Do you remember that whole salmon pink/ grey thing in the 80's? I'm thinking the greige will be like that for our current period of time and we'll all look back and think how bland it all was.
I loved that video so much!! I'm so glad you did too. It was mesmerising and quite soothing in a way to see people still crafting something like that.

That ad was so dated looking - love the way the ad director credits himself with revolutionising English design! I remember No Chintz starting up in the 90's. If I remember correctly it was because the owner Chrissy was sick of doing Chintz curtains (she was a curtain maker), so wanted to showcase alternative fabrics. But I think she might need a rethink, as Chintz is definitely making a comeback!

I think chintz has been popular in the UK because of the weather (or that's my take on it) - when it's gloomy outside, then having a riot of flowers inside kind of makes sense.
re your parents - agree with you that it lasts a long time... my in laws had a 1950's Colefax and Flower chintz slipcovered sofa and armchairs. They replaced them about 10 years ago, but the fabric had held up remarkably well (shabby, but not unpleasantly so).

Definitely back Jen - you're right on trend!

Yes - this is just like a Sesame Street video!! They still do them too on SS - my kids used to watch the factory with conveyer belt type things not that long ago (although our preschooler tv days are over. Thankfully).
Maybe you should go and work for a fabric company?! Although that may only fuel the hoarding, rather than cure it!

Agree about Ikea - and not a fan of anything you have to put together yourself. We always get into dreadful disputes about what goes where. There usually seems to be something left over - and something missing! Our fault of course. G and I are not handy and hardly know one end of a screwdriver from the other. Ikea always looks as though it would get shabby (but not chic) very quickly.
Last time I selected chintz was in the early 80s in Singapore. I loved it - beautiful fresh light large flower and leaf print on a white background in that shiny coated cotton. Who knew it was carcinogenic back then! It was for master bedroom curtains and bedspread in the tropics - perfect - so cool, fresh and pretty. Vive chintz!
As usual, great post Heidi! Love all the back information on textiles and design.
We attended the last day of the Pierre Frey wallpaper exhibition at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs - fabulous! And who do you think we met at the entry? Romy and Kim and Co! Pammie xx

Hi Lillian, lucky you to have some vintage Chintz hidden away somewhere - you should definitely pull it out! And agree with you about IKEA. I know a lot of people love it, but everything I've bought has not worn well - drinking glasses that looked exactly like more expensive and old ones I had all chipped within a year in the dishwasher... furniture needs regular rescrewing etc etc. There's a place for everything, and I do like their bookcases, but in terms of a decor style, it was the complete opposite of Chintz and traditional style. Sanderson is always good quality, and not so expensive as other English fabrics, so is a go to for me.

Pammie - the carcinogenic part of the glaze was in the manufacturing. I'm sure unless you ate it you'd have been fine! Apparently no one (even in China with the lax environmental laws) will do the glaze anymore. So it's a look that will stay in the 80's I think. So lucky to see the Pierre Frey exhibition! Romy posted it on instagram, and said she'd bumped into you! Such a coincidence (although not really considering you both share similar interests!). xx

Glad to hear it wasn't carcinogenic for us as we used it in the bedroom for a couple of years, but left it behind in the house in Colombo. It didn't belong to us as it was bought as furnishings for a house that came with the job. The previous curtains and bedspread were really old homespun cotton that had fallen into dreadful disrepair - holes and long tears. But that chintz was clearly terrible for the poor factory workers. Had no idea before. I learn so much all the time from your blog.
Have always liked Sanderson linen - seems a classic of pretty fresh English country cottage style.
Should probably do something about getting onto Instagram, Though internet here is truly frustrating and painful - apparently because where we are there are so many travaux (we can see these for ourselves) the line just keeps dropping out ALL THE TIME! Better go before it happens again. Pammie xx

There is so much manufactured in the third world that is so bad environmentally - leather is a big one. So much degradation in the Ganges from the very toxic leatherworks. The love of marble recently is another - everything the last few years in homewares is marble and knowing the conditions in the Chinese quarries it is quite stomach churning to think of what is going on there. We all talk about fast fashion, but in construction and building there is an awful lot going on that is similar, or worse, that is not considered by the majority of consumers in the West.
I think Instagram would be an excellent fit for you Pammie - you do take lots of photos, and that is what instagram is made for! You don't have to write overly long captions underneath either. So glad to hear you're enjoying the Grand Tour, despite internet problems! xx

I had a floral Laura Ashley dress in the early 90's Judith! Yes, it was very granny. but that was the kind of look at the time I guess. You're right about fashion cycles in interiors. Not quite as fast as clothes, but nearly there!! I think anytime they recolour and resize the archive prints they turn out so well. I love what they've done with William Morris, and it's definitely given a new lease of life to it all.

I do think that patterns are a great option for high use areas Den - the patterns do hide a multitude of sins! I think that having everything in solid pale colours in the last few years has been hard to maintain, so this may also be a good reason why there's been a renewed interest in it xx

I snuck that Bowood in because it's my all time favourite too Caroline! One day I'll put it in a room somewhere... although Mr AV hates florals, so I'll need a spare room he doesn't go into in order to get it through the door.
Agree with you about joyous interiors - I think that's a great term. Living with neutrals is safe, but never going to inspire joy. Maybe calm? And order? Which is perhaps why it's been popular in the recent past. But colour and pattern are a more forgiving, personal way to live in an interior. I think everything in design is related to the mood of the era, so there is something perhaps nostalgic and comforting about using florals. So glad you loved the film! xx