For the Love of Liberty

Liberty of London started in the late 1800s as a small shop in London.  Though it’s now best known for its floral and art deco motifs, at its inception it was dubbed the ‘eastern bazaar,’ selling rugs and curiosities and capitalizing upon the British fascination with the Far East.   It grew rapidly, expanding into the world of fashion, and became the place to shop in London.

Liberty prints are generally characterized by tightly arranged patterns of sophisticated florals with lots of movement and color.  We love Liberty prints, and especially love seeing them used in interiors.  The repeat of this large scale, brightly colored print on both the walls and the sofa might be insane in person, or it might be the happiest place on earth.

Liberty of London will see your pickled wood floors and sleek tulip chairs and raise you one awesome indigo print for a tie: Liberty 1, Scandinavian Minimalism 1.

This yellow-patterned wallpaper is sunny and modern, and is the perfect backdrop for the riot of Liberty fabrics on the bench (not to mention the colorful rug).

Bad days might cease to exist in the presence of these perfect blue botanicals.

The art deco (art nouveau?  Shoot – we still need to write that Design Definition!) pattern on the couch makes this modern and spare space much more interesting.  It’s all about contrast!

An eccentric shape is made extra special with this beautiful fabric.

This is such a creepy picture, but we don’t think even that awkwardly-posed mannequin would keep us from sinking into this perfect – and perfectly colorful – arrangement of cushions.  Make room for us, Emmy! (Wait, what?  You didn’t watch the ’80’s movie “Mannequin” a hundred times as a preteen?  You haven’t lived!).

In addition to wallpaper and fabric, Liberty of London also has an extensive line of housewares. These plates would brighten any table — preferably ours!

There are hundreds of Etsy stores selling crafts made with Liberty fabrics, and this quilt just asked if it could swaddle you. Don’t think too hard about it, just say yes.

We love this DIY lampshade done with pretty blue Liberty fabric.

If clothing, furniture, wallpapers and housewares aren’t enough, don’t worry. You could also have a Liberty of London car.

And if that’s not enough? Shoot, just wallpaper your whole dang house like the exterior of the Liberty store.

Are you a Liberty of London fan? Katie’s ready to curl up in those soft pillows with that rigid mannequin and Mera wants to cry it out on the blue armchair.  How about you?

6 responses on “For the Love of Liberty

  1. Katy Gilmore

    Yes a fan, I love Liberty! Always want (even though I look stupid in prints) a Liberty print blouse so I can pretend I am English and have had it forever! Loved this post on a Monday morning!

  2. Michelle

    I’m with Katy—yes, a fan! I’d like the car though, please! And perhaps a matching blouse, sofa, and plates! And I’d love to know more about who the designers are behind these timeless prints.

  3. Leslie

    Big fan! But always from a distance, since the fabric is crazy expensive! But those plates could be an option. Thank you for sharing!

  4. pippin

    Some of the last prints remind me of my Holly Hobby quilt I had that matched the Holly Hobby wall paper. However, my room was clearly not as sophisticated as the posted in this blog. I find some of these patterns dreamy.

  5. Jewelry Lover

    I enjoyed this post. When I was a little girl my mother made me an Easter dress with the Liberty of London rosebud print – pink rosebuds with green stems. There was a coat to go with it in green corduroy lined in the rosebud – I remember it vividly to this day. The nicest outfit I’ve ever owned, including my wedding dress!

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