Britishness in the country | Cotswold Manor

Zoffany's Cotswold Manor brings it home in timeless fashion

Cotswolds Manor is the newest collection to come to the fore; a journey of countryside ambling and modern International influences make the designs a voyage of archival discovery, beautifully reimagined for luxury design schemes.

Zoffany’s past has indeed caught up with it. From illustrious beginnings in the early 1980s to now, our design has been synonymous with a style that is deeply connected to sophisticated artistry and a pervading Britishness, told in elevated forms. The work produced comes from a knowledge and appreciation of place, space, and time, often taking its cues from global inspirations, an aesthetic that flows, intertwined, with the richness of British heritage design.

It is this respect for craft and origin that has defined the newest and most revered collection, Cotswolds Manor. Drawn from an eclectic blend of documents and brought to life in exquisite form, it truly embraces the richness and historical influences of its exquisite archive.

In Cotswolds Manor we see the past, present and future of print, the designs, thrust into being once more by the ambitious design team, led by Peter Gomez, highlight in detail these archival treasures. What is astounding in Cotswolds Manor is its marking of the stylistic changes that epitomise unexpected luxury, daring and expressive palettes combined with timelessness and a resolutely English aesthetic that simultaneously carries an international flavour. The heritage of English country manors and rural vernaculars is peppered with external influences, making them even more beguiling, the origin of which is captivating.

The Value of Delving into the Past

Rediscovering iconic patterns and reimagining their beauty for a modern audience has long been a value honoured by the Zoffany design team. For history reactivated we can look to Temple Newsam, the historic house and country estate based in Leeds, originally built in 1520 for one of Henry VIII’s courtiers. This Tudor-Jacobean house was once the setting from which the early iteration of Zoffany began a momentous design journey, where a renovation of the property saw hand-screen printed wallpapers emerge, forming part of our first collection. Now, revisiting these identifiable prints, Cotswolds Manor has been born, lifting the past with renewed vigour and a sense of honouring past design through accomplished artist eyes.  

A Keen Sense of Britishness

Permeating the collection is not just a look, but an atmosphere of Britishness and its past, inextricably linked to nature and the surrounding countryside of rural England. Chintz, so typical of this homage paying, features bold and unashamedly committed to the country aesthetic, with winding gnarled branches offering a perch for chirping birds. Verdure embraces a bolder, more vibrant take on nature at play, churches waterfalls and stylish foliage tell a story of religion and hunting, a style epitomizing Britishness, as seen by the rest of the world. Then there is a Nootka, a detailed, closer inspection of nature and its wonder. Lost in a canopy of textured, almost wheat-like branches, Nootka is nature very much at play.

Prominence of Blue

When unearthing a collection of prints it is hard to imagine a palette more reinvigorating than blue, which is why so many of the captured designs take on a hue of cobalt or royal tendencies. Nostell Priory is, without doubt, the boldest, most impactful of these blue highlights, its richness creating a stark and powerful contrast to the florals in the fore. Based on a Chinese printed wallcovering, hanging in Nostrell Priory, Yorkshire, the climbing rose was once popular amongst the 18th-century aristocracy and now, harnesses its power once more in this enrapturing hue. Avalonis by Ruth Blanke also demonstrates the power of blue as a storytelling tone, where the connection between humans and animals is played out. Storks and Thrushes utilises blue in a more traditional British sense, with delicate bamboo latticework climbing between beautifully painted scenes. Phadera Toile also plays with that wonderful British taste for crisp whites and blues, to a striking, yet subtle effect.

International Influence

The influence of travels and observed countries and their specialist skills makes Cotswolds Manor the rich collection that it is. From French to Italian, Indian and Chinese techniques discovered and respected, lift these designs to transatlantic heights, making each fabric and wallpaper elevated by these details. From Pompadour, inspired by 19th-century French artwork, a baroque style bringing country foliage and florals to the fore in a style that celebrates the pomp and ceremony of this level of decoration, to French Marble, a more architectural take and one which elevates the beauty of French marble with striking colourways. This design honours the country houses found throughout Europe. Combining Far Eastern references, Sezincote Damask celebrates the influences of the namesake Cotswolds house in this modern ombre take on a damask. Coromandel, named after the Indian coastline, again brings countryside to the fore in lush branches and leaves, drawn from a reinterpreted archive design.

Zoffany’s meander through England’s architectural and natural history, from London to the country, reflects a deep connection to place with a forward-thinking attitude towards the nuances of design in fabric and wallpaper.