Homes & Gardens UK – September 2019

Design moment

Staffordshirepottery.Usingpatterns

cutintoa sponge,Emmafoundshe

couldcreatemotifs.Andshestilldoes.

Shehadneverintendedtotakeon

productionherself,beyondtheearly

samples,andbyFebruary 1985 the

factory had taught two girls to apply

herpatterns.‘I wasapproaching

shopsandhadsomanyordersthatin

AprilI tooka standattheTopDrawer

tradefair.Itwasa hugesuccess– but

I stillhadnoproperbusinessplan!’

Emmaalwaysheldinhermindthe

joyfulimpactofhermother’sdresser

increatingherdesigns.Shehadno

planfora dinnerservice– it wasmugs,

jugs,teapots,bowlsandplates,for

presentsanddressers,ofcourse.Her

otherdreamwastomakea Stoke-on-

Trentfactorycomealiveagainand,

12 yearslater,sheboughtEastwood

Works.‘I wantedtoputthespotlight

ontraditionalBritishmanufacture

andnow,walkingthroughmyfactory,

thisskillis onceagainesteemedand

that means everything to me.’&

‘I WASlookingfortwocupsand

saucersasa birthdaypresentformy

mother,’saysEmmaBridgewater.‘It

wasOctober 1984 andwhatI sawin

theshopshadnoconnectionwiththe

gorgeouswaymymotherlived,orher

kitchendresserfullofmismatched

china.’InthatinstantEmma,fresh

fromgraduatinginEnglishLiterature

andwithnobusinessexperience,

determinedtocreatea newkindof

pottery.Withintwoweeksshehadan

appointmentwitha modelmakerina

Stoke-on-Trentfactory.‘Heturnedmy

wobblydrawingsintopottery,’shesays,

‘andmade 100 piecesthatI decorated,

glazingtheminthebathroom.’She

adoptedthespongewaredecorating

technique after a study of early English

STYLE LANDMARKS FROM THE DECADE

■ 1980 Architect

EttoreSottsass

foundedMemphis,a

designcollectivewhose

furniture,fabricsand

ceramicsinclashing

patternsexpressed

thegroup’sfree-

thinking attitude.

■ 1984 Peter

Thornton’sbook

AuthenticDecor

informedthedemand

forarchivetextileprints

andcurtaintreatments,

justasthedesirefor

Englishcountryhouse

style went mainstream.

■ 1983 IanMankin

openedhisLondon

shoptosellutility

fabricsforinteriors.

Hepurchasedfabric

straightfromtheloom,

thenorganisedits

washingandfinishingto

keep prices affordable.

■ 1987 Britain’sfirst

Ikeastoreopenedin

Warrington.The

company’saimwas‘to

bringgooddesignto

all’.Enthusiasmforits

productsalsoembraced

anongoingrelationship

with flatpack.

1980 1983 1984 1987 1989

■ 1989 A fragment

of18th-century

Venetianflatweave

inspiredRogerOates

toadaptshuttle-looms

toweavesimilar

narrow-widthrunners

asanalternativeto

fitted carpet on stairs.

1980-1989

Continuing her designseries, CeliaRufey findsouthow Emma

Bridgewater brought kitchen-dresser appeal to the potteries

PHOTOGRAPHS

(MAIN IMAGE) ANDREW MONTGOMERY; (MEMPHIS ) MEMPHIS MILANO

162 HOMESANDGARDENS.COM