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21/09/22
Design for Diversity artist collaboration results in striking wallcovering launch
Innovative interiors brand The Monkey Puzzle Tree has launched a bold new artisanal wall covering called ‘Blues Fantasia’. A modern take on Art Deco, the paper contrasts a natural toned textile background, bold colours and metallic gold with a striking African inspired graphic print.
The design will be launched at Decorex in October.
‘Blues Fantasia’ superwide wall covering is 134cm wide and is priced at £280/m and is available from https://themonkeypuzzletree.com
This latest wallpaper for the multi award winning interiors brand has been two years in the making, and was created in collaboration with animation artist Josephine McYebuah.
Josephine spent most of her childhood in Ghana and is has diverse influences ranging from comics to Bollywood films and Art Deco glamour.
In 2020, Charlotte Raffo, founder of The Monkey Puzzle Tree had spent months in an unsuccessful search for a new artist with a truly different style. She found Josephine as a result of the publicity generated by the Design for Diversity pledge.
"I was so frustrated with the lack of true originality in the designs we received in our first artist call out’ says The Monkey Puzzle Tree founder Charlotte Raffo.
‘I realised that there were two issues we had to address. Firstly that the Yorkshire artists we were working with at the time didn’t truly represent the range of diversity in our region, and secondly that to drive our creativity forwards we desperately needed new ideas from people with different experiences and backgrounds.”
The pledge, which was created by Kate Watson Smyth (Mad About the House) and interior designer Rukmini Patel aimed to help promote diversity in the interiors industry, something which The Monkey Puzzle Tree had been seeking to do to ensure that the Yorkshire based artists they work with accurately represent the diversity of the region.
One of the company’s aims is to promote and preserve local industry and traditional skills, with all designs being manufactured within 100 miles of their Leeds studio.
To achieve its astonishing depth of colour and texture, Blues Fantasia is silk screen printed onto a natural toned textile base. The wallpaper takes two people five hours to produce each run of 30m, with each colour having to be left to painstakingly dry before the next is applied.
Josephine was chosen for this latest design collaboration for her unique style and interesting and unusual influences. Growing up in Accra, Ghana, she was fascinated by the cartoons and animation she saw on television as well as Bollywood films and the wildlife and colours in her surroundings. After moving to England when she was 15, she channeled her love of cartoon and character into studying for a degree in animation at the University of West of England in Bristol. Moving to Leeds in 2012, Josephine has pursued her own unique style and has ambitions to illustrate books for children and young adults.
The starting point for Blues Fantasia was a series of pencil sketches, where Josephine drew upon references from the Art Deco era, including ornate screens and cinema design. Charlotte took the sketches and arranged them in the geometric style creating the Art Deco style which can be seen in the finished design. The vibrant colour palette was a key part of the look and Josephine and Charlotte collaborated on curating this, mocking the design up by hand using pastels initially before the final colours were trialled at the mill.
The impressive scale and vibrant colours of ‘Blues Fantasia’ make it perfect for creating a show stopping feature in a large space such as a hotel or grand entrance hall. A plain textile wallpaper coordinate is also available to use alongside Blues Fantasia allowing a flexible use of pattern and colour.
Notes to Editors
The Monkey Puzzle Tree creates award winning English made interiors with a twist and a conscience. Combining a love of colour and pattern with a strong ethical purpose, their exquisite textiles and wallcoverings enrich interiors with character, authenticity, and a quiet sense of rebellion.
Established in 2017 by Charlotte Raffo, The Monkey Puzzle Tree carved out a new way to harness creative ideas by collaborating with carefully selected Yorkshire artists, celebrating the best of the North of England's creativity, eccentricity and innovation.
The company works to support local communities and minimise the environmental impact of their products, paying their artists generous royalties and manufacturing their luxury designs within 100 miles of their Leeds studio.
AWARDS:
Design Guild Mark in 2022 for ‘All Tomorrow’s Futures’ fabric
Design Guild Mark in 2021 for ‘Hit the North’ real cork wallpaper.
‘Best in British Product Design’ at the Hotel Designs Brit List Awards 2021 for ‘Metamorphosis’ linen union fabric
For further information / interviews / hi-res images please contact:
Charlotte Raffo, The Monkey Puzzle Tree
Tel: 0113 4503639 or 0774 6843927
Email: charlotteraffo@themonkeypuzzletree.com
Website: www.themonkeypuzzletree.com
18/03/22
Vibrant new fabric tells the story of climate change
Award winning luxury interiors brand The Monkey Puzzle Tree has launched a new fabric design called 'All Tomorrow's Futures' which carries an environmental message within its beautiful depiction of the natural world.
'All Tomorrow's Futures' is the result of a collaboration between design house The Monkey Puzzle Tree and artist Alexis Snell.
l-r sustainable fringed cushion in Loster Orange £150, All Tomorrow's Futures Fabric in Seaweed Green, Lobster Orange and Ocean Blue, £147/m from www.themonkeypuzzletree.com
Printed onto a specially woven textured cotton-linen crepe blend, 'All Tomorrow's Futures' is a joyful and intricate depiction of the natural world featuring monkeys, butterflies and panthers set alongside exploding volcanoes and arid deserts.
Working in partnership with The Monkey Puzzle Tree, Alexis sketched out her initial design for 'All Tomorrow's Futures' in pencil before hand carving it onto a lino block and printing it by hand with a roller.
This pattern was then screen printed at Stead McAlpin, a heritage mill in Cumbria, onto a bespoke, unbleached cotton-linen fabric. The design is available in three, nature-inspired colourways – Lobster Orange, Ocean Blue and Seaweed Green.
The environmental story told by 'All Tomorrow's Futures' ties in with The Monkey Puzzle Tree's own ethical and sustainable standpoint. All the fabrics and wallpaper designs are created and manufactured within 100 miles of The Monkey Puzzle Tree's Leeds HQ which minimises the company's carbon footprint. In addition, all the artists who create the designs are paid a generous 20% royalty to help support their creative endeavours.
"We are committed to a local and sustainable approach," says Charlotte Raffo. "All our unique fabrics and wallpapers are built to last, meaning they need to be replaced less often – arguably one of the most sustainable actions we can take. Also, as part of our commitment to supporting the textile industry in the North of England, we adopt a transparency policy in which all our suppliers are named on our website. This not only raises the profile of our partners, but also encourages them to adopt a sustainable and ethical approach.”
'All Tomorrow's Futures' is suitable for curtains, blinds and upholstery, and sits within The Monkey Puzzle Tree's innovative and award-winning range of fabrics and wallpapers.
Dropbox link for images and pdf:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/4x8vd6ubcsvb4tl/AAD22Q6iCKIrsArH5--zX06Oa?dl=0
Website: https://themonkeypuzzletree.com
ENDS
Notes to Editors
The Monkey Puzzle Tree is a luxury award winning interiors brand with a difference, creating artist-designed, British-made fabrics and wallpapers. Celebrating the best of the North of England’s design, craftsmanship and manufacturing, The Monkey Puzzle Tree collaborates with handpicked artists, translating their vision into unique designs for the home. All products are designed and manufactured within 100 miles of the company’s Leeds HQ.
The Monkey Puzzle Tree creates distinctive fabrics and wallpapers with a quiet sense of rebellion – bringing art, story and character to your home.
For further information / interviews / hi-res images please contact:
Charlotte Raffo, The Monkey Puzzle Tree
Tel: 0113 4503639 or 0774 6843927
Email: charlotteraffo@themonkeypuzzletree.com
Website: themonkeypuzzletree.com