Oxfordshire Limited Edition – August 2019

76 |OxfordshireLimitedEdition|August 2019

threeremainingbrandsinitsportfolio–
Harlequin,ScionandAnthology–sharethe
Loughboroughsite,andthere’sashowroom
intheDesignCentre,atLondon’sChelsea
Harbour.Thecompanysellsprimarily
throughanetworkofretailpartners.
“Wesellthroughqualityinteriorsretailers
acrossthecountry,JohnLewisandBrewers
beingtwoofourkeypartners,”saysAlison.
“Interiorproductsareaconsideredpurchase,
wherehomeownersoftenneedadvice,not
onlyontheinteriorscheme,butalsohelp
withmakingup,soweareveryreliantonour
tradepartnersforthis.
“Wehavesomeready-madecushionsand
bedlinenthatareavailableonourwebsiteand
wehavealicensingdepartmentforbedlinen,
ceramics,chinaandgifting.Someofitis
availableonourwebsiteand,again,through
retailoutletsacrossthecountry.”

W

hileMorris&Coand
Sandersonfallintothe
heritagecategory,the
otherfournamesspanthe
rangefromtraditionalto
contemporary.Eachhasitsowncharacter.
“Zoffanyisourluxurybrandsold
throughinteriordesignersandthenwehave
Sanderson,whichisoneoftheoldestsoft
furnishingbrands,startedin 1860 ;thenwe
haveHarlequin,whichisourfashion-inspired
brand,”Alisonexplains.“Harlequin,Scion
andAnthologyoperateoutofLoughborough
buttheyallhavetheirowndedicatedstudio.
SandersonisveryEnglish–classic,beautiful
andknownforitsEnglishstyle,whereas
Harlequinisalotmorecontemporary.

“Inallourdesignstudios,everythingis

paintedoutbyhandinthespecificstyleof

thebrand,soHarlequinisallaboutdelicious

coloursandtextures.It’sforpeoplewholike

entertainingathomeandpeopletryingto

recreateahotellook.It’sprobablyourbiggest

brand.”

Establishedinthe 1980 s,Zoffanyaimsfor

effortlesssophistication.Itsfirstcollection

wasinspiredbytherestorationofTemple

Newsam,aTudorJacobeanhouseinLeeds.

“Ittookthemtwoyearstorecreatethe

wallpapersandpaintthemallbyhand,”says

Alison.“Thecollectionwaslaunchedtothe

interiordesignmarketinLondonbecause

therewasagapinthemarketforhistorical

wallpapers.Theyhavethisamazingarchiveof

18 thand 19 thcenturysilkdamasks.”

Attheotherendofthescaleistheplayful

Scion.“Thebrandhasbecomerenowned

foritsclean,Scandi-inspiredideas,freshfor

modernliving,”saysAlison.“It’squitenice

forpeoplestartingwiththeirfirsthome.One

ofthekeydesignshasbeenMrFox,who’s

becomeaniconicpattern.”

LastbutnotleastisAnthology–more

“European”instyleandpopularwithhotels

andinhospitality.“It’smoreaboutcity

spaces,metropolitanspacesandembracing

technology,”saysAlison.“There’squitealot

oftexturewithinit.”

HeritagebrandslikeMorris&Cohave

undoubtedlybenefitedfromarenewed

interestintraditionaldesigns.Inabacklash

againstthethrowawayculture,saysAlison,

peoplenowvalueold-fashionedcraftsmanship

‘Inallourdesign

studios,everythingis

paintedoutbyhandin

thespecificstyleofthe

brand,soHarlequin

isallaboutdelicious

coloursandtextures’