Introducing the Modern Folk Collection

Inspired by a discovery in Vanessa’s daughter’s kitchen

As with many of Vanessa’s collections, travel and family are at the heart of the Modern Folk collection. She recalls fondly: “My Modern Folk Collection was inspired by a hand-painted 19th-century Hungarian pine bench in my daughter Flora's house. This sparked a fascination with the painted flowers, leaves, and decorative motifs found on traditional furniture from Eastern Europe. ”

Vanessa was also drawn to the Scandinavian folk-art tradition of Rosemaling, with its stylised flowers, sweeping scrolls, and flowing lines. “There is a warmth and character to these handmade decorative traditions that feels especially relevant today,” Vanessa explains.

That initial discovery led Vanessa on a journey to discover more about folk art itself. Not just the patterns, but what they meant to the people who made them. Here’s what she found…

A brief background on the spirit of folk art

Folk art has been practiced for centuries, but it was only recognised as a distinct artistic movement during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This traditional, expressive form of art was created by ordinary people rather than trained artists, with an aim to capture the beauty of the natural world through flowers, leaves, flowing shapes, and decorative motifs. As Vanessa explains, “In those days everyone was an artist and nature was a constant inspiration. Unlike fine art, folk art is typically passed down through the generations, utilising local materials and distinct cultural memory.”

Bespoke furniture and mural designer Tess Newall, whose own work often draws on the same folk traditions, was a fantastic source of inspiration to Vanessa during the development of the collection. “‘Folk’ is by the people, for the people”, Tess says. “While murals were mostly the preserve of high society, folk art was accessible to everyone. I love how resourceful folk art is, and it is wonderful that we are now celebrating the charm of a naive painting style.”

Vanessa has taken this history of pattern and craft on a journey of her own with the Modern Folk Collection, reimagining it for contemporary interiors while keeping its warmth and character intact.

Twist & Turn

Twist & Turn brings a more contemporary note to the collection, combining zigzags, stripes, and dots in an easy, rhythmic pattern that feels jaunty and fun. The design is an ogee format (a continuous S-shape double curve) framing a single dot at its centre. It’s the perfect way to introduce pattern without overwhelming a room.

Available in the following colourways:

• Aqua & Woad 
• Avocado & Woad 
• Lovat & Avocado 
• Smoke & Soft Peach
• Woad & Soft Raspberry 

Floral Sprig

Floral Sprig was designed while Vanessa was on holiday by the sea in Wales. It takes the same flower and leaf shapes found in Folk & Flora and reworks them into a simpler, block-print. A single round flower sits within a short stem of neat leaves, repeated in tidy columns rather than the trailing vine seen in Folk & Flora – making it more minimalist and mid-century in character.

Available in the following colourways:

• Avocado & Aqua 
• Indigo & Aqua
  
  

Three exciting new colourways

The Modern Folk Collection introduces three new timeless colours to the Vanessa Arbuthnott palette:

• Avocado – a fresh green
• Lovat – a soft blue-green
• Aqua – a gentler powder blue

These colours work equally well in both contemporary and traditional interiors, and are all gentle hues and colours that you would love to live with. They also co-ordinate beautifully and usefully with Vanessa’s existing fabrics.

Feeling inspired to bring a touch of folk art into your home?

Explore the Modern Folk Collection to find your new favourite design.