Home Help: 8 March
Thanks to the recent cold weather, many of us have been swaddled in wool. The Campaign For Wool must be pleased, but this organisation wants us to think about using wool in our homes too – for insulation, soundproofing and as a material for one-off artworks, as well as the more traditional uses such as carpets and blankets. Apparently, the demand for wool has been falling, affecting the livelihoods of farms, rural communities and workshops around the world.
Next week, The Campaign For Wool is holding an exhibition at Somerset House called Wool House. Interior designers such as Ashley Hicks, Mary Fox Linton and Kit Kemp have been charged with decorating a room using as much wool as possible – and the results will be on show. Kit Kemp, who creates some of the nicest bedrooms in London for Firmdale Hotels, says: ‘In my scheme, there will be wool on the walls, and bespoke embroidered wool on the headboard and cushions. Some wool is so fine it almost looks like linen.’
The exhibition will be showcasing wool from sheep-grazing locations as diverse as the Highlands of Scotland to the Himalayas.
Teasel England and Dashing Tweeds work with small companies to produce colourful tweeds that look just as good on a sofa as on a skirt. Bholi Woollens will be showing wonderfully soft pieces in natural colours shorn from Himalayan sheep and yaks. Their wool is spun on hand looms and washed in the deodar flower, respected for its cleansing properties.
Finnish-born Anne Kyyrö Quinn, meanwhile, designs exclusively in wool felt. Her colourful panels are perfect for large rooms because they absorb sound and keep the place warm. At Wool House, Anne will be exhibiting her leaf design.
Dutch-born Claudy Jongstra creates smaller panels that have the variety of an abstract painting. The wool is from her own sheep and she grows the plants to make the dyes.
Wool House runs from 13 to 24 March (admission free) at Somerset House, Strand, London WC2: 020-7845 4600, www.somersethouse.org.uk
1 A selection of cushions, £POA, by Dashing Tweeds: 020-7267 3352, www.dashingtweeds.co.uk
2 A display of fabrics at the Wool House exhibition (Main Image above)
3 Ablington sofa, from £3,290; Burford stool, from £1,060, both by Teasel England: 01666-505369, www.teaselengland.com
Anne Kyyrö Quinn 020-7021 0702, www.annekyyroquinn.com
Bholi Woollens (UK agent) 01449-743654, www.bholidevi.com
Claudy Jongstra at UK gallery Willer, 12 Holland Street, London W8: 020-7937 3518, www.willer.co.uk
Email design enquiries to Hugh St Clair at homehelp@lady.co.uk
Next week, The Campaign For Wool is holding an exhibition at Somerset House called Wool House. Interior designers such as Ashley Hicks, Mary Fox Linton and Kit Kemp have been charged with decorating a room using as much wool as possible – and the results will be on show. Kit Kemp, who creates some of the nicest bedrooms in London for Firmdale Hotels, says: ‘In my scheme, there will be wool on the walls, and bespoke embroidered wool on the headboard and cushions. Some wool is so fine it almost looks like linen.’
The exhibition will be showcasing wool from sheep-grazing locations as diverse as the Highlands of Scotland to the Himalayas.
Teasel England and Dashing Tweeds work with small companies to produce colourful tweeds that look just as good on a sofa as on a skirt. Bholi Woollens will be showing wonderfully soft pieces in natural colours shorn from Himalayan sheep and yaks. Their wool is spun on hand looms and washed in the deodar flower, respected for its cleansing properties.
Finnish-born Anne Kyyrö Quinn, meanwhile, designs exclusively in wool felt. Her colourful panels are perfect for large rooms because they absorb sound and keep the place warm. At Wool House, Anne will be exhibiting her leaf design.
Dutch-born Claudy Jongstra creates smaller panels that have the variety of an abstract painting. The wool is from her own sheep and she grows the plants to make the dyes.
Wool House runs from 13 to 24 March (admission free) at Somerset House, Strand, London WC2: 020-7845 4600, www.somersethouse.org.uk
1 A selection of cushions, £POA, by Dashing Tweeds: 020-7267 3352, www.dashingtweeds.co.uk
2 A display of fabrics at the Wool House exhibition (Main Image above)
3 Ablington sofa, from £3,290; Burford stool, from £1,060, both by Teasel England: 01666-505369, www.teaselengland.com
Anne Kyyrö Quinn 020-7021 0702, www.annekyyroquinn.com
Bholi Woollens (UK agent) 01449-743654, www.bholidevi.com
Claudy Jongstra at UK gallery Willer, 12 Holland Street, London W8: 020-7937 3518, www.willer.co.uk
Email design enquiries to Hugh St Clair at homehelp@lady.co.uk