Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1539744
The space is designed to evoke the mood of a sophisticated drawing room humming with conversation. Wow in London C had Dorsey's opulent drawing room for the recent WOW!house in London is a master class in cross- cultural design. Created in partnership with the acclaimed British wallpaper company Fromental, Dorsey reimagined an international members' club through the viewpoint of both American and British Arts and Crafts traditions. The space is layered with floral and geometric patterns, painterly wall coverings, and bespoke furniture, all designed to evoke the mood of a sophisticated drawing room humming with conversation. Dorsey worked closely with Fromental to reimagine the company's Kiku wallpaper, adding decorative borders inspired by Arts and Crafts motifs and incorporating sunflowers — a signature of the Aesthetic Movement. Japanese visual influences, adopted in late 19th-century Britain, combine with traditional British craftsmanship to create a richly historical composition. A coordinating pattern on the ceiling is a reinterpretation of a textile by Candace Wheeler, the pioneering 19th-century American designer and one of the first women Dallas designer Chad Dorsey collaborated with Fromental on a pattern-filled drawing room for WOW!house, the U.K.'s most innovative showhouse. By Rebecca Sherman. Photography Stephen Karlisch. Portrait Milo Brown. in the decorative arts. A contemporary of William Morris and a key figure in the Aesthetic Movement, Wheeler championed the integration of fine art into everyday life. Her honeycomb-and-bee motif is interwoven with brambles and Tiffany- inspired butterflies. A bespoke fireplace by Strike anchors the room, with sculptural furnishings by Alexander Lamont, Julian Chichester, Pinch, DeMuro Das, and textiles from Romo and a graphic patchwork rug by Kyle Bunting. Held each summer at the Design Centre at Chelsea Harbour, WOW!house is one of the most anticipated events on the international design calendar. This year's collaborators included Texas showrooms Perennials and Sutherland, and Visual Comfort & Co., along with Alessandra Branca, Kelly Hoppen, Peter Mikic, Ben Pentreath, Phillip Jeffries, Stark, Fortuny, Barovier&Toso, Dedar, Benjamin Moore, Hector Finch, Lopen Joinery, and McKinnon and Harris. Noteworthy emerging talents include Ukrainian artisan brand Shepel' and Alex Dauley of United in Design. Fromental's hand-painted and embroidered paper features a rich pattern of chrysanthemums and sunflowers against a soft gray-pink ground. Strike fireplace, Kyle Bunting rug. Chad Dorsey at WOW!house 108