| Media Release - The Charlie Wilson Collection |
“A man with a profound understanding and passion for wallpaper … and the soul of an angel!” Lucinda Lambton Writer, photographer and broadcaster This collection is named after Charlie Wilson who joined Coles in 1951 as an apprentice block printer. For 57 years Charlie’s artistic sensibilities and craftsmanship have been applied to the printing of thousands of rolls of Coles’ wallpaper in countless designs and there is no higher tribute than to name this elegant and understated collection after him. The Coles Design Studio delved into the 250 year old archive and came up with a distillation of what Cole & Son stands for - tradition and style with an edge. Charlie had already earned his stripe, the Wilson Stripe, some years ago and in addition these designs now bear his name. They are also available to special order, minimum 10 rolls, in any colour imaginable. The Art Nouveau design, LYON has a trellis of single stemmed roses in smudge silver on drab stone, pewter on dark mole, clouded white on evening sky, pigeon on eggshell or white on wax candle. CHARLOTTE, from the early 20th century is a delicate flower design in pewter on light olive, silver on dark drab, silver on duck egg, cloud white on pale lychen or pewter on amethyst. Miniature tulips in stencil silhouette for ANNETTE, in gold on kir, gold on mocca, silver on palma violet or eau de Nil, white on biscuit or candle wax. KATHERINE is another Art Nouveau design with stylized flowers linked by a curling ribbon trellis in smudge silver on coal, white cloud on eau de Nil, silver on mole, gold on mist blue or silver on pigeon.
Another classic Coles design from the early Victorian period, DAISY is in silver on cloud, gold on mocca, cream on eau de Nil, white on biscuit or evening sky. BAY TREE from the early 20th century, as the name suggests has stylized bays linked in a horizontal line in colourways of pewter on black or pigeon, blotched gold on shell, silver on dried raspberry or white on stone. Gothic inspired CONWAY is a quatrefoil design in cobweb on pigeon, duck egg on lime, white on shadow, cherry on coral or pewter on mole. The archive based design for PARIS has slender curling leaves closely touching to form Art Nouveau shapes in gold on cocoa, shadow cream on mist or gunmetal on amethyst, white on plaster, dry white on pale olive or blotch pewter on coal. ASPEN BRANCH is an updated late Victorian design, a mass of leaves in blotched silver on taupe or dried lavender, cherry on coral, white on rock or cream on Bath stone. Lastly, ROCOCO is an ethereal early Victorian design with flowers and berries in watered silver on mouse or ointment pink, white on York stone, gold wash on manila or gold on violet. | |