Text copyright
© Lesley Jackson and Paula Day 2014

Lucienne Day
1960s

Lucienne’s furnishing fabrics for Heal’s became more overtly architectural during the 1960s as she responded to the trend for light, airy, open-plan interiors. After experimenting with textural and painterly effects during the early 1960s, she turned increasingly to flat patterns, often abstract but sometimes stylized florals.

Her repeats became larger over the course of the decade, with bold use of verticals, horizontals and diagonals. Cleverly structured, these later patterns were printed in striking colourways and explored a new vocabulary of circles, squares, diamonds and stripes. Similar motifs were also exploited in her carpet designs for Tomkinsons, I. & C. Steele and Wilton Royal.

Her relationship with the German ceramics firm Rosenthal remained fruitful and she enjoyed being part of Rosenthal’s international designers’ panel selecting products for the company’s celebrated Studio Line. Her tea towels and table linen for the Irish firm Thomas Somerset enabled her to explore complementary aspects of pattern design.

Lucienne Day decorating china with Paula watching, c.1960
©Robin & Lucienne Day Foundation

Back