Maureen Whitemore Our interiors expert on Cumbria’s Arts & Crafts movement
’m a great believer in the value of strong design, beautiful materials and craftsmanship – and nothing brings those values together better
than The Arts & Crafts movement of the late Victorian era. For me, the timeless design of Arts & Crafts furniture, architecture and style works as well today as when it first emerged.
Cumbria has more than its fair share of great Arts & Crafts houses – those Manchester merchants certainly knew how and where to invest in their holiday homes! And the Keswick School of Industrial Arts played an important role in developing the style and then sharing the skills needed to create it.
Today we can recognise the attention to detail of an Arts & Crafts piece in everything from an unusual window closure to a stunning glass panel or deceptively simple wooden inlay. I can see a strong influence in many modern metal lighting ranges. A great example of the style is Blackwell The Arts & Crafts House, near Bowness-on
Pure Morris North collection by Morris & Co
Windermere – it’s well worth a visit.
As well as original pieces occasionally coming up at auction or elsewhere, we’re seeing the same design and quality from local cabinetmak- ers, including The Rusland Movement, Daniel Lacey (Langholm), Matt Jardine (Braithwaite) and Luke Harding (Keswick).
One of the original creators of the movement was William Morris and his legacy continues with leading proponents of the Arts & Crafts style, Morris & Co
still bearing his name. I love using the company’s traditional fabrics and designs in modern homes but it’s sometimes difficult to convince clients that they aren’t too dour and dark.
Now, Morris & Co is helping me out. Its latest pattern books take well-known designs and give them new colourways, inspired by the frozen north. These North and Kindred ranges use delicate combina- tions of greys, creams and neutrals with subtle watercol- our tones and occasional inky blues. The effect is gorgeous
– very Scandi and ideal for a modern home.
Look out for Arts & Crafts style for your own home. It will be worth the investment and, to paraphrase William Morris, will be both useful and beautiful for years to come.
Maureen Whitemore owns Whitemore & Thwaytes Interiors on Lowther Street in Penrith. She is on the board of the Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers. www. whitemoreandthwaytes.co.uk.
In a new series, Maureen Whitemore focuses on a Cumbrian business making its mark in home design
The Rusland Movement Cumbria has so many
connections to The Arts & Crafts movement that it’s hard to pick just one but an exhibition opening soon at Blackwell, The Arts and Crafts House is a brilliant opportunity to see work by The Rusland Movement, one of the best
modern exponents of the style.
The Rusland Movement brings together passionate designer makers in its workshop at Greenodd and its Cartmel showroom and has a reputation for delivering quality, unique pieces of furniture.
The exhibition, A Design Lineage: The Rusland Movement at Blackwell, will see contemporary furniture placed around the house as
well as telling The Rusland Movement’s story through sketches, film, photographs and detailed samples in an interpretation room.
The exhibition is a chance to appreciate modern craftsmanship and there’s the opportunity to order pieces or commission something unique inspired by the work on display. It opens on Friday, January 18 and runs until Sunday, June 9. www. blackwell.org.uk
The Cumbrian connection
CUMBRIA LIFE / JANUARY 2019 / 75
PHOTOGRAPH: NINA CLARIDGE PHOTOGRAPHY/THE RUSLAND MOVEMENT
PHOTOGRAPHY: PURE MORRIS NORTH, STYLE LIBRARY