Not for Wallflowers
A young Florence BroadhurstBorn in rural Queensland, Florence Broadhurst (1899–1977), possibly most well-known for her colourful wallpapers, lead an equally colourful life. After stints around the world, including Shanghai and England, she eventually returned home with her husband and son in 1949. Ten years later, Florence established her wallpaper business, advertised as ‘the only studio of its kind in the world’.
Her brightly-coloured wallpaper certainly seemed larger than life, bursting on the eye in a kaleidoscope of wild geometric patterns …
Florence Broadhurst paintingHer brightly-coloured wallpaper certainly seemed larger than life, bursting on the eye in a kaleidoscope of wild geometric patterns and oversized designs inspired by nature, and surely in part by William Morris and Art Nouveau in general. They were all hand-printed, and technological advances made in her studio included printing on metallic surfaces, and the development of a washable, vinyl-coating finish.
By 1972 her range included about 800 designs in 80 different colours, and today designers such as Akira Isogawa, Nicky Zimmerman, Karen Walker and Kate Spade have been granted license to use them in their fashion designs. There is so much life and vibrancy in her designs – they’re really not for wallflowers!
Check out Gillian Armstrong’s docu-drama Unfolding Florence to find out more about this Aussie icon.
Kate Spade fashion incorporating Broadhurst fabrics
A Broadhurst rug