Designers Guild Royal Collection ‘Rosa Chinensis’ features a peacock.  This range is a beautiful addition to the previous Royal Collections, with gorgeous and luxurious fabrics.

In this collection there are ready made cushions, including the peacock one below.

Two more bird themed fabrics below in a more traditional style with parrots, birds and flowers from English company Titley & Marr

The pretty blue and white fabric below is from Galbraith & Paul, a Philadelphia based studio workshop specializing in hand block printed textiles, handmade rugs, and studio printed wallpaper

And here is the same pattern as wallpaper in a different colourway.

The rug below is Glabraith & Paul Pewter Birds - Hand Knotted Wool and Silk

Soleil Bleu make some beautiful fabrics and below is a detail from a gorgeous fabric featuring parrots - note how the birds feathers look like a collage of butterfly wings

And here are two real birds to finish with:  I photographed this beautiful pee wee at Manly Dam recently.  It very patiently sat on that branch for quite a while as I snapped away.  And the native noisy minor below was taken at Bradleys Head.