COLOURS, PRINTS AND TEXTILES: Florence Broadhurst wallpapers, rugs, and fabrics

Gwyneth Paltrow in her Hamptons home with Florence Broadhurst fabric on bench seat

Gwyneth Paltrow in her Hamptons home with Florence Broadhurst “Circles and Squares” fabric on the bench seat

UPDATED: I adore Florence Broadhurst prints and, once we have some money, I’m going to get the chaise longue in our bedroom recovered in the black and grey aka “bley” Circles and Squares print.

Or perhaps the newer red and pink Mount Perry Cherry & Magenta design.

How divine, no? It’s costly but worth saving up for. The sophistication of her prints is legendary. Keep reading for more…

As I’ve adored Hollywood Regency style for years now, especially anything glamarama and with Chinoiserie influences, it’s unlikely that I’m going to suddenly become a minimalist overnight, so I see this as an investment piece worth indulging in.

Florence Broadhurst (1899-1977) was an Australian painter, print maker, sculptor and designer and businesswoman, who created a series of beautiful pieces,but is sadly remembered for her unsolved murder in her Paddington, Sydney studio in 1977.

She established Australian (Hand Printed) Wallpapers Pty Ltd in 1959 (later Florence Broadhurst Wallpapers Pty Ltd) and by 1972, her collection of wallpapers was estimated to contain 800 designs in 80 different colours.

Signature Prints in Sydney, Australia have the exclusive rights to Florence Broadhurst fabrics and are the custodians of the Florence Broadhurst design library (see Florence’s bio), and Cadrys, also in Sydney, have produced Florence Broadhurst rugs.

There is also a more recent Florence Broadhurst-KateSpade collaboration, as well as designers Akira Isogawa, Nicky Zimmermann and Karen Walker. The range of Florence Broadhurst items now extends to wallpapers, print making, fabrics (including cushion covers) and fashion accessories.