Speak the culture britain be fluent in b 141

Ooh Pearl, I like your sofa…does it come in Bakelite? Britain was something of a bystander to the avant-garde modernism that swept Europe and the USA in the 1920s and 30s And yet its influence rippled, much dissipated, into British homes in the shape of sleek furniture, curvaceous radios and rectangular fireplaces Syrie Maugham became a big, early British name in top-end interior design, working for the likes of Noël Coward and Wallis Simpson She was fixated with white (furniture, fabric, walls, books), occasionally mixing in bits of colour to dramatic effect Syrie picked up the surname in a shortlived marriage to the largely homosexual writer Somerset Maugham; her maiden name was Barnardo, passed from her father Thomas John Barnardo, founder of the Barnardo’s charity for destitute children The streamlined shapes of modernism infiltrated homes further in the 1930s, with Bakelite telephones, geometric three-piece suites, veneer sideboards and chrome lighting All such items have become highly collectable in the 21st century as the desire for true antiques has waned Conran leads Britain into the light As post-war austerity lightened, the 1951 Festival of Britain played a role in normalising modern design for the average Brit They began to appreciate that chairs, bins, lights and other functional objects were suitable targets for style, that they were integral to the new consumer society Design, its reach extending into numerous aspects of life – industry, interiors, advertising – became an accepted wing of creativity On the home front, one man in particular knocked on the front door to offer guidance Terence Conran, designer and entrepreneur, opened the first Habitat shop on London’s Fulham Road in 1964, selling a ‘lifestyle’ that mixed Scandinavian simplicity, ethnic roughage, repro classics and pop art – shoppers could buy everything from duvets to bean bags 131 Identity: the foundations of British culture Literature and philosophy Art, architecture and design Performing arts Cinema, photography and fashion Media and communications Food and drink Living culture: the state of modern Britain