Copper Cool
As a child of the late 70’s my first memories of interiors could not have been from a worse decade. Bright orange and brown carpets with a velvet sofa, the colour of which I still have no words.
A brick fireplace lovingly built (70’s style) by dad that housed the type of gas fire now only seen in museums. Across the town at nans the décor lacked a little in the orange but made up for itself with the inordinate amount of brass. It was everywhere. Brass horse plaques, which I found a little strange even then as nowhere in her teeny terraced garden had I ever seen a horse. Brass charger plates hanging from walls and an ornament of a brass penguin elegantly holding his brass umbrella. The fact that even as a child I knew this was wrong is the reason that when brass, copper and its warm toned metal friends first started trickling into our interiors conscious once more, I felt nothing but fear and loathing that this could happen all over again. Had we learnt nothing from the decade that interiors forgot? But as I stare lovingly at my hexagonal brass lanterns and plan my payday purchase of a brass pendant lamp for the dining room, I realise that lessons have been learned. It’s not about which natural materials we use, it’s about what we do with them. The fabulous array of brass lanterns, lights and furniture to be found today mean it’s ok to leave the bad brass memories in the past and embark on your own new journey with industrial metals. Wonder what the kids will make of it ?