British Design Panels: Here’s the Tea.
I’ve spent my summer steeped in studies of English design as I tackle a tower of British bedside books, binge Create Academy workshops, and make like a groupie attending design panels. I particularly enjoyed two panels, the first was back in May, at which Mary Graham and Nicole Salvesen discussed their new book, ‘A New English Style,” alongside Interiors Stylist Mieke ten Have, Interior Designer Meta Coleman, and thoughtful moderator, Emma Bazilian of Frederick Magazine. The second, a dedicated “British Design Panel,” was part of Ariel Okin’s Fenimore Lane Design Summit in June (and will be available on her “Talk Shop” podcast) and featured Emma Burns of Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler alongside Farrow & Ball’s Paddy O’Donnell, and was eloquently moderated by Grace Beuley Hunt, the Home & Design Editor at LUXE Interiors + Design.
The Mayflower Auberge, masterfully designed by American Celerie Kemble, was the setting for both events. There, the Teahouse proved a consummate representation of both conversations as the panelists delved into the British influences on American design, both historically and in the context of the modern movement as we witness a surge in the style’s popularity. While so thoughtfully layered it deserves a deeper analysis all its own, the Teahouse is perhaps most readily depicted by the wallpaper, which immediately envelopes its guests in a sense of cozy British cottage-core. The wide stripes of floral vines climb up the walls and spread untamed across the vaulted ceiling, supported by great wooden beams reminiscent of a trellis while also a rustic statement all their own. The wallpaper is the very embodiment of British influence on American design, as it is in fact Celerie’s design in collaboration with Schumacher, “Tasmanian Mimosa in Ivory and Green.” Celerie credits this pattern as “inspired by the Arts and Crafts patterns of English architect C.F.A. Voysey,” and in its creation she brought to life a pattern that while English in essence, is still strikingly at home in more modern American interiors.
When we ultimately drop our gaze from the foliage of the fifth wall, Kemble immediately draws us to the great stone hearth. There we can ease into two high-back English fireside chairs which are tailored in a traditional tartan that echoes the British racing green wainscoting. Rich chestnut leather sofas complete with the quintessential English arm roll, deep amber ottomans, suede club chairs, and copper accents complete the English ensemble. The industrial Troy “Flyboy” pendants “inspired by mid-twentieth century aircraft” seem to be Celerie’s single wink to America— and the cheeky juxtaposition proves perfect. But I digress, the tell-tale sign of a transportive interior, particularly one that marries the British legacy of design with that of the American interior frontier…
Therein lies the question, as I left the event wondering what lies ahead for American design? Will this American fancy with British design prove fleeting, or is this movement anchored in a deeper desire for more traditional timelessness-- perhaps even a long-awaited rebellion against the tyranny of trendiness?
The answer may lie in the heart of the panel discussions, as both conversations quickly ventured into the differences in design motives between the two cultures. From the panelists, I gathered that the British design their homes in a way that prioritizes comfort (especially that of their dogs, according to Burns!), expresses individuality to the point of quirkiness, and most importantly, the British design in a way that pleases themselves. Seemingly the opposite, we Americans are more concerned with trends, often prioritize price over performance, and the big-box furniture model has created conformity. Salvesen and Graham curiously posed the question— is this American hyper-focus on trends rooted in the American desire to impress the guest? The combined insights from both panels seem to suggest exactly that, a succinct and simple difference: The British design for themselves, Americans decorate for others.
As culturally cemented as that American design instinct may be, I do believe that we Americans have hit an inflection point, where aesthetics now meet authenticity. Grace Beuley Hunt astutely suggested that COVID caused this pivotal shift in American design influences. What started as quest to create comfort and cozy during the pandemic evolved into a full-fledged era of reflection—prompting many for the first time to consider their own personal design sensibilities. Simply put, it took quarantining with no guests to impress for Americans to finally start designing for themselves!
Call it the American Design Revolution, I’ll salute any movement that tempers the deluge of design trends that were the norm pre-COVID, be it farmhouse frenzies, neutral nightmares, or minimalism to the max. It’s now a new dawn and even retail has been relegated! We are witnessing Americans antiquing— so much so that Burns joked that the English now must buy their furniture back from America thanks to incredible sources like Chairish and 1st Dibs. Americans also are becoming more unabashed in employing color, granted, we aren’t yet as bold as the Brits, with Burns and O’Donnell dubbing “pond water” as their current palette pleaser. Murals too are having a moment, and of course, we celebrate a return to richer textiles (Oh, Suzanis!).
Admittedly, there’s still much room for improvement in individuality in the American interior— both panels shamelessly mocked Americans for our ‘need to read,” as we are left buying books in bulk (and solely judged by their covers) as we struggle to fill our shelves with a sense of self. Undoubtedly too, there will always be a limit to the American adoption of British furniture, if merely due to our super sofa needs as we set scale to our full-theatre sized screens (alas, books really never stood a chance). Overall, however, it seems Americans now possess a greater sense of design confidence and a better understanding of how decorating a space to reflect oneself is in fact more lasting, noteworthy, and most importantly, fulfilling. Whether this is a meaningful movement or again just mis-placed mimicry remains to be seen. The litmus test, whether Americans take a formulaic, copy-paste approach as they implement the elements of British design into their homes, or we see, as in the case of Celerie’s Teahouse, Americans steep their work in the best of Britain while spiking it with our own uniquely Americanly spirit.
Most optimistically, I hope this American appreciation for English style spreads from the interior to the exterior— may English gardens take root!
