Bouroullecs in Bretagne: the French duo present works old and new in Rennes

The Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft in Ditchling, England, is currently hosting an exhibition titled "Double Weave: Bourne and Allen’s Modernist Textiles," which aims to reintroduce the British textile company Bourne and Allen, and its founders Hilary Bourne and Barbara Allen, into the annals of design history. Active in the mid-1900s, Bourne and Allen produced a range of iconic woven fabrics, yet their contributions have largely faded from public memory. This retrospective seeks to correct that oversight by highlighting their innovative craftsmanship and personal story. Hilary Bourne and Barbara Allen were partners in both life and business, and their company was known for blending modernist aesthetics with traditional craft techniques. They frequently utilized natural materials and plant dyes, sourcing wools from across the United Kingdom. Their products, which included woven scarves, tweeds, and furnishing fabrics, were carried by prestigious department stores and design houses such as Liberty of London, Heal’s, and Fortnum and Mason. Bourne and Allen also played a significant role in major theatrical and film productions of their era. Notably, they designed expansive stage curtains and furnishing fabrics for the Royal Festival Hall in London, built for the 1951 Festival of Britain. Their work extended to Hollywood, where they produced 52,000 yards of custom-woven fabric for the costumes of 452 actors and 25,000 extras in the epic film *Ben-Hur*. The exhibition, which is the culmination of extensive archival research conducted by a team of ten, delves into the duo’s work, their lives, and their four-decade-long relationship. Various sections of the show explore their distinct weaving techniques, the materials they employed, their global inspirations, their personal backgrounds, and key career achievements. The displayed fabrics, encompassing both swatches and longer lengths, illustrate Bourne and Allen’s unique aesthetic, characterized by bright primary colors derived from natural dyes like indigo (blue), madder (red), and weld (yellow), contrasted with the natural hues of undyed sheep’s wool. The use of Lurex alongside dark yarns and varied weaving techniques such as plain weave, double weave, chenille, ikat, and floats of thick hand-spun yarns, created alluring textures. The exhibition contextualizes Bourne and Allen within a vibrant, women-centered community of craftspeople in England that predated World War II. A display titled “Map of intimacies: Women’s networks of love, friendship, and textile practice” visually charts the collaborative and intimate relationships among the women—friends, lovers, companions, business partners, and sisters—who influenced Bourne’s and Allen’s lives and work. To demonstrate the enduring relevance of Bourne and Allen's legacy, the exhibition incorporates commissions from two contemporary artists, Poppy Fuller Abbott and Omeima Mudawi-Rowlings. Abbott, a weaver from Sussex, created a piece inspired by the mid-century designers' techniques using indigo-dyed linen with silk floats, and also wove textile samples that replicate Bourne and Allen's fabrics for visitors to handle. A film in a dedicated viewing room documents Abbott’s weaving process. Mudawi-Rowlings's site-specific installation, "Drawn to the Light (نور)," features long swathes of silk dyed with plant materials and printed with personal symbols, reflecting themes of interconnectedness and personal identity amidst global events. Ultimately, "Double Weave" serves as a meditation on themes of love, loss, home, and land. It underscores how the act of weaving, both literally and metaphorically, involves intertwining traditions across time and place, fostering a continuous dialogue through generations in the form of fabric. #TextileHistory #MidCenturyDesign #ModernistTextiles #BritishDesign #Craftsmanship #QueerHistory #DitchlingMuseum #TextileArt #ExhibitionReview

French design duo Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec have launched a new collection of architectural glass panels, developed in partnership with Skyline Design. This collection, which debuted at NeoCon, received a Silver award in the Architectural and Decorative Glass category. The project represents a thoughtful exploration of color, light, and scale, drawing inspiration from various observations in their daily lives. The design process began with the brothers capturing photographs of their surroundings, ranging from natural landscapes to urban scenes. The aim was to distill the inherent sensations of colors and light present in these everyday moments. From a selection of eight initial images, Erwan Bouroullec utilized a custom computer script to analyze the color information. This script then condensed the captured colors into a unique base color for each panel, simultaneously transforming the rhythmic qualities of the original images into distinct patterns. A subsequent layer of translucent patterns further enhances this foundational color, resulting in a multitude of additional color variations. The patterns are delineated by a darker outline, intentionally designed to evoke the lead lines found in traditional stained glass. This technique aims to mimic how lead frames shape the visual experience of stained glass, with the lines in the Bouroullec panels subtly influencing the distribution and density of colors, creating an almost imperceptible shift. The Bouroullec brothers specifically sought to reinterpret the captivating qualities of stained glass found in medieval cathedrals. Their objective was to translate the immersive and atmospheric experience of these historical artworks into contemporary architectural glass. The complex interplay of color and line within their panels is designed to create a sensation of being enveloped within an abstract landscape, evoking a similar sense of wonder that one might experience in a medieval cathedral. Skyline Design’s digital print and manufacturing capabilities bring these designs to fruition. The panels offer considerable customization options in terms of size, scale, and color, allowing them to be adapted for diverse applications. The collection features four distinct pattern variations: Oblique Regular, Oblique Bold, Chevron Stroke, and Chevron Fill. Each of these patterns is available in four monochromatic color schemes or four polychromatic palettes. These versatile glass panels can be integrated into various architectural contexts, both internal and external. Potential interior applications include feature walls, space dividers, and stair railings. For exterior use, the panels can be incorporated into facades, railings, and canopies, demonstrating their adaptability to different design needs and environments. #BouroullecBrothers #StainedGlass #ArchitecturalGlass #SkylineDesign #ColorAndLight #DesignInnovation #InteriorDesign #ExteriorDesign

