OUR HISTORY        1930s        1940s        1950s        1960s        1970s        1980s – PRESENT

1940s

John Fowler

Through the 1920s and into the 1930s John Fowler had developed his decorating skills at the London firm of Thornton Smith and then in the decoration studio of Peter Jones, where he learned techniques such as painting Chinoiserie wallpaper by hand. By the time Sibyl Colefax invited him to join her he had been working for a few years under his own name from premises on the King’s Road. Lady Colefax’s business provided John Fowler with the introductions he needed and the partnership prospered. His talent for creating glamorous interiors on a comparatively modest budget was to prove a sought-after ability in due course, in post-war austerity Britain.

At the beginning of 1944, Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler Ltd moved its business to 39 Brook Street (once the home and office of distinguished early 19th century architect, Sir Jeffry Wyatville). On the day the new shop opened, John Fowler noted in his diary: ‘Lovely day and lots of people. Good sales’.

Fowler’s decorative flair and scholarly eye were behind the company’s continuing success and its reputation for beautifully fashioned draperies, convivial and comfortable seating arrangements. A sense of relaxed elegance grew. He later went on to work with the National Trust, conserving Great Britain’s most important historical houses; significant commissions included Clandon Park, Lyme Park, Sudbury Hall, Claydon House and Uppark House. His exceptional skills prompted his friend the late Duchess of Devonshire to describe John Fowler as ‘the prince of decorators’, a sobriquet that stuck.

sf_timeline_003_a
Top floor at 292 King's Road showing John Fowler's rustic style
sf_timeline_003_c
Watercolour by Serebriakoff of the sitting room in John Fowler's Hunting Lodge © Stanley Falconer
sf_timeline_003_b
39 Brook Street in the late 1940s
sf_timeline_003_d
The staircase at Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire © National Trust
Contact Us

We're not around right now. But you can send us an email and we'll get back to you, asap.