Why We Love Chintz in Interior Design

If you’ve spent much of the quarantine in a comfy overstuffed chair, reading books by Nancy Mitford and Angela Thirkell, or if you’ve become addicted to lush television productions of early and mid 20th century English mystery cozies, then you probably are already a fan of the posh design firm Colefax and Fowler — perhaps without even realizing it.

Colefax and Fowler started out in the early 1930s under the hand of Lady Sibyl Colefax, then grew when she invited the new Decorator of the Moment, John Fowler, to join her in 1938. 

Their client list exploded after World War II, when the English upper crust needed to update their war-weary homes — but on a budget. 

In the 1940s, a well-connected and well-funded American named Nancy Lancaster stepped in and bought the firm from Lady Colefax. She continued to work with John Fowler for two more decades; he convinced her to paint her bedroom what one history of the company calls “a startling, glossy yellow,” which you can see in the photo above (apologies: this week’s Compass is all Black and White!).

The same history, found online at www.thehousedirectory.com/the-history-of-colefax-fowler, says of the room: “Original and innovative at the time, the Yellow Room proved to be a source of inspiration for many over the following years, becoming perhaps the best-known and most influential interior in the history of English interior decoration.”

Colefax and Fowler homes don’t set out to impress; they are cozy, lovely, snuggly. This is the firm largely credited with making chintz fabric an essential part of the well-dressed (but cozy and snuggly) living room, drawing room or bedroom. A Colefax and Fowler home should always have a small decorative dog in it (alive or ceramic).

The company continues to thrive to this day; you don’t need to know a lot about interior design to have heard of Colefax and Fowler, which is not only a famous design firm but also a pre-eminent producer of fabrics.

During the quarantine, when it isn’t possible to take house tours, it’s possible to view some dream-inducing interiors on Zoom. Ventfort Hall Mansion & Gilded Age Museum, which is in Lenox, Mass., is hosting an online talk about Colefax and Fowler on Friday, March 12, at 11 a.m.

Lisa Singleton Boudiette is a specialist in historic decoration, based in San Francisco, Calif. Her talk on “Colefax & Fowler, Legendary Designers of the English Country House Style” will dig into the history of the design style that has influenced not only homes across the United Kingdom but also so many American homes. 

She’ll delve into the signature details, including “chintz in beautiful faded colors, fringed and tasseled curtains, painted Regency furniture, sofas designed for years of fireside comfort, and expertly applied finishes, subtly lit to show off beautiful antiques and paintings,” according to the announcement of her talk. Fowler described this look, according to the announcement,  as “humble elegance.”

Tickets to this talk are by donation, with a suggested donation of $20. To sign up, go to www.ventfort03122021.eventbrite.com or call Ventfort Hall at 413-637-3206.

To learn more about Ventfort Hall (built in 1893 for George and Sarah Morgan, the sister of financier J. Pierpont Morgan), sign up for a tour (and learn about other online events) at www.gildedage.org.