The article details the creation of a stone home in North Oaks, Minnesota, designed to evoke the charm of an old-world fairy tale. Homeowners Elaine and Claud Morgan, having moved from Atlanta, sought to recreate the wooded and natural environment they cherished while raising their children in Wisconsin. Their vision for a stone cottage in the woods, featuring abundant windows to connect with nature, guided the design process. They collaborated with City Homes, a builder, and Kathryn Alexander of Alexander Design Group to realize this dream. Elaine Morgan's specific requests included a European cottage aesthetic, incorporating stonework, curved rooflines, wood shutters, an octagonal sunroom, and a weather vane-capped cupola. These intricate details were crucial for achieving a timeless look. The exterior combines two types of stone, Fond du Lac Buff and Eden stone, selected for their light and dark variations by Rebecca Remick of City Homes. The roofline's gentle curves and painted shutters contribute to a soft, romantic, fairy-tale appearance, reflecting Elaine's background as an interior designer in Atlanta with a distinct Southern flair. French pane windows were chosen for their traditional style, allowing ample natural light into the interiors. The design emphasizes natural light and exterior views, transforming them into a form of art within the home. The Morgans also aimed to integrate meaningful art and antique pieces collected during their travels, necessitating spaces designed to accommodate these items. Elaine describes her interior style as a blend of soft contemporary and traditional, enriched with special antiques and diverse art, including pieces from European travels and a ceramic bust by Wisconsin artist Susan Strand-Penman. A key area of the home is the kitchen and adjoining sunroom. The kitchen features raised-panel, powder-blue cabinetry, providing a classic look and extensive storage. Expansive counters topped with Chiffon quartzite offer a durable and contemporary workspace, complemented by slab backsplashes. The sunroom, accessible from the kitchen, boasts walls of windows and French doors, offering natural light and scenic views. Inside, comfortable seating surrounds a cast-stone fireplace, while outside, turret-like architecture adds to the romantic, castle-like ambiance. The homeowner expressed immense satisfaction with the outcome, considering it her "happy place" and her home. #HomeBuilding #ArchitectureDesign #CustomHome #EuropeanCottage #InteriorDesign #NorthOaks #TimelessDesign

The Adagio tile project, designed by Ronan Bouroullec for Mutina, revolutionizes the use of ceramics by transforming individual modules into large-scale, fabric-like wall installations. The term "Adagio," Italian for "slowly," reflects the unhurried and intentional process behind creating these intricate designs. Each ceramic module, simple on its own, interlocks to form complex reticular structures, echoing the texture and visual depth of woven textiles. This innovative application showcases Mutina's manufacturing capabilities and Bouroullec's design ingenuity. The core of Adagio's design lies in its single ceramic module, which measures 2.7 x 30 centimeters. This minimalist form transcends traditional functional constraints of tiles, offering an architectural sleekness. The modules are double-fired as white paste ceramic and then hand-finished to achieve an ultra-glossy surface. This meticulous process ensures a lustrous sheen and a sculptural effect, with all vertical sides of the module fully covered by the glaze. The precise notch on the back of each element is key to their interlocking mechanism, allowing for diverse configurations. Adagio is available in five glossy glazes: Bianco (white), Grigio (gray), Rosso (red), Blu (blue), and Verde (green). To simplify design choices, Mutina also offers five pre-defined color combination sets: Grigio + Blue, Grigio + Bianco, Grigio + Verde, Rosso + Blu, and Rosso + Verde. These combinations ensure harmonious integration within installations, making it straightforward for users to transform ordinary wall spaces into extraordinary artistic statements. The versatility of Adagio allows for endless arrangements, ranging from highly structured and enclosed patterns to more fluid, organic compositions that appear to expand naturally across surfaces. Beyond its aesthetic appeal and innovative design, Adagio embodies Mutina's commitment to environmental responsibility. The base tile body is formulated without Volatile Organic Compounds (V.O.C.) and other hazardous substances, adhering to stringent environmental standards. Furthermore, the product's packaging is designed to be fully recyclable, ensuring that the project's ecological footprint is minimized throughout its lifecycle, from production to eventual installation. The project debuted at the Résonance exhibition earlier this year at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. This exhibition celebrated Ronan Bouroullec's significant contributions to contemporary international design. Adagio was prominently featured as an entire wall installation, serving as a backdrop for other works by Bouroullec for Mutina Editions. This display not only demonstrated the modular system's adaptability but also its capacity to integrate various color palettes and configurations seamlessly. Adagio's inclusion in this prestigious exhibition solidified its impact and led to its acquisition for the Centre Pompidou's permanent collection, underscoring its lasting value in modern design. #RonanBouroullec #Mutina #CeramicTiles #ArchitecturalDesign #WallInstallations #ModularDesign #HomeFurnishings #SustainableDesign #ContemporaryArt

