fornasetti reveals fourth whimsical wallpaper collection for cole & son

lemons, oranges, classical façades and walking sticks are among the motifs in the latest fornasetti collection for english wallpaper brand cole & son. titled ‘senza tempo’, this is the fourth time the two brands have joined forces to capture the whimsical imagination of the italian atelier.

images courtesy of fornasetti

‘the collection captures the wit, the originality and the boundless universe of fornasetti’s visual language’, the fornasetti brand explains. ‘revealing the capricious textures and recurring curiosities that are part of the enchanted world of the artist: from the imaginative flying machines to the spiteful monkeys, to the classical architecture, up to the surreal seductiveness exerted by everyday objects.‘

comprising 19 designs, the collection continues to draw inspiration from the fornasetti archive of drawings created by piero fornasetti. senza tempo is a compendium of the most iconic designs already existing along with four new designs which include bastoni, arance, cocktails and libreria. 

arance

the bold repeat of Mediterranean citrus fruits seen in arance are a prolific theme throughout the fornasetti archive, originally appearing on the tray ‘fette d’arancia’ in the 1950s and repurposed by barnaba fornasetti in the 90s as a graphic fabric print. this organic study has been produced in true-to-life palettes of Blood orange, orange, and lemon on strikingly contrasting grounds of chalky seafoam and stone, as well as the sumptuous ink.

libreria 

libreria expands upon one of the most iconic fornasetti motifs of leather-bound tomes with the addition of the collector’s ‘library’ of objets d’art and glassware adorning its shelves. the jewel-like rich multi palette of emerald, sapphire and ruby creates a dazzling feast for the eyes, with subtle metallic gold highlights on book spines, glassware detailing, and each golden ornament for a rich and decadent wallcovering.

bastoni

originating as a silk scarf print from the 1940s, the ‘canes’ of bastoni reflect the eclectic nature of the house of fornasetti, brimming with umbrella and hat stands full of antique walking canes. the graphic checkerboard style of the repeat is reminiscent of many fornasetti favourites, resulting in a striking and bold motif. bastoni is printed with a gravure four-colour process, to ensure all details remain sharp, with flecks of tonal metallic detail added in a luxurious gold. choose from three classic colourways of cream, racing car green, and charcoal.

cocktails

derived from an ice bucket design entitled ‘oggetti cocktail’ created by piero fornasetti in the 1950s, cocktails showcases the maestro’s fascination with repeated studies of the same subject in order to create multiple variations upon the same theme. Its stylized mid-century graphic bottles and glassware were created in a vibrant multi colour palette, true to the original sketches, which is complemented by a softer pastel palette and the monochromatic soot and snow.

the new ‘senza tempo’ wallpaper collection is being previewed from today until january 21st 2019 at paris deco off. it will be available at the fornasetti store of corso venezia 21, and in all authorized dealers starting from 10 march 2019.