If you have more than a passing interest in design, it can't have escaped your notice that 2019 is the centenary of the influential Bauhaus movement – arguably where modern style began...
Yes it’s 100 years since the legendary Art School opened its doors in 1919 in Weimar, Germany. Established by Walter Gropius, with an illustrious roster of directors that includes Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Marcel Breuer, Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky, the school operated for only fourteen years, between the two world wars – yet its enduring influence can still be strongly felt in designs from famous names of today to those on the high street.
D42 chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, £1,895, Tecta at The Conran Shop.
Here’s our pick of current pieces that have caught our eye.
THE RIGHT LINES
There’s every chance that The Conran Shop wouldn’t exist if it hadn’t been for the Bauhaus – at least, not as we know it. The school’s belief in the harmony of form and function, the notion that design should be socially beneficial and accessible to all, exerted a tremendous influence on Sir Terence Conran when he founded the shop, and has continued to define it ever since.
Manna Di Britta Ceramic Collection: Square Vase 19x9cm Matt White, £175; Colonna 56x29cm 4 Black, £295; Otto 31x19cm 8 Black Striped Vase, £250, The Conran Shop.
To mark the centenary The Conran Shop is devoting its SS19 collection to reflecting, exploring and building on the ideas of the design movement that first inspired it, including the introduction of the German brand, Tecta, which has been faithfully reproducing unfamiliar and exclusive licensed Bauhaus designs for more than 60 years (such as the D42 chair by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, pictured above).
Grid Cushion Cover Black / Tomato, £75, The Conran Shop.
GOING OFF GRID
On the High Street, Habitat‘s new season’s offerings are channelling Bauhaus principles in the form of the Trent flatweave rug and cushions by Martha Coates.
Trent 140x200cm flatweave rug, £170, habitat.co.uk.
Trent 50x50cm cushion, £55, habitat.co.uk.
IN GOOD SHAPE
‘Charlotte’ was the second coffee table in Ferdinand Kramer’s 1950s “Knock Down” series, manufactured by e15 and available at Viaduct. As fresh today as it was when it was first launched, the series embodies the simple circular, triangular and square shapes so typical of the Bauhuas movement.
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Charlotte coffee table, £475, e15 at viaduct.co.uk.
SEE THE LIGHT
Combining solid brass bases, angular forms and spherical glass globes, these lamps from Bert Frank take inspiration from iconic lighting pieces of the Bauhaus movement. Intersecting lines evoke the industrial lighting that inspired designers and was found on many early Bauhaus lamps.
Lizak pendant lamp, £2,600, Bert Frank.
Similarly to the Bauhaus designers, Bert Frank creates modern pieces that are both functional and attractively simple in form. Each piece is designed and crafted in the UK.
Revolve wall lamp, £750, Bert Frank.
Find Bauhaus influenced wall murals and wallpaper.