This article explores the cultural phenomenon of "brocantes" and other markets in France, which offer a wealth of vintage homeware and furniture at potentially reduced prices. The author shares her experience on a guided tour of local brocantes in the Languedoc region of southern France, led by Katie Jackson, an English expatriate who furnishes her former monastery, Domaine des Montarels, with these finds. Jackson, who has furnished ten guest bedrooms and private apartments, has become adept at identifying valuable items with five-star potential, and now offers tours to share her expertise with guests. These tours also include language assistance for price negotiations, enhancing the treasure-hunting experience. The article highlights Pezenas, a historic town known for its upscale brocantes and antique shops, as a starting point for exploring French vintage markets. However, Jackson prefers to guide visitors to more remote brocantes, where the selection is more diverse, prices are more favorable, and the shopping experience is more akin to a hunter-gatherer expedition. Visitors are encouraged to explore thoroughly and look beyond initial appearances to discover hidden gems. Key items to look for include French bed and table linens featuring hand-worked monogrammed embroidery and damask patterns. Heavy linen sheets can be repurposed as upholstery fabric, curtains (possibly with screen or block printing for a unique touch), or layered with handcrafted lace to create a retro romantic style for beds. Vintage glassware, such as cut glasses and grouped bottles, is another popular find, with the author herself acquiring six hand-cut Champagne coupes from a "maison bourgeoise." Limoges porcelain, produced in France since the 18th century, is also a valuable discovery, along with blue and white dinner sets and various tea-serving items. For artwork, the article advises looking beyond soiled mounts or damaged frames, as old prints and paintings can be reframed to suit modern aesthetics. Alternatively, vintage plaster frames can be salvaged and reused for mirrors or new artworks, or even grouped together to form an impactful gallery wall. Chipped gold-leaf plaster frames can be restored with gold turpentine wax. Lighting fixtures, including lamps and chandeliers, are also highlighted as worthwhile investments. The author found a pair of early 20th-century bird globe lamps on marble plinths at a low price. Architectural salvage such as carved doors, church pews, and stained glass panels are also available. Copper cookware and other kitchen goods are abundant and significantly cheaper than new alternatives, and can be professionally polished or cleaned using homemade methods. French brocantes also showcase items with Moroccan influences, including hand-worked brass and copper, and various rugs. Quality furniture, from carved armoires to marble-topped chests of drawers and bed frames, is readily available. Dark wood pieces can be integrated into contemporary interiors as statement pieces or updated with chalk paint for a more classic look. Jackson, for example, repurposed marble-topped chests of drawers into vanity units for bathrooms. The article addresses the logistics of transporting purchased items, suggesting that while smaller items can be packed with luggage or mailed, larger pieces require formal shipping arrangements, which incur additional costs. Despite these shipping expenses, the savings on vintage French items compared to new furniture in regions like the UAE can be substantial. The overall appeal of brocante finds lies in their uniqueness, history, and the personal story of discovery they offer, enabling homeowners to infuse their spaces with French style through distinctive accents rather than attempting to replicate historical chateau interiors. The article concludes with practical tips for navigating French flea markets, emphasizing early arrival, open-mindedness, negotiation skills, language assistance, cash payments for outdoor markets, bringing home measurements, and factoring in shipping costs. #FrenchFleaMarkets #Brocantes #VintageHomeware #HomeDecoration #InteriorDesign #AntiqueFurniture #Languedoc #TravelShopping