Bert & May’s property arm has been productive in the past couple of years, with Bert’s Barge and Bert’s Box, but now it is time for the lifestyle branch of the business to shine.
Returning to its roots for London Design Festival, the brand has teamed up with independent London design label Darkroom to create 'Split Shift', a fabric and encaustic tile collection that is as bold as it is graphic.
It isn’t the first time the two labels have worked together. ‘The collaboration with Darkroom first came about in 2015 with the building of the Bert & May barge when we invited Darkroom to produce a series of wall mounted plates as an art installation,’ explains Bert & May founder Lee Thornley. Taking inspiration from that first partnership, the latest iteration takes on a myriad of shapes, depending of how the tiles are arranged. A celebration of three graphic shapes, the tiles can form triangles, circles or squares; or a playful mix of something in-between. Rendered in a signature monochrome palate, a flash of blue adds colour and depth.
The Vyner Street showroom will host an installation during London Design Festival, but the Bert Barge – which will be transformed into a Darkroom pop-up until December – will receive a revamp as well. Also inspired by the eye-catching tile collection, Bert & May’s new fabric collection will fill the barge, overhauling the blinds, curtains, bedlinen and upholstered furniture pieces, alongside a new paint colour named simply 'Darkroom Black'.
'Split Shift' is a fabric and encaustic tile collection that is as bold as it is graphic
‘The collaboration with Darkroom first came about in 2015 with the building of the Bert & May barge when we invited Darkroom to produce a series of wall mounted plates as an art installation,’ explains Bert & May founder Lee Thornley
Taking inspiration from that first partnership, the latest iteration takes on a myriad of shapes, depending of how the tiles are arranged
INFORMATION
The Bert & May showroom and barge will be open to the public between 17–25 September. For more information, visit the Bert & May website
ADDRESS
Bert & May
67 Vyner Street
London, E2 9DQ
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