How the Bauhaus Design Principles Influenced our Latest Interiors Collection

When looking for inspiration for our latest collection we turned to the Bauhaus art school.

Established 100 years ago, Its attempt to unify mass production with individual artistic vision was an ideal that really struck a chord with us

Taking the values of this movement - simplicity, honesty and the use of natural materials as a guide, we set out to create the new and original!

We chose natural cork to create 'Hit the North' wall covering with artist Drew Millward.

The print was inspired by the architectural landscape of the North of England.

Circular sunrise elements were incorporated as a nod to motifs used on wall coverings of the bauhaus era, and parts of the design were left unprinted to allow the natural beauty of the cork to be appreciated.

First popularised by modernist architects in the 1930's, cork comes from the bark of the cork oak tree, grown in Portugal.

Its warmth, sound insulating and natural anti-microbial properties make it very relevant for interiors today.

Design inspiration for our ‘Metamorphosis’ linen union fabric by Kirsty Greenwood came from the simple lines in the drawings of Egon Schiele and the expressive use of gold in paintings by Gustav Klimt.

We used unbleached fabric for the design, allowing the natural beauty of the fibre to show through. 

Linen has been used since before ancient Egyptian times and is made from the fibres of the flax plant which are grown with far less water and pesticides than cotton.The fabric is woven in Scotland and screen printed in a heritage print works in Cumbria

Our 'Disorder in Stasis' conceptual wall covering created with Joel Weaver really played on the idea that mass production can be reconciled with the individual artistic spirit.

The lines in this paper were in fact originally draw entirely by hand.

Every line is different, with the fades resulting from the pen running out of ink.

The abstract panels were created from the blotting paper used to clean artist Joel's pen whilst creating the original.The resulting wallcoverings create a graphic statement, their hand drawn origins showing through in the level of character and detail.

Thanks to our good friends  The Modernist Tourists  for design inspiration.

Their musings on everything modernist from architecture to furniture and posters make a fascinating read.  Follow them on Instagram and visit their  blog here.

About The Monkey Puzzle Tree

From rich linens and velvets to a risqué lace voile, The Monkey Puzzle Tree collaborates with artists to create truly unique home textiles with a twist and a conscience. 

Founded by Charlotte Raffo in 2017, the business pays a 20%  royalty to their artists to help provide them with a passive income, and the unique designs are manufactured in the North of England, supporting traditional industries and maintaining high environmental standards. 

Awarded ‘Highly Commended’ for Best British Product Design in the Brit List Awards 2020, Finalist in the Northern Design Awards 2020